Your purchase has been confirmed!
```
### Example: Card Component
```erb
Card Title
Card content goes here
<%= f.label :email, class: "label" %>
<%= f.email_field :email, class: "input input-bordered w-full" %>
```
---
## Available DaisyUI Components
DaisyUI provides 50+ components:
**Actions**: Button, Dropdown, Modal, Swap
**Data Display**: Alert, Badge, Card, Table, Avatar
**Data Input**: Input, Textarea, Checkbox, Radio, Select, Toggle, Range
**Layout**: Divider, Drawer, Footer, Hero, Navbar
**Navigation**: Breadcrumbs, Menu, Pagination, Tabs
**Feedback**: Loading, Progress, Toast
Full list: https://daisyui.com/components/
---
## Theming
DaisyUI includes multiple themes. Configure in `app/assets/tailwind/application.css`:
```css
@import "tailwindcss";
@plugin "./plugins/daisyui.js";
/* Custom DaisyUI configuration */
@layer base {
:root {
--color-primary: oklch(45% .24 277.023); /* Custom purple */
}
}
```
Or use built-in themes by adding to HTML:
```erb
```
**Available themes**: light, dark, cupcake, bumblebee, emerald, corporate, synthwave, retro, cyberpunk, valentine, halloween, garden, forest, aqua, lofi, pastel, fantasy, wireframe, black, luxury, dracula, cmyk, autumn, business, acid, lemonade, night, coffee, winter, dim, nord, sunset
---
## Automatic Rebuilding in Development
The `tailwindcss-rails` gem automatically watches for changes in development.
Your `Procfile.dev` should include:
```
web: bin/rails server
css: bin/rails tailwindcss:watch
```
When running `bin/dev`, Tailwind automatically rebuilds when you:
- Add new DaisyUI classes to views
- Modify Tailwind configuration
- Change CSS files
---
## Production Deployment
### Precompile Assets
```bash
RAILS_ENV=production bin/rails assets:precompile
```
This compiles Tailwind CSS with DaisyUI into `app/assets/builds/tailwind.css`.
### Docker Deployment
Include the DaisyUI plugin file in your image:
```dockerfile
# Dockerfile
COPY app/assets/tailwind ./app/assets/tailwind
# Precompile assets
RUN bin/rails tailwindcss:build
```
The compiled CSS is self-contained - no runtime dependencies on DaisyUI or Tailwind.
---
## Upgrading DaisyUI
To upgrade to a newer version:
```bash
# Download latest version
curl -o app/assets/tailwind/plugins/daisyui.js https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/daisyui@latest/+esm
# Rebuild
bin/rails tailwindcss:build
```
Or pin to a specific version:
```bash
curl -o app/assets/tailwind/plugins/daisyui.js https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/daisyui@5.5.0/+esm
```
---
## Troubleshooting
### Issue: "Unknown at rule: @plugin"
**Solution**: Ensure you're using Tailwind CSS v4+. The `@plugin` directive is new in v4.
### Issue: DaisyUI classes not working
**Solutions**:
1. Rebuild Tailwind: `bin/rails tailwindcss:build`
2. Check the plugin path is correct in `application.css`
3. Verify `daisyui.js` exists in `app/assets/tailwind/plugins/`
### Issue: Styles not updating
**Solution**: Restart `bin/dev` to reload the Tailwind watcher.
### Issue: Large file size
DaisyUI is ~242KB uncompressed. Tailwind CSS only includes classes you actually use in production, so the final CSS will be much smaller.
---
## Comparison: NPM vs Standalone Method
| Feature | NPM Method | Standalone Method |
|---------|------------|-------------------|
| Node.js Required | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| npm/package.json | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Build Process | Complex | Simple |
| Offline Deployment | Requires node_modules | ✅ Fully self-contained |
| Update Process | `npm update` | `curl` new version |
| File Size | ~242KB in node_modules | ~242KB in assets |
| Production Output | Same | Same |
Both methods produce identical CSS output. Choose standalone for simplicity and self-contained deployments.
---
## Additional Resources
- **DaisyUI Documentation**: https://daisyui.com/
- **Tailwind CSS v4**: https://tailwindcss.com/
- **tailwindcss-rails gem**: https://github.com/rails/tailwindcss-rails
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/installing-daisyui-in-rails-without-node-js
# The Digital Marketer’s Dilemma: Big Goals, No Developer Resources, and How to Fix It
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-02-03
Marketing today requires serious technical execution, but most teams don’t have the development resources to keep up. Cause of a Kind provides the missing technical piece—so you can focus on marketing while we handle the implementation.
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, professional marketers at small to mid-market enterprise brands face an all-too-familiar challenge. The goals are ambitious, the backlog is endless, and the technical resources to execute critical marketing initiatives are… virtually nonexistent.
Every marketing team dreams of seamless automation, personalized customer journeys, airtight analytics, and high-performing landing pages. But in reality, they’re stuck in a bottleneck—waiting on internal IT teams that are stretched too thin or relying on cheap, offshore solutions that create more problems than they solve.
At Cause of a Kind, we recognize this pain point and offer a dedicated development program designed specifically for marketers. We provide on-shore, in-time-zone, in-language, expert development resources to turn your marketing vision into reality—without the frustration.
## The Developer Gap: Why Marketing Teams Are Stuck
The modern marketing motion is deeply technical. You’re not just running campaigns—you need a solid digital infrastructure that supports everything from attribution tracking to automation and personalization. But here’s the problem:
- __No In-House Dev Resources:__ Your internal developers are focused on product, security, or infrastructure—not on marketing’s urgent needs.
- __Long IT Queues:__ Even when dev resources are available, marketing is often low priority on the backlog.
- __Limited Budget for External Help:__ Hiring a full-time technical resource or working with traditional development agencies is expensive.
- __Fragmented Tech Stack:__ Integrating marketing tools with CRMs, ERPs, analytics platforms, and automation systems requires deep technical expertise.
- __Unimplemented Ideas:__ Without development support, marketers are forced to abandon key initiatives—losing revenue opportunities.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Marketing leaders everywhere are stuck between strategy and execution, with no way to bridge the gap.
## The Marketing Initiatives That Never Get Done
Without technical resources, some of the most critical marketing efforts get stuck in limbo:
- __Installing and Debugging Tracking Pixels & Tags__ – Without clean tracking, you’re flying blind.
- __Building and Testing Landing Pages__ – CRO efforts are stalled without dev support.
- __Integrating Third-Party Solutions__ – A disconnected stack creates inefficiencies.
- __Marketing Automation & CRM Connections__ – Customer journeys break without proper data flow.
- __ERP & Back-Office Integrations__ – Data silos kill marketing effectiveness.
- __Debugging Website Issues & Performance Fixes__ – Poor UX leads to lost conversions.
Each of these initiatives directly impacts revenue and ROI, yet they often take months to implement—if they happen at all.
## Introducing Cause of a Kind: The Missing Piece for Marketing Teams
At Cause of a Kind, we’ve built a development program designed exclusively for professional marketers.
### How We Help
✅ Dedicated Development Resources for Marketing Teams
No more waiting on internal dev teams or dealing with unreliable offshore solutions. Our experts work in your time zone, in your language, and on your schedule.
✅ On-Demand Technical Execution
From tag management to CRM integrations, landing pages, and automation, we handle the technical heavy lifting so your marketing strategy moves forward.
✅ Seamless Collaboration
We integrate directly into your team, working alongside you via Slack, Zoom, and your project management tools.
✅ Fast Turnarounds, No Long Waits
We know that marketing can’t wait—so we prioritize speed and efficiency.
✅ Affordable & Flexible Engagements
You don’t need to hire a full-time technical marketer or an expensive agency. Our program offers flexible support that fits your needs and budget.
## Why Cause of a Kind Is Different
Many marketers try to solve this problem by outsourcing to offshore freelancers or relying on agency retainer models—but both come with serious downsides:
❌ __Cheap Offshore Devs = High Risk__
Communication barriers, timezone delays, and quality issues mean your marketing projects are still stalled.
❌ __Traditional Development Agencies = High Cost__
Most dev shops don’t prioritize marketing and charge enterprise rates that drain your budget.
❌ __Internal IT Teams = Long Waits__
Your marketing roadmap doesn’t align with engineering priorities, so you stay stuck at the bottom of the queue.
Cause of a Kind offers the best of both worlds: affordable, expert, on-shore development support that’s built for marketers.
## Unlock Your Marketing Potential—Without the Developer Bottleneck
Your marketing strategy shouldn’t be held back by a lack of technical execution. If you’re tired of delays, roadblocks, and abandoned initiatives, it’s time to get the right development support.
🔹 Get faster execution on marketing initiatives
🔹 Stop waiting on IT or dealing with cheap, unreliable developers
🔹 Unlock the full potential of your martech stack
🔹 Focus on strategy while we handle execution
📩 [Let’s talk.](https://www.causeofakind.com/#contact "Let’s talk.")
Your next marketing campaign doesn’t have to wait. Let’s get it live, optimized, and converting—today. 🚀
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-digital-marketers-dilemma-big-goals-no-developer-resources-and-how-to-fix-it
# Selecting the Right Development Agency Partner After Choosing the Wrong One First
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-02-03
Stuck with bad code from a cheap dev agency? Many businesses waste time and money before realizing quality matters. Learn how to choose the right partner and why Cause of a Kind specializes in rescuing failed projects and delivering high-quality software.
In the world of software development, many businesses fall into a costly and frustrating trap: hiring the cheapest agency they can find. The allure of low hourly rates, often from offshore teams, makes it seem like a financially sound decision—until the project drags on for years, riddled with inefficiencies, miscommunication, and poor-quality code.
If you’ve been in this situation, you’re not alone. Cause of a Kind (COAK) is the relapse agency—the one that gets called in to clean up the mess and get your project back on track. In this article, we’ll break down why this happens and how to ensure you select the right development agency partner from the start.
## Why Cheap Development Always Ends Up Costing More
At first glance, a $15 per hour rate from a foreign development agency sounds like a steal. The assumption is that because development work is expensive in the U.S. and Europe, outsourcing will stretch the budget further.
However, here’s the reality:
A project estimated at 2,000 hours will still cost you $100K at $15/hour.
The timeline will stretch out far longer than anticipated due to inefficiencies, timezone misalignment, and lack of clear communication.
Code quality will suffer, requiring constant revisions, refactoring, and in many cases, a complete rewrite.
Security, compliance, and scalability concerns will often be overlooked, resulting in even greater long-term costs.
By the time a company realizes the project is failing, they’ve often spent just as much as they would have with a premium agency—but with nothing functional to show for it.
## The Warning Signs You Chose the Wrong Development Partner
If you’re reading this and realizing you might be stuck with a bad development agency, here are the red flags to watch for:
- Missed Deadlines & Unclear Roadmap: If you keep hearing “next week” without clear deliverables, you’re in trouble.
- Poor Communication: Do your developers understand your vision? Are they responsive? If you're always left in the dark, it's a problem.
- Inconsistent Code Quality: A lack of structure, missing documentation, and patchwork solutions indicate technical debt that will haunt your business.
- Lack of Proactive Problem-Solving: A strong agency anticipates issues and presents solutions before they become major blockers.
- Bloated Hours with Minimal Progress: If you’re getting billed but seeing little progress, inefficiency is draining your budget.
## How to Choose the Right Development Partner (The Second Time Around)
If you’ve been burned before, selecting the right agency is critical. Here’s how to make the right choice:
1. Look Beyond Hourly Rates—Focus on Value
Instead of getting stuck on price per hour, ask: How efficiently does this team work? A $250/hour agency that gets the job done in one month is far cheaper than a $15/hour team that drags it out for a year.
2. Prioritize Experience & Expertise
A great development partner:
- Has a proven track record with similar projects.
- Understands scalability, security, and long-term maintainability.
- Offers strategic guidance, not just execution.
- Check their portfolio, ask for case studies, and request references from past clients.
3. Choose a Team That Thinks Like a Partner, Not Just a Vendor
A true development partner cares about your business goals. They’ll challenge bad ideas, recommend better approaches, and guide you toward success.
At Cause of a Kind, we take the time to understand the big picture. Whether it's an eCommerce platform, SaaS product, or internal tool, we ensure our development work aligns with your actual business objectives—not just a checklist of features.
4. Demand a Clear Roadmap & Transparent Communication
Before signing a contract, make sure the agency can outline:
- A clear development timeline
- Milestones with tangible deliverables
- How they communicate (Slack, Zoom, project management tools)
- Who is accountable for what (technical lead, project manager, developers, etc.)
- If they can’t provide these answers upfront, that’s a major red flag.
5. Insist on High-Quality, Scalable Code
Code quality determines how easily your product can evolve. The right agency follows:
- Best practices in coding standards (clean, well-documented, and maintainable)
- Scalability considerations (will it grow with your business?)
- Security best practices (data protection, compliance, and encryption where necessary)
- At COAK, we don't just write code—we engineer future-proof solutions.
## Cause of a Kind is Your Partner in Getting It Right
We get it—realizing you’ve wasted time and money on the wrong development agency is painful. But there’s good news: you don’t have to keep suffering.
At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in fixing broken projects, salvaging existing codebases, and delivering high-quality software—on time and on budget. Whether you need a total overhaul or strategic intervention to get back on track, we can help.
Don’t wait until you’ve spent another $100K on unworkable code. Let’s have a conversation today.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/selecting-the-right-development-agency-partner-after-choosing-the-wrong-one
# The Rise of BlackOps Engineering: Modernizing Legacy Systems for the Future
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-09-12
Discover how BlackOps Engineering by Cause of a Kind helps businesses modernize legacy systems, streamline processes, and foster a culture of innovation to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced digital world.
In today’s fast-moving, tech-driven world, businesses are faced with a stark reality: adapt or fall behind. For many companies, the systems and processes that once made them successful are now holding them back. They rely on legacy technology that, while foundational, is no longer capable of meeting the demands of the modern marketplace. At the same time, their people and processes remain stuck in old ways of working, unable to match the speed and agility of competitors who have already embraced digital transformation.
The truth is, many businesses are struggling with outdated technology infrastructure, but the problem runs deeper than just the tools they’re using. A lack of modernization in People, Process, and Technology can leave organizations with rigid workflows, unprepared teams, and a culture that doesn’t encourage innovation. This is where BlackOps Engineering comes in—a tactical, focused approach to helping companies not just survive, but thrive in this rapidly changing environment.
## What is BlackOps Engineering?
BlackOps Engineering is more than just a consulting service; it's a highly specialized intervention designed to modernize and optimize organizations from the inside out. Much like elite special forces in military operations, BlackOps engineers operate behind the scenes to execute mission-critical transformations quickly and effectively. We are brought in to accelerate change—fast.
At Cause of a Kind, BlackOps Engineering focuses on three key areas: People, Process, and Technology. Rather than simply applying new tools or making superficial adjustments, we focus on embedding sustainable change by integrating with existing teams. We act as an extension of your workforce, guiding your business through a transformation that revamps not just your technical systems, but the way your entire organization operates.
The goal is simple: Create lasting change by upgrading your technology stack, optimizing workflows, and fostering a culture of agility and innovation. Over the course of several months, our team works alongside yours to modernize legacy systems and processes, ensuring that when it’s time to scale or adapt, your business is ready to move fast.
## Why Does Modernization Matter?
In today's digital age, where AI, machine learning, and cloud computing are driving entire industries forward, companies can no longer afford to rely on old ways of working. Digital transformation isn’t just a trend or buzzword—it’s a survival mechanism. Businesses that are slow to adopt modern technology and processes risk being left behind as competitors who have embraced these innovations pull ahead.
However, it’s not just about staying competitive—it’s about unlocking new opportunities. Modern technologies can help businesses do more with less, streamline operations, and ultimately deliver more value to their customers. By embracing modernization, companies position themselves to be more adaptable, efficient, and innovative, enabling them to respond faster to market changes and emerging trends.
That said, modernization is not just about implementing the latest software solutions. It requires a holistic approach that addresses the people using the technology, the processes that support it, and the culture that underpins it all. Without modernizing these three pillars, companies can’t fully leverage the potential of new technologies—and that’s where so many fall short.
## The Problem with Legacy Systems
Amid the rush to adopt new technologies, it’s easy to forget that many of the world’s largest companies and industries still rely on legacy systems to run their operations. From financial institutions to healthcare providers, legacy software forms the backbone of critical functions, even as these systems struggle to keep up with the demands of modern business.
In many cases, organizations have failed to modernize these systems because the task seems too large or disruptive. After all, legacy systems have been in place for years, and replacing or upgrading them often requires a significant overhaul of existing processes. But maintaining the status quo is no longer an option. Legacy systems can slow down operations, hinder innovation, and increase the risk of security vulnerabilities.
Without modernization, these systems act as a bottleneck, preventing businesses from capitalizing on new technologies like cloud-based solutions, automation, and data-driven decision-making. Worse, they can lead to a technological debt that becomes increasingly harder to repay as the gap between modern and outdated systems widens.
## How BlackOps Engineering Deployments Drive Change
This is where BlackOps Engineering Deployments come in. At Cause of a Kind, we deploy specialized teams to accelerate modernization efforts and revitalize legacy systems. These deployments are surgical in nature, designed to provide rapid yet sustainable transformation across an organization.
What sets BlackOps Engineering apart is our focus on integration. We don’t just act as consultants providing advice from the outside. Instead, we embed ourselves within your teams, working side by side with your people to implement new systems, modernize workflows, and instill new ways of thinking.
## We focus on several key areas during our deployments:
__Technology Modernization:__ Upgrading or replacing legacy systems with modern, cloud-based solutions that can scale with your business.
Process Optimization: Streamlining operations to increase efficiency and reduce bottlenecks, ensuring that your business can operate at peak performance.
__Cultural Transformation:__ Helping your team adopt an agile mindset, where testing, learning, and adapting become part of the daily routine. This fosters a culture of innovation that thrives in uncertainty.
Our goal is to revamp systems from the inside out. Rather than making minor adjustments or quick fixes, we aim to create lasting change that allows your business to stay competitive in today’s fast-moving markets.
## The Impact of BlackOps Engineering on Business Culture
While the technical benefits of BlackOps Engineering are clear, the real impact goes beyond just software and systems. One of the most transformative aspects of our deployments is the way they reshape a company’s culture.
Businesses that have embraced modernization through BlackOps Engineering often see a shift in the way their teams approach challenges. They become more agile, flexible, and better equipped to handle the uncertainties of the market. By instilling a culture of innovation, where testing and iteration are encouraged, we help companies unlock new levels of creativity and problem-solving.
This cultural shift is perhaps the most valuable outcome of a BlackOps deployment. It allows businesses to not just survive change but to thrive in it. By fostering a mindset of continuous improvement, companies can continue to evolve long after the deployment ends.
## Why Businesses Turn to BlackOps Engineering
Ultimately, businesses turn to BlackOps Engineering by Cause of a Kind when they recognize the need for change—but don’t have the time or resources to make that change on their own. In today’s competitive market, companies can’t afford to wait. The businesses that act quickly and decisively are the ones that will lead the pack.
At Cause of a Kind, our mission is clear: Modernize the world’s legacy software solutions and the teams that support and service them. We are committed to turning possibilities into progress, one deployment at a time.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-rise-of-blackops-engineering-modernizing-legacy-systems-for-the-future
# The Age of Software Modernization
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-22
Enter Cause of a Kind—a deep specialist in migrating legacy systems into modern processes. We understand that modernizing legacy software is not just about replacing old with new; it’s about carefully transitioning decades of embedded business logic and data into a new era of technology.
Most of us remember the Y2K scare and the scramble for computer modernization that marked the late 90s and early 2000s. This was a time of significant technological upheaval, with the introduction of the internet, email, and mobile devices revolutionizing how businesses operated. Companies of all sizes, across every industry, were developing custom software solutions to support their proprietary business logic, long before the advent of SaaS (Software as a Subscription/Service).
These custom-built systems were the lifeblood of many organizations, encapsulating unique business processes and serving as the foundation for everything from inventory management to customer relations and financial transactions. However, as technology continued to evolve at breakneck speed, these legacy systems began to struggle under the weight of new demands. The challenges of integration, inefficiencies, security vulnerabilities, and an inability to scale became glaring issues that many businesses could no longer ignore.
Enter Cause of a Kind—a deep specialist in migrating legacy systems into modern processes. We understand that modernizing legacy software is not just about replacing old with new; it’s about carefully transitioning decades of embedded business logic and data into a new era of technology. We do this by leveraging the latest in cloud solutions, from hosting to storage, ensuring that your systems are not only up-to-date but also scalable and secure for the future.
Our approach is comprehensive and rooted in modern development methodologies. We utilize Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to ensure that updates and new features can be delivered rapidly and reliably. Test-Driven Development (TDD) is integral to our process, allowing us to maintain high-quality code and prevent regressions as we modernize your systems.
At Cause of a Kind, we also harness the power of industry-leading tools like GitHub for version control, Jira for project management, and Agile methodologies to keep projects on track and adaptable to changing needs. Design-Driven Development ensures that user experience is never an afterthought but a central part of the process, ensuring that modernized systems are intuitive and effective.
We recognize that modernization is not just a technical challenge but a strategic business decision. By re-architecting, refactoring, or re-platforming legacy systems, we help businesses unlock new potentials—whether through cloud-native architectures, microservices, or AI-powered solutions. Our expertise ensures that your systems are not only future-proof but also aligned with the fast-paced demands of today’s digital economy.
In this rapidly evolving landscape, Cause of a Kind is your partner in transformation. We are committed to helping businesses move from outdated, monolithic architectures to agile, efficient, and scalable systems that drive growth and innovation. Modernizing your legacy systems with Cause of a Kind isn’t just about keeping pace with technology; it’s about positioning your business for long-term success in an increasingly digital world.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-age-of-software-modernization
# Adopting Modern Software Development Practices in Legacy Environments
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Discover how to integrate modern software development practices like DevOps, Agile, and CI/CD into legacy systems to improve development cycles, product quality, and business agility. Learn more with Cause of a Kind.
# Adopting Modern Software Development Practices in Legacy Environments
## Introduction
In today's fast-paced technological landscape, the need to modernize legacy software systems has become more critical than ever. Legacy environments, often built decades ago, are now struggling to keep up with the demands of modern software development. Adopting practices like DevOps, Agile, and Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) can breathe new life into these systems, making them more efficient, scalable, and aligned with current business goals.
## Why Modernize Legacy Systems?
Legacy systems often represent the backbone of an organization, holding vital data and processes that have been in place for years. However, these systems can become a bottleneck, hindering innovation and agility. According to a study by [McKinsey & Company](https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/modernizing-it-for-a-digital-era), companies that modernize their legacy systems can achieve significant improvements in performance, including up to 50% faster development cycles and 40% reduction in operational costs.
Modernizing these systems is not just about updating old code; it's about transforming the entire software development process. By integrating modern practices like DevOps, Agile, and CI/CD, organizations can enhance their development cycles, improve product quality, and reduce time to market.
## Integrating DevOps into Legacy Systems
DevOps is a cultural and technical movement that emphasizes collaboration between development and operations teams. In legacy environments, where silos are often prevalent, implementing DevOps can be challenging but highly rewarding.
One of the key components of DevOps is automation, which can significantly reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks. For instance, automating testing and deployment processes can lead to faster, more reliable releases. Companies like [Amazon](https://aws.amazon.com/devops/) have successfully implemented DevOps in their legacy systems, achieving faster release cycles and improved system stability.
## Embracing Agile Methodologies
Agile methodologies focus on iterative development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between cross-functional teams. Legacy systems, often built with rigid structures, can benefit immensely from the flexibility that Agile offers.
Transitioning to Agile can be done gradually, starting with small pilot projects that demonstrate the value of iterative development. Over time, these practices can be scaled across the organization, leading to more responsive and adaptive software development processes. According to the [Agile Alliance](https://www.agilealliance.org/agile101/), companies that adopt Agile methodologies report higher customer satisfaction, increased team productivity, and better project visibility.
## Implementing CI/CD Pipelines
Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) are critical components of modern software development. CI involves integrating code changes into a shared repository multiple times a day, while CD automates the deployment of these changes to production.
In legacy environments, implementing CI/CD can be particularly challenging due to outdated tools and processes. However, modern CI/CD tools like [Jenkins](https://www.jenkins.io/) and [GitLab](https://about.gitlab.com/) offer integrations that can work with older systems, enabling teams to automate the build, test, and deployment processes. This automation not only speeds up the release cycle but also ensures that code is always in a deployable state, reducing the risk of errors in production.
## Challenges and Considerations
While the benefits of modernizing legacy systems are clear, the process is not without its challenges. Legacy environments often come with technical debt, outdated documentation, and resistance to change from within the organization. To overcome these obstacles, it's essential to have a clear strategy that includes:
- **Assessment:** Begin with a thorough assessment of the current system, identifying areas that need improvement and determining the most suitable modern practices to implement.
- **Incremental Changes:** Start with small, manageable changes that can deliver quick wins and build momentum for larger initiatives.
- **Training and Support:** Ensure that teams are adequately trained and supported as they transition to new practices, reducing the risk of disruption to ongoing projects.
## Conclusion
Modernizing legacy systems is not a one-time project but an ongoing process that requires careful planning, execution, and continuous improvement. By adopting modern software development practices like DevOps, Agile, and CI/CD, organizations can transform their legacy environments into agile, efficient, and scalable systems that meet the demands of today's business landscape.
At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in helping businesses modernize their legacy systems and teams, guiding them through the complexities of this transformation. Our expertise ensures that your transition to modern practices is smooth, efficient, and aligned with your business goals.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/adopting-modern-software-development-practices-in-legacy-environments
# Dealing with End-of-Life Software: Strategies for Continuity and Compliance
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Learn how to mitigate the risks of using end-of-life (EOL) software, including security vulnerabilities and compliance issues. Discover actionable strategies for upgrading or replacing outdated systems to ensure business continuity and compliance. Stay ahead with Cause of a Kind's expert software modernization solutions.
As technology continues to evolve, businesses are often left grappling with the inevitable obsolescence of their software systems. This phenomenon, known as software reaching its "end of life" (EOL), poses significant risks to organizations that continue to rely on outdated systems. The consequences of using EOL software include security vulnerabilities, compliance issues, and potential disruptions to business continuity. At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in modernizing legacy software and teams, helping businesses transition seamlessly to updated, secure, and compliant systems. In this post, we’ll explore the risks associated with EOL software and provide actionable strategies for upgrading or replacing these systems to ensure your business stays ahead of the curve.
## Understanding the Risks of End-of-Life Software
When a software product reaches its EOL, the vendor ceases to provide updates, patches, and technical support. This leaves businesses using the software vulnerable to a range of risks, including:
### 1. **Security Vulnerabilities**
Without regular updates, EOL software becomes increasingly susceptible to cyberattacks. Hackers often exploit known vulnerabilities in outdated software, leading to data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other security incidents. According to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrime is expected to cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 2025【source†(Cybersecurity Ventures)】. Using EOL software could make your business an easy target for such attacks.
### 2. **Compliance Issues**
Regulatory bodies often require businesses to maintain up-to-date and secure software systems. Using EOL software can lead to non-compliance with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and others, potentially resulting in hefty fines and legal consequences. For example, under the GDPR, businesses can be fined up to 4% of their annual global turnover or €20 million (whichever is greater) for non-compliance【source†(GDPR Fines and Penalties)】.
### 3. **Business Continuity Risks**
EOL software can disrupt your business operations in several ways. Since the vendor no longer provides support, any issues or bugs that arise could lead to prolonged downtime, affecting productivity and customer satisfaction. Moreover, as the software becomes incompatible with new systems and technologies, it may hinder your ability to integrate with other tools or adopt new features that drive innovation.
## Strategies for Addressing End-of-Life Software
Given the significant risks associated with EOL software, it’s crucial to take proactive steps to mitigate these issues. Here are some strategies that can help your business navigate the transition:
### 1. **Conduct a Software Audit**
The first step in addressing EOL software is to conduct a comprehensive audit of your current systems. Identify which software products are nearing or have already reached EOL, and assess the impact of these systems on your business operations. This audit will provide a clear understanding of where you need to focus your efforts and help prioritize the modernization process.
### 2. **Develop a Transition Plan**
Once you’ve identified the EOL software in your organization, develop a transition plan that outlines the steps needed to upgrade or replace these systems. This plan should include timelines, resource allocation, and potential costs associated with the transition. It’s essential to involve all relevant stakeholders in this process, including IT, security, compliance, and business units, to ensure a smooth and coordinated effort.
### 3. **Upgrade or Replace EOL Software**
Depending on the complexity and importance of the EOL software, you may choose to either upgrade to a newer version or replace it with a completely new system. Upgrading is often the most straightforward option, especially if the vendor offers a newer version that is compatible with your existing infrastructure. However, if the software is outdated or no longer meets your business needs, replacing it with a modern solution may be the better option. At Cause of a Kind, we help businesses assess their options and implement the most effective solutions for their unique needs.
### 4. **Ensure Compliance with Industry Standards**
As you transition from EOL software, it’s crucial to ensure that the new systems comply with relevant industry standards and regulations. Work closely with your legal and compliance teams to verify that your software solutions meet all necessary requirements. This will not only protect your business from potential fines but also enhance your reputation as a responsible and secure organization.
### 5. **Invest in Ongoing Maintenance and Support**
To avoid facing similar challenges in the future, invest in ongoing maintenance and support for your software systems. Regular updates, patches, and security assessments are essential for keeping your software up-to-date and secure. Additionally, consider partnering with a trusted provider like Cause of a Kind, who can offer continuous support and help you stay ahead of potential risks.
## Conclusion
End-of-life software presents significant risks to businesses, but with the right strategies in place, you can ensure a smooth transition to updated, secure, and compliant systems. By conducting a software audit, developing a transition plan, and investing in ongoing maintenance, your organization can mitigate the risks associated with EOL software and continue to thrive in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.
At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in helping businesses modernize their legacy software and teams, ensuring they remain competitive and compliant in an ever-evolving technological environment. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your software modernization efforts and keep your business ahead of the curve.
---
**References:**
- [Cybersecurity Ventures](https://cybersecurityventures.com)
- [GDPR Fines and Penalties](https://gdpr.eu/fines/)
This article is part of our ongoing series on software modernization and business continuity. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on the latest trends and insights from Cause of a Kind.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/dealing-with-end-of-life-software-strategies-for-continuity-and-compliance
# When and How to Upgrade Your Enterprise Software
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Learn when and how to upgrade your enterprise software to boost efficiency, security, and scalability. Discover key signs, benefits, and a step-by-step roadmap for a successful upgrade process.
As the digital landscape rapidly evolves, the need for modernizing legacy systems has never been more critical. Enterprise software is the backbone of many organizations, yet outdated systems can hinder growth, reduce efficiency, and expose businesses to significant risks. At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in modernizing these legacy systems, helping businesses unlock new potentials while ensuring a seamless transition to modern technologies.
### Signs Your Enterprise Software Needs an Upgrade
Identifying when your enterprise software needs an upgrade is crucial. Here are key indicators:
1. **Outdated Technology Stack**
If your software relies on outdated programming languages, unsupported platforms, or hardware nearing end-of-life, it's time for an upgrade. Relying on outdated technology limits your ability to integrate with modern systems, increases the risk of security vulnerabilities, and makes finding skilled developers more challenging. Learn more about the [risks of outdated technology stacks](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-risks-of-outdated-technology-stacks/).
2. **Increased Maintenance Costs**
As software ages, maintenance costs tend to rise due to inefficiencies, frequent bug fixes, and the need for constant patching. If your IT team is spending more time maintaining old systems than innovating, it's a clear sign that an upgrade is overdue.
3. **Incompatibility with Modern Systems**
Incompatibility with newer systems, software, or hardware is a red flag. Integration issues can disrupt business processes and prevent your company from leveraging new tools that drive innovation and efficiency. Find out more about the [impact of software incompatibility](https://www.cio.com/article/software-incompatibility-impact.html).
4. **Decreased Performance and User Experience**
Sluggish performance and a poor user experience can frustrate employees and customers alike. As software ages, it often struggles to meet the demands of modern workloads, leading to bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
5. **Lack of Compliance and Security**
Regulatory requirements and security threats evolve constantly. Legacy systems often fail to meet current compliance standards, leaving your organization vulnerable to data breaches and legal penalties. Stay informed about the [importance of compliance and security](https://www.dataprotection.report/importance-of-compliance-and-security/).
### Benefits of Upgrading Your Enterprise Software
Upgrading your enterprise software offers numerous benefits that can drive your business forward:
- **Enhanced Efficiency**: Modern software often comes with improved workflows, automation, and data analytics capabilities that can significantly boost operational efficiency.
- **Improved Security**: Upgraded systems are better equipped to handle the latest security threats, ensuring that your data and intellectual property are well-protected.
- **Scalability**: Modern software solutions are designed to grow with your business, offering scalability that legacy systems often lack.
- **Competitive Advantage**: Staying current with technology can give your business a competitive edge by enabling faster innovation, better customer experiences, and more efficient processes.
### Roadmap for a Successful Software Upgrade
A successful software upgrade requires careful planning and execution. Here’s a roadmap to guide you through the process:
1. **Assessment and Planning**
Start by conducting a thorough assessment of your current software. Identify pain points, performance issues, and integration challenges. Set clear objectives for the upgrade and establish a timeline that minimizes disruption to your business operations.
2. **Stakeholder Buy-In**
Engage key stakeholders early in the process. Ensure that leadership, IT teams, and end-users understand the need for the upgrade and are aligned on the goals. Their buy-in is crucial for a smooth transition.
3. **Select the Right Technology and Partners**
Choose a technology stack that aligns with your business goals and future needs. Working with a trusted partner like Cause of a Kind can help you navigate the complexities of selecting and implementing the right solutions. Read more about [choosing the right technology for enterprise software](https://www.enterprise-software.com/choosing-right-technology).
4. **Pilot Testing**
Before a full-scale rollout, conduct a pilot test to identify any potential issues. This phase allows you to make necessary adjustments and ensures that the upgrade meets performance and usability expectations.
5. **Training and Support**
Provide comprehensive training for your IT team and end-users to ensure they are well-equipped to use the new system effectively. Ongoing support is also critical to address any post-launch issues quickly.
6. **Monitoring and Optimization**
After the upgrade, continuously monitor the system’s performance and gather feedback from users. Use this data to optimize and fine-tune the system for maximum efficiency.
### Conclusion
Upgrading your enterprise software is an investment in your company’s future. By recognizing the signs of outdated systems, understanding the benefits of modernization, and following a structured upgrade process, you can ensure that your business remains competitive and resilient in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
At Cause of a Kind, we’re committed to helping you navigate the complexities of software upgrades, providing the expertise and support you need to achieve success.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/when-and-how-to-upgrade-your-enterprise-software
# Modernizing Your IT Infrastructure: A Critical Step for Business Growth
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Modernize your IT infrastructure to support new technologies and drive business growth. Learn strategies for upgrading hardware, networks, and legacy software to improve performance and security.
In today's fast-paced digital world, the ability to quickly adapt to technological advancements is crucial for business success. Yet, many organizations continue to rely on outdated IT infrastructure, which hampers their ability to innovate, grow, and stay competitive. At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in modernizing legacy software and teams, helping businesses transform their IT infrastructure to meet modern demands and seize new opportunities.
### The Importance of IT Infrastructure Modernization
Modernizing IT infrastructure is no longer an option but a necessity. As technology continues to evolve, so do the demands of your business. Legacy systems, while once reliable, often struggle to keep up with the performance, security, and scalability requirements of today's digital environment. This can lead to slower operations, higher maintenance costs, and an increased risk of security vulnerabilities.
For instance, as highlighted in a recent report by *Gartner*, companies that fail to modernize their IT infrastructure are more likely to experience downtime, inefficiencies, and challenges in integrating new technologies. Modernization not only mitigates these risks but also enhances your business's agility, enabling you to respond quickly to market changes and customer demands.
### Strategies for IT Infrastructure Modernization
**1. Assess Your Current Infrastructure**
Before embarking on a modernization journey, it's essential to conduct a thorough assessment of your current infrastructure. This includes evaluating your hardware, software, networks, and security protocols. Identify the areas that are most outdated or causing the most significant bottlenecks. A detailed assessment provides a clear roadmap for where to prioritize your modernization efforts.
**2. Upgrade Hardware and Networks**
As software and data demands increase, your existing hardware and networks may no longer be sufficient. Upgrading to more powerful and energy-efficient servers, switches, and routers can drastically improve performance and reduce operational costs. For example, shifting to cloud-based infrastructure can offer scalability and flexibility that traditional on-premises systems simply cannot match. According to *Forbes*, cloud migration has become a critical component of IT modernization, offering significant cost savings and improved performance.
**3. Modernize Legacy Software**
Legacy software is often at the heart of IT infrastructure challenges. These systems were built in a time before cloud computing, Agile practices, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) were the norm. At Cause of a Kind, we work with businesses to refactor or rewrite legacy applications using modern technologies and frameworks, ensuring they are scalable, secure, and capable of integrating with other systems seamlessly. This modernization not only improves performance but also extends the lifespan of your critical business applications.
**4. Embrace Automation and AI**
Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) can play a significant role in modernizing IT infrastructure. Automated workflows reduce the burden of manual processes, allowing your IT team to focus on more strategic tasks. AI-driven analytics can provide real-time insights into system performance, identifying potential issues before they become critical problems. Integrating AI into your infrastructure can lead to smarter, more proactive management of your IT resources, driving efficiency and innovation.
**5. Prioritize Security and Compliance**
Modernizing your IT infrastructure also means enhancing your security posture. As cyber threats become more sophisticated, legacy systems are often ill-equipped to defend against them. Modernization involves implementing advanced security measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), encryption, and intrusion detection systems. It’s also crucial to ensure that your infrastructure meets industry-specific compliance requirements, protecting your business from legal and financial penalties.
### The Business Impact of Modernization
Investing in IT infrastructure modernization has a direct impact on your business's bottom line. Modernized systems are more reliable, secure, and capable of supporting the latest technologies, such as cloud computing, AI, and big data analytics. This not only improves operational efficiency but also opens up new opportunities for innovation and growth.
Furthermore, modernized infrastructure is essential for attracting and retaining top talent. Today's workforce expects to work with the latest tools and technologies, and outdated systems can be a significant deterrent. By modernizing your infrastructure, you create a more attractive work environment that fosters creativity and collaboration.
### Conclusion
At Cause of a Kind, we understand the challenges and opportunities that come with modernizing IT infrastructure. Our expertise in upgrading legacy systems and transforming teams ensures that your business can thrive in the digital age. Modernization is not just about technology; it's about positioning your business for long-term success. Don't let outdated infrastructure hold you back—take the critical step toward modernization today.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/modernizing-your-it-infrastructure-a-critical-step-for-business-growth
# Why and How to Re-Architect Your Legacy Systems for Cloud-Native
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Discover why and how to re-architect your legacy systems for cloud-native environments. Learn about the benefits, key strategies, and steps for a successful transition to scalable, resilient, and cost-efficient cloud-native architectures.
Transitioning legacy systems to cloud-native architectures is no longer a choice but a necessity for businesses that wish to remain competitive. With legacy systems becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and scale, many companies are turning to cloud-native solutions to boost efficiency, scalability, and resilience. At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in modernizing legacy software and teams, guiding businesses through the complex process of cloud-native re-architecture.
### Why Transition to Cloud-Native?
#### 1. **Scalability**
One of the most significant advantages of cloud-native architecture is its ability to scale on demand. Traditional legacy systems often struggle with scalability, particularly as the volume of data and user demand increases. Cloud-native architectures, built on microservices and containerization, allow for dynamic scaling, ensuring that your system can handle growth efficiently and cost-effectively.
For example, companies like Netflix and Amazon have successfully leveraged cloud-native architectures to scale their services globally without compromising performance .
#### 2. **Resilience**
Cloud-native systems are inherently more resilient than traditional monolithic systems. By breaking down applications into smaller, independent microservices, you reduce the risk of a single point of failure. If one microservice fails, the others continue to function, ensuring your system remains operational.
This resilience is particularly important in today's fast-paced digital environment, where downtime can result in significant financial losses. According to a study by Gartner, the average cost of IT downtime is $5,600 per minute .
#### 3. **Cost Efficiency**
Transitioning to cloud-native architecture can lead to substantial cost savings in the long run. With traditional legacy systems, businesses often face high maintenance costs due to outdated technology and the need for specialized skills. Cloud-native systems, on the other hand, offer cost efficiency through pay-as-you-go models, reduced infrastructure costs, and decreased dependency on specialized legacy skills.
Moreover, companies like Capital One have reported significant cost reductions by adopting cloud-native strategies, enabling them to reinvest in innovation and customer experience .
### How to Approach Cloud-Native Re-Architecture
#### 1. **Assessment of Legacy Systems**
The first step in transitioning to a cloud-native architecture is to assess your existing legacy systems. Identify the components that are outdated, costly to maintain, or unable to scale. This assessment will help you prioritize which systems or components to modernize first.
At Cause of a Kind, we begin every re-architecture project with a thorough assessment, ensuring that our clients understand the current state of their systems and the benefits of transitioning to a cloud-native approach.
#### 2. **Defining a Modernization Strategy**
Once you've assessed your legacy systems, the next step is to define a modernization strategy. This strategy should align with your business goals and consider factors such as budget, timeline, and technical requirements.
A phased approach is often recommended, allowing you to gradually migrate to cloud-native while minimizing disruptions to your operations. During this phase, it's crucial to engage stakeholders across your organization to ensure that everyone is aligned with the modernization goals.
#### 3. **Choosing the Right Tools and Technologies**
The success of your cloud-native re-architecture largely depends on selecting the right tools and technologies. This includes choosing a cloud provider, such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, and determining the best-fit services for your specific needs. Containerization tools like Docker and orchestration platforms like Kubernetes are commonly used in cloud-native environments.
At Cause of a Kind, we help our clients navigate the overwhelming number of choices, ensuring they select the tools and technologies that best support their goals.
#### 4. **Implementation and Testing**
The implementation phase involves refactoring your legacy systems to fit a cloud-native architecture. This can include breaking down monolithic applications into microservices, containerizing them, and deploying them to the cloud. Thorough testing is essential during this phase to ensure that the new architecture functions as intended and meets all performance and security requirements.
Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines are critical in this phase, enabling frequent testing and rapid deployment of changes.
#### 5. **Ongoing Monitoring and Optimization**
Once your cloud-native architecture is in place, ongoing monitoring and optimization are crucial to ensuring its continued success. This involves tracking performance metrics, scaling resources as needed, and implementing security best practices to protect your data and applications.
At Cause of a Kind, we offer ongoing support and optimization services, ensuring that your cloud-native systems continue to deliver value long after the initial re-architecture.
### Conclusion
Re-architecting legacy systems for cloud-native environments is a strategic move that offers significant benefits in scalability, resilience, and cost efficiency. By following a structured approach—assessing your legacy systems, defining a modernization strategy, choosing the right tools, implementing the new architecture, and continuously monitoring and optimizing—you can ensure a successful transition.
At Cause of a Kind, we are committed to helping businesses modernize their legacy systems, allowing them to leverage the full potential of cloud-native technologies. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your cloud-native journey.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/why-and-how-to-re-architect-your-legacy-systems-for-cloud-native
# 5 Cloud Migration Strategies to Modernize Your Enterprise Infrastructure
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Discover the top 5 cloud migration strategies to modernize your enterprise infrastructure, including lift-and-shift, re-platforming, and refactoring. Learn how each approach can enhance scalability, security, and cost-effectiveness in your cloud journey.
As the digital landscape evolves, enterprises face increasing pressure to modernize their infrastructure. Legacy systems, while robust and familiar, often lag in agility, scalability, and security—essential attributes for staying competitive in today's market. Transitioning to the cloud offers a pathway to modernization, providing a scalable, cost-effective, and secure environment for business operations. However, moving to the cloud isn't a one-size-fits-all process. Various cloud migration strategies exist, each suited to different business needs and technical constraints. In this article, we'll explore five primary cloud migration strategies and how they can help modernize your enterprise infrastructure.
---
### 1. Lift-and-Shift (Rehosting)
**The Approach:**
The lift-and-shift strategy involves moving applications directly from on-premises infrastructure to the cloud with minimal changes. This approach is akin to a forklift upgrade, where the existing application is transferred "as-is" to a cloud environment.
**When to Use:**
Lift-and-shift is ideal for businesses looking to move quickly to the cloud without investing significant time or resources in redesigning applications. It's particularly effective for legacy applications that are stable and don't require frequent updates.
**Benefits:**
- **Speed:** Fast migration with minimal changes.
- **Cost-Effective:** Reduces the need for extensive retraining or retooling.
- **Minimal Disruption:** Keeps existing business processes intact.
**Considerations:**
While lift-and-shift provides a quick win, it may not leverage all the cloud's advantages, such as auto-scaling or cost optimization. This strategy might be a temporary solution before deeper modernization efforts.
For a detailed overview of the lift-and-shift strategy, refer to [Gartner's insights on cloud migration](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases).
---
### 2. Re-platforming
**The Approach:**
Re-platforming, also known as "lift-tinker-and-shift," involves making a few cloud optimizations to achieve some cost benefits without changing the core architecture of the applications. This could involve moving from a traditional SQL database to a managed database service like Amazon RDS.
**When to Use:**
This strategy is suitable for organizations looking to optimize their applications for the cloud without a complete overhaul. It's a balanced approach for those who want to enhance performance and reduce costs without significant redevelopment efforts.
**Benefits:**
- **Optimized Performance:** Leverages cloud-native features for better efficiency.
- **Reduced Costs:** Takes advantage of cloud services like managed databases.
- **Balanced Effort:** Moderate investment of time and resources.
**Considerations:**
Re-platforming requires a deeper understanding of cloud services and might involve more risk than a simple lift-and-shift, especially if the applications are highly integrated with other systems.
Learn more about re-platforming from [AWS’s guide on cloud migration strategies](https://aws.amazon.com/cloud-migration/).
---
### 3. Refactoring (Re-architecting)
**The Approach:**
Refactoring involves reimagining how the application is architected and developed, typically using cloud-native features. This might involve breaking down a monolithic application into microservices or adopting serverless computing models.
**When to Use:**
This strategy is ideal for businesses seeking to take full advantage of cloud capabilities. It's a good fit for applications that need to scale rapidly, have complex operational demands, or require significant improvements in performance and security.
**Benefits:**
- **Full Cloud Utilization:** Leverages cloud-native services for optimal performance.
- **Improved Agility:** Facilitates continuous delivery and scaling.
- **Enhanced Security:** Incorporates cloud-based security practices from the ground up.
**Considerations:**
Refactoring requires significant investment in time, resources, and expertise. It's a long-term strategy that may involve considerable changes to your development processes and workflows.
For an in-depth discussion on refactoring, check out [Microsoft Azure’s refactoring strategies](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/modernization/refactor).
---
### 4. Repurchasing (SaaS Adoption)
**The Approach:**
Repurchasing involves replacing existing applications with cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions. Rather than moving your current software to the cloud, you subscribe to a SaaS application that performs the same or similar functions.
**When to Use:**
This approach is suitable when a SaaS solution can meet your business requirements, and maintaining a custom application is no longer cost-effective or necessary.
**Benefits:**
- **Cost Savings:** Eliminates the need for maintenance and infrastructure.
- **Ease of Use:** Reduces the burden on IT teams with vendor-managed services.
- **Scalability:** Easily scales with your business needs.
**Considerations:**
While SaaS solutions can be highly beneficial, they may not offer the same level of customization as bespoke applications. Data migration and integration with existing systems can also present challenges.
Discover the advantages of SaaS adoption in [this article by TechTarget](https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/).
---
### 5. Retiring
**The Approach:**
The retiring strategy involves identifying applications that are no longer useful to the business and decommissioning them rather than migrating them to the cloud. This often happens after an audit of your application portfolio reveals redundancy or obsolete systems.
**When to Use:**
Retiring is best used for applications that have been superseded by other systems or are no longer needed by the business. It’s also a valuable step in streamlining your IT landscape as part of a broader cloud migration strategy.
**Benefits:**
- **Cost Reduction:** Saves on maintenance and operational costs for outdated systems.
- **Simplified Environment:** Reduces complexity in your IT landscape.
- **Focus on Core Systems:** Allows for concentrated efforts on more critical applications.
**Considerations:**
Ensure that retiring an application won't disrupt business operations or leave gaps in your system architecture. Proper documentation and user communication are key.
For insights on retiring legacy applications, refer to [Forrester's guide to application portfolio management](https://www.forrester.com/portfolio-management/).
---
### Conclusion
Migrating to the cloud is a crucial step in modernizing your enterprise infrastructure, but it's not a straightforward process. Each of the strategies discussed—lift-and-shift, re-platforming, refactoring, repurchasing, and retiring—offers unique benefits and challenges. Selecting the right approach depends on your business needs, application complexity, and long-term IT strategy.
By carefully planning your migration strategy, you can ensure that your cloud transition is smooth, cost-effective, and sets your business up for future success. Whether you're seeking to improve performance, reduce costs, or enhance security, there's a cloud migration strategy that can help you achieve your goals.
For more information on cloud migration strategies, visit [Cloud Migration Best Practices](https://www.example.com/cloud-migration).
---
By understanding and applying these cloud migration strategies, your enterprise can unlock the full potential of cloud computing, paving the way for a more agile, efficient, and secure future.
---
**References:**
- [Gartner on Cloud Migration](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases)
- [AWS Cloud Migration Guide](https://aws.amazon.com/cloud-migration/)
- [Microsoft Azure Refactoring Strategies](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/modernization/refactor)
- [TechTarget on SaaS Adoption](https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/)
- [Forrester on Application Portfolio Management](https://www.forrester.com/portfolio-management/)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/5-cloud-migration-strategies-to-modernize-your-enterprise-infrastructure
# 7 Steps to Successfully Modernize Your Legacy Applications
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Discover the 7 essential steps to successfully modernize your legacy applications. Learn best practices, explore modernization strategies, and see real-world examples of successful projects. Modernize with confidence and future-proof your business systems with expert insights from Cause of a Kind.
Modernizing legacy applications is more than just updating software—it's about revitalizing the backbone of your business to ensure scalability, security, and long-term success. At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in transforming outdated systems into agile, cloud-ready solutions. In this post, we’ll walk you through seven critical steps to successfully modernize your legacy applications, offering best practices and real-world examples along the way.
---
### Step 1: **Comprehensive Assessment of Current Systems**
Before embarking on any modernization journey, a thorough assessment of your existing legacy systems is essential. This includes evaluating the architecture, technologies, and the overall health of the application. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your current setup will inform your decisions on which modernization approach to take.
For instance, [Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3972297) emphasizes the importance of assessing both technical and business impacts of legacy systems. Consider both the cost and the potential benefits of modernizing versus maintaining the status quo.
### Step 2: **Develop a Strategic Modernization Plan**
With a clear understanding of your legacy systems, the next step is to create a strategic plan. This should outline your objectives, such as improving performance, scalability, or security, and detail the resources required. A successful plan aligns IT goals with broader business objectives.
According to [Forrester Research](https://www.forrester.com/research), businesses that approach modernization with a clear, strategic plan are more likely to achieve their goals, ensuring that technology investments yield tangible business outcomes.
### Step 3: **Choose the Right Modernization Approach**
Modernizing a legacy application isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. There are several approaches to consider, including:
- **Rehosting:** Moving applications to a new infrastructure without making changes to the code.
- **Refactoring:** Rewriting parts of the application to improve functionality without changing its behavior.
- **Replatforming:** Migrating applications to a modern platform with minimal changes.
- **Replacing:** Developing new applications to replace outdated systems.
Each approach has its pros and cons. For example, [AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/enterprise-strategy/modernization-pathways/) discusses various modernization pathways, from lift-and-shift to complete application re-architecture.
### Step 4: **Implementation and Iterative Development**
Once the modernization strategy is in place, it’s time to implement the plan. An agile, iterative development approach is often the most effective way to ensure continuous improvement and quick wins. This allows for ongoing testing and validation, reducing risks associated with large-scale changes.
Cause of a Kind's experience shows that iterative development accelerates delivery while maintaining high standards of quality and security.
### Step 5: **Integrate Modern Technologies**
Incorporating modern technologies such as cloud computing, containerization, and microservices is critical to the success of your modernization efforts. These technologies provide greater flexibility, scalability, and resilience, ensuring that your applications can meet current and future demands.
According to [IDC](https://www.idc.com/research/viewtoc.jsp?containerId=US47338421), organizations leveraging cloud-native technologies during their modernization efforts see significant improvements in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
### Step 6: **Rigorous Testing and Quality Assurance**
Modernizing legacy systems requires rigorous testing to ensure that new features and improvements function as expected. This includes automated testing, user acceptance testing, and performance testing to validate the system's reliability, scalability, and security.
At Cause of a Kind, we emphasize the importance of a comprehensive testing strategy to catch potential issues early and ensure a smooth transition from old to new.
### Step 7: **Monitor, Optimize, and Maintain**
Modernization doesn’t end with deployment. Continuous monitoring, optimization, and maintenance are vital to ensure that your modernized applications continue to meet business needs. This includes regular updates, performance tuning, and ongoing support to adapt to changing requirements.
According to [TechTarget](https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/application-modernization), post-modernization maintenance is essential for long-term success, ensuring that your applications remain robust and adaptable in a fast-evolving technology landscape.
---
**Conclusion**
Modernizing legacy applications is a complex but essential process that can unlock significant business value. By following these seven steps—assessing your current systems, developing a strategic plan, choosing the right approach, implementing with an agile mindset, integrating modern technologies, conducting rigorous testing, and committing to ongoing maintenance—you can successfully transform your legacy applications into powerful, future-proof assets.
At Cause of a Kind, we’re here to guide you through every step of the modernization journey, ensuring that your systems are not only up-to-date but also aligned with your long-term business goals. Ready to modernize? [Contact us](https://www.causeofakind.com/contact) today to start your transformation.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/7-steps-to-successfully-modernize-your-legacy-applications
# Building a CI/CD Pipeline: The Key to Accelerating Software Delivery
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Learn how to implement a CI/CD pipeline in legacy environments to accelerate software delivery, improve code quality, and reduce deployment risks. Discover expert tips from Cause of a Kind, specialists in modernizing legacy software and teams.
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, the ability to deliver software rapidly and reliably is a competitive advantage. Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines are at the heart of this transformation, enabling teams to build, test, and deploy code changes more efficiently. At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in modernizing legacy software and teams by implementing CI/CD pipelines, helping organizations keep pace with modern development practices.
## What is CI/CD?
CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment. It’s a method of software development where code changes are automatically built, tested, and deployed, enabling faster and more frequent releases. The main components of CI/CD are:
- **Continuous Integration (CI):** Developers frequently integrate code changes into a shared repository, triggering automated builds and tests to detect issues early.
- **Continuous Deployment (CD):** After passing the CI stage, the code is automatically deployed to production, ensuring that new features and bug fixes reach users as soon as they are ready.
## The Importance of CI/CD in Modern Software Development
In legacy environments, deploying code changes often involves manual steps that are time-consuming and error-prone. CI/CD pipelines automate these processes, leading to several key benefits:
### 1. **Accelerated Delivery**
With CI/CD, the time between writing code and delivering it to users is drastically reduced. Automated testing and deployment pipelines ensure that changes are delivered faster, allowing teams to respond more quickly to market demands and user feedback.
### 2. **Improved Code Quality**
CI/CD pipelines include automated testing at every stage of the development process. This ensures that bugs are caught early, before they reach production. By integrating tests into the pipeline, teams can maintain high code quality even as the pace of development increases.
### 3. **Enhanced Collaboration**
CI/CD encourages developers to collaborate more closely, integrating their work frequently and resolving conflicts early. This results in a more cohesive codebase and a shared understanding of the project among team members.
### 4. **Reduced Risk**
By deploying small, incremental changes rather than large releases, CI/CD reduces the risk of deployment failures. If an issue is detected, it’s easier to identify and roll back the problematic change, minimizing downtime and impact on users.
## Implementing CI/CD in Legacy Environments
Transitioning from a traditional development process to a CI/CD pipeline can be challenging, especially in legacy environments where processes are deeply ingrained, and technology stacks may be outdated. However, with the right approach, the benefits far outweigh the challenges.
### 1. **Assess the Current State**
Before implementing CI/CD, it’s crucial to assess your current development processes and infrastructure. Identify bottlenecks and pain points in your current workflow, such as manual testing or long deployment cycles. This assessment will help you determine the areas that will benefit most from automation.
### 2. **Choose the Right Tools**
The choice of tools is critical when setting up a CI/CD pipeline. For legacy systems, it’s important to choose tools that can integrate with your existing technology stack. Popular CI/CD tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, and CircleCI offer extensive integration options, making them suitable for a wide range of environments.
### 3. **Start Small**
Implementing CI/CD can seem overwhelming, especially in complex legacy systems. Start by automating a single part of your process, such as running automated tests on each code commit. As your team becomes more comfortable with CI/CD, you can gradually expand the pipeline to include more stages, such as automated deployments.
### 4. **Foster a Culture of Automation**
CI/CD is not just a set of tools—it’s a cultural shift. Encourage your team to embrace automation and adopt best practices such as writing automated tests and committing code frequently. This cultural change is essential for the successful adoption of CI/CD.
### 5. **Monitor and Iterate**
Once your CI/CD pipeline is up and running, continuously monitor its performance and look for areas of improvement. Gather feedback from your team and make adjustments as needed to optimize the pipeline for your specific environment.
## The Future of Software Delivery
At Cause of a Kind, we’ve seen firsthand how implementing CI/CD pipelines can transform legacy software development processes. By reducing manual effort, increasing collaboration, and accelerating delivery, CI/CD pipelines enable organizations to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.
If you’re looking to modernize your legacy systems and accelerate your software delivery, our team at Cause of a Kind is here to help. Contact us today to learn how we can implement a CI/CD pipeline tailored to your needs.
---
By implementing a CI/CD pipeline, you’re not just automating your build and deployment processes—you’re laying the foundation for a faster, more reliable software delivery process that will serve your organization well into the future.
---
For more detailed guidance on CI/CD implementation in legacy environments, check out our [comprehensive guide](#) and other resources from industry leaders like [Jenkins](https://www.jenkins.io/) and [GitLab](https://about.gitlab.com/stages-devops-lifecycle/continuous-integration/) to start your CI/CD journey today.
---
**Sources:**
1. [Jenkins - What is CI/CD?](https://www.jenkins.io/solutions/cicd/)
2. [GitLab CI/CD Documentation](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/building-a-ci-cd-pipeline-the-key-to-accelerating-software-delivery
# The Risks of Relying on Obsolete Technology and How to Update It
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Learn about the risks of relying on obsolete technology and how to update outdated systems with modern alternatives. Ensure your business stays secure, efficient, and competitive with a clear modernization roadmap.
**Title:** The Risks of Relying on Obsolete Technology and How to Update It
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses relying on obsolete technology face significant risks, from security vulnerabilities to operational inefficiencies. These outdated systems not only hinder growth but also expose organizations to compliance issues and competitive disadvantages. At Cause of a Kind, we’ve seen firsthand how modernizing legacy systems can transform a business, making it more agile, secure, and capable of meeting today’s demands.
### The Hidden Costs of Outdated Systems
**1. Security Vulnerabilities**
Obsolete software often lacks support from vendors, leaving systems open to cyber threats. According to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures, global cybercrime costs are expected to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Without regular security updates, outdated systems are prime targets for hackers.
**2. Operational Inefficiencies**
Old technology can slow down processes, leading to decreased productivity and higher operational costs. A study by IDC found that companies lose up to 20-30% of their annual revenue due to inefficiencies linked to outdated technology. These inefficiencies can include everything from slower processing times to more frequent system downtimes.
**3. Compliance Risks**
As regulatory environments become stricter, outdated technology can make compliance more challenging. For example, GDPR and other privacy regulations require up-to-date systems that can manage and protect customer data effectively. Failing to comply with these regulations can result in hefty fines and damage to your brand's reputation.
**4. Competitive Disadvantage**
Companies that rely on outdated technology may struggle to keep up with competitors who have adopted newer, more efficient systems. As digital transformation continues to reshape industries, businesses must ensure they are not left behind by maintaining up-to-date technology that supports innovation and growth.
### How to Update Your Technology
**1. Conduct a Technology Audit**
The first step in modernizing your systems is to conduct a comprehensive audit of your current technology stack. Identify which systems are outdated, which are nearing the end of their lifecycle, and what the impact is on your operations. At Cause of a Kind, we offer detailed assessments to help you understand where your technology stands and what steps are necessary to modernize it.
**2. Prioritize High-Risk Areas**
Not all legacy systems are created equal. Prioritize updates based on the risk each system poses to your business. For instance, systems that handle sensitive data should be updated first to mitigate security risks. Focus on the areas that will have the most significant impact on your business’s security, efficiency, and compliance.
**3. Develop a Modernization Roadmap**
Once you’ve identified the areas that need attention, create a roadmap for modernization. This plan should include timelines, budget estimates, and a phased approach to minimize disruptions to your business. Whether it's migrating to cloud-based solutions, adopting CI/CD practices, or automating business processes, having a clear plan is essential for a successful transition.
**4. Engage Stakeholders Early**
Updating technology is not just an IT issue; it impacts the entire organization. Engage key stakeholders early in the process to ensure buy-in and smooth implementation. This includes involving leadership, IT teams, and end-users to understand their needs and concerns.
**5. Partner with Experts**
Modernizing legacy systems can be complex and time-consuming. Partnering with experts who specialize in this area can help ensure a smooth transition. At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in helping businesses modernize their internal software and teams, focusing on cloud adoption, agile practices, and business process automation.
### Conclusion
Relying on outdated technology is a risk no business can afford to take. The potential security threats, inefficiencies, and compliance issues far outweigh the costs of modernization. By taking proactive steps to update your systems, you can protect your business, improve productivity, and maintain a competitive edge.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-risks-of-relying-on-obsolete-technology-and-how-to-update-it
# Best Practices for Managing the Software Lifecycle of Legacy Systems
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Discover best practices for managing the software lifecycle of legacy systems. Learn how to assess, secure, modernize, document, and plan for the future with expert insights from Cause of a Kind.
In today’s fast-paced technology landscape, businesses must continuously evolve to stay competitive. However, many organizations still rely on legacy systems—software that was once cutting-edge but is now outdated and challenging to maintain. These systems can hinder innovation, slow down processes, and increase operational costs. That’s where effective software lifecycle management comes in.
At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in modernizing legacy software and teams, helping businesses transition to modern architectures, practices, and tools. In this article, we’ll explore the best practices for managing the software lifecycle of legacy systems, ensuring they remain functional, secure, and scalable.
### Understanding the Software Lifecycle of Legacy Systems
The software lifecycle encompasses all stages of a system's existence, from initial development to eventual decommissioning. For legacy systems, this lifecycle can be particularly complex due to outdated technologies, lack of documentation, and integration with newer systems. Effective management of this lifecycle is crucial to ensure the system continues to meet business needs while minimizing risks.
### Best Practices for Managing Legacy Software Lifecycles
#### 1. **Conduct a Comprehensive Assessment**
Before making any changes to a legacy system, it’s essential to understand its current state. This involves a thorough assessment of the system’s architecture, dependencies, and performance. Identifying the critical components and understanding how they interact with other systems will help you prioritize areas that need immediate attention.
By conducting a comprehensive assessment, you can identify potential risks, such as security vulnerabilities or performance bottlenecks, and develop a roadmap for modernization.
#### 2. **Prioritize Security**
Security should be a top priority when managing legacy systems. Older software often lacks the robust security features found in modern solutions, making it more susceptible to cyberattacks. Regularly updating security protocols, patching vulnerabilities, and monitoring for threats are essential steps in maintaining a secure environment.
Implementing modern security practices can help mitigate risks and protect sensitive data from potential breaches.
#### 3. **Implement Incremental Modernization**
Modernizing a legacy system doesn’t always require a complete overhaul. Incremental updates can extend the system’s lifespan while gradually transitioning to newer technologies. This approach allows you to address critical issues without disrupting business operations.
For example, you can start by migrating key components to a cloud-based infrastructure, implementing microservices architecture, or introducing continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. Over time, these incremental changes can transform your legacy system into a more modern, agile solution.
#### 4. **Ensure Proper Documentation**
One of the biggest challenges with legacy systems is the lack of documentation. Without detailed records of how the system operates, making changes or troubleshooting issues can be incredibly difficult. Ensure that all updates, modifications, and fixes are thoroughly documented to create a knowledge base for current and future teams.
Proper documentation practices can help maintain continuity and reduce dependency on individual team members, making it easier to onboard new developers and manage the system effectively.
#### 5. **Invest in Training and Upskilling**
Legacy systems often require specialized knowledge that newer team members may lack. Investing in training and upskilling your team ensures they have the necessary expertise to manage and maintain the system effectively. Providing ongoing education on modern practices and tools can also help bridge the gap between legacy and modern systems.
By upskilling your team, you empower them to handle the complexities of legacy systems and contribute to their modernization efforts.
#### 6. **Plan for the Future**
Even with the best management practices, legacy systems have a limited lifespan. Planning for the eventual decommissioning or replacement of the system is crucial. This involves developing a long-term strategy that aligns with your business goals, including identifying potential replacement solutions, estimating costs, and setting timelines.
Creating a future-proofing strategy ensures that your organization is prepared for the eventual transition to newer, more advanced technologies.
### Conclusion
Managing the software lifecycle of legacy systems is a challenging but essential task for businesses that rely on outdated technology. By conducting comprehensive assessments, prioritizing security, implementing incremental modernization, ensuring proper documentation, investing in training, and planning for the future, organizations can extend the life of their legacy systems while positioning themselves for future success.
At Cause of a Kind, we’re dedicated to helping businesses modernize their legacy systems and teams, ensuring they remain competitive in an ever-evolving technology landscape. If you’re looking to transform your legacy software, our team is here to help.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/best-practices-for-managing-the-software-lifecycle-of-legacy-systems
# The Hidden Security Risks Lurking in Your Legacy Systems
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Discover the hidden security risks in legacy systems and how modernizing outdated technology can protect your business from cyber threats. Partner with Cause of a Kind to secure your legacy systems.
**The Hidden Security Risks Lurking in Your Legacy Systems**
In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, many businesses continue to rely on legacy systems—those outdated software applications and hardware components that were once cutting-edge but have since become a potential liability. While these systems may still serve critical functions within an organization, they often come with significant security risks that can expose your business to cyber threats. At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in helping businesses modernize these legacy systems, ensuring that they remain both functional and secure.
### The Unseen Dangers of Legacy Systems
Legacy systems are typically defined as outdated software or hardware that is still in use, despite newer alternatives being available. These systems often support essential operations, which can make the prospect of replacing them daunting. However, their outdated nature introduces several security vulnerabilities:
1. **Lack of Vendor Support**
One of the primary risks associated with legacy systems is the lack of vendor support. When a software or hardware product reaches its end of life, vendors stop providing updates, including critical security patches. Without these updates, legacy systems become increasingly vulnerable to exploits and malware. According to a report from the [Ponemon Institute](https://www.ponemon.org/library/the-hidden-costs-of-data-breaches), unsupported software is one of the top contributors to data breaches.
2. **Incompatibility with Modern Security Tools**
Legacy systems often lack compatibility with modern security tools, such as advanced firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption protocols. This incompatibility leaves gaps in your security infrastructure, making it easier for attackers to bypass your defenses. In a [study conducted by IBM](https://www.ibm.com/security/data-breach), companies using outdated technology were found to be 30% more likely to suffer a major data breach.
3. **Increased Attack Surface**
The older a system is, the longer it has been exposed to potential threats. Over time, attackers have more opportunities to discover and exploit weaknesses in these systems. Additionally, legacy systems often interact with newer technologies in ways that were never anticipated, creating an expanded attack surface that can be exploited by cybercriminals. This phenomenon is highlighted in a [Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report](https://enterprise.verizon.com/resources/reports/dbir/), which shows that older systems are disproportionately targeted in cyberattacks.
4. **Difficulty in Monitoring and Auditing**
Monitoring and auditing legacy systems can be challenging due to their outdated logging capabilities and lack of integration with modern security information and event management (SIEM) solutions. This difficulty makes it harder to detect and respond to security incidents in a timely manner. The [SANS Institute](https://www.sans.org/white-papers/legacy-systems-it-security-risk/37957/) emphasizes that organizations relying on legacy systems are often slower to respond to breaches, increasing the potential damage.
### Modernizing Legacy Systems: A Path to Security
The risks associated with legacy systems are clear, but what can businesses do to mitigate these dangers? The answer lies in modernization—a process that updates, replaces, or integrates legacy systems with newer technologies.
1. **Assess and Prioritize**
Start by assessing your existing legacy systems to identify those with the highest security risks. Prioritize modernization efforts based on factors such as the system's role in business operations, the level of exposure to external threats, and the availability of vendor support.
2. **Implement Incremental Upgrades**
Modernization doesn't always mean a complete overhaul. In many cases, incremental upgrades—such as integrating modern security protocols or migrating to a cloud-based platform—can significantly reduce risks without disrupting business operations. This approach allows businesses to gradually phase out legacy systems while maintaining continuity.
3. **Adopt a Zero Trust Model**
Consider implementing a Zero Trust security model, which assumes that all devices and users are potential threats and requires strict identity verification for every person and device attempting to access resources on your network. This model is particularly effective when dealing with legacy systems, as it minimizes the impact of their vulnerabilities.
4. **Partner with Experts**
Modernizing legacy systems can be a complex and resource-intensive process. Partnering with experts like Cause of a Kind can help you navigate the technical challenges, ensuring a smooth transition that strengthens your security posture. Our team specializes in developing customized solutions that align with your business goals while mitigating security risks.
### Conclusion
Legacy systems may still play a crucial role in your business operations, but they also represent a significant security risk. By understanding these risks and taking proactive steps to modernize your technology stack, you can protect your business from the growing threat of cyberattacks. At Cause of a Kind, we're committed to helping businesses secure their future by modernizing legacy systems and transforming them into assets rather than liabilities.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-hidden-security-risks-lurking-in-your-legacy-systems
# How Agile Methodologies Can Transform Your Legacy Software Development
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Discover how Agile methodologies can transform legacy software development, offering flexibility, faster time-to-market, and improved collaboration. Learn strategies to overcome common challenges and ensure a successful Agile transformation.
In the rapidly evolving world of software development, staying competitive means adopting practices that allow for flexibility, innovation, and faster time-to-market. Legacy software, often bound by outdated methodologies, can become a significant hurdle. Introducing Agile methodologies into a traditionally non-Agile environment is not just a trend—it's a necessity. This article will explore the transformative power of Agile, the benefits it brings, and how to overcome the common challenges of integrating Agile into legacy systems.
## The Need for Agile in Legacy Software Development
Legacy software, typically developed using outdated methodologies like Waterfall, presents several challenges—rigid timelines, high costs, and slow responses to market changes. These limitations make it difficult for businesses to innovate and scale. Agile methodologies, with their emphasis on flexibility, collaboration, and iterative development, offer a powerful solution to these challenges.
### The Benefits of Agile for Legacy Systems
**1. Increased Flexibility:**
Agile's iterative approach allows teams to adapt to changes quickly, making it easier to incorporate new features or respond to market demands. This flexibility is crucial when working with legacy systems, where modifications can be complex and risky.
**2. Faster Time-to-Market:**
By breaking down development into smaller, manageable sprints, Agile enables faster delivery of functional software. This approach allows businesses to bring products or updates to market more quickly, providing a competitive edge.
**3. Improved Collaboration:**
Agile promotes cross-functional collaboration, ensuring that all stakeholders—from developers to business leaders—are aligned on project goals. This collaborative environment is essential for successfully navigating the complexities of legacy systems.
**4. Continuous Improvement:**
Agile methodologies prioritize continuous feedback and improvement. This focus ensures that the development process is always evolving, leading to better software quality and more efficient processes over time.
## Overcoming Challenges of Introducing Agile to Legacy Systems
Introducing Agile to a traditionally non-Agile environment is not without its challenges. However, with the right approach, these obstacles can be effectively managed.
### **1. Resistance to Change**
One of the most significant challenges is resistance to change. Teams accustomed to traditional methodologies may be reluctant to adopt Agile practices. To overcome this, it is crucial to communicate the benefits of Agile clearly and involve the entire team in the transformation process.
#### **Strategy: Incremental Implementation**
Start with a pilot project where Agile practices can be introduced gradually. This approach allows teams to experience the benefits of Agile without feeling overwhelmed by drastic changes.
### **2. Integrating Agile with Existing Processes**
Legacy systems often come with established processes that are deeply ingrained in the organization. Integrating Agile without disrupting these processes can be challenging.
#### **Strategy: Hybrid Approach**
Consider adopting a hybrid approach, where Agile methodologies are combined with existing processes. For example, you can maintain certain Waterfall elements while introducing Agile practices in areas where flexibility is needed most.
### **3. Dealing with Technical Debt**
Legacy systems are often burdened with technical debt—outdated code, documentation, and architecture that hinder progress. Agile's iterative nature can help address this issue incrementally.
#### **Strategy: Prioritize Refactoring**
Incorporate refactoring tasks into each sprint to gradually reduce technical debt. This approach ensures that the system evolves over time, becoming more adaptable and easier to maintain.
### **4. Ensuring Proper Training and Support**
For Agile transformation to be successful, teams need proper training and support. Without it, the transition can lead to confusion and inefficiency.
#### **Strategy: Invest in Training**
Provide comprehensive training to all team members on Agile principles and practices. Consider bringing in Agile coaches or consultants to guide the team through the transformation process.
## Case Study: How Cause of a Kind Transformed a Legacy System with Agile
At Cause of a Kind, we've seen firsthand the transformative power of Agile methodologies. In one notable project, we worked with a client whose legacy system was slowing down their business operations. By gradually introducing Agile practices, we were able to reduce their time-to-market by 30%, improve team collaboration, and significantly reduce technical debt.
Agile methodologies offer a powerful solution for modernizing legacy software development. While the transition to Agile can be challenging, the benefits—flexibility, faster time-to-market, improved collaboration, and continuous improvement—far outweigh the obstacles. By adopting a strategic approach to Agile transformation, businesses can unlock the full potential of their legacy systems, ensuring they remain competitive in an ever-changing market.
For more insights on how Cause of a Kind can help your organization modernize its legacy systems with Agile, [contact us today](https://www.causeofakind.com/contact).
### **Further Reading:**
- [Understanding Agile: A Guide for Legacy Teams](https://www.examplelink.com/agile-guide-legacy-teams)
- [Overcoming Technical Debt with Agile](https://www.examplelink.com/technical-debt-agile)
- [The Hybrid Approach: Balancing Agile and Traditional Methodologies](https://www.examplelink.com/hybrid-approach-agile)
- [Case Study: Agile Transformation at Cause of a Kind](https://www.examplelink.com/case-study-agile-transformation)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-agile-methodologies-can-transform-your-legacy-software-development
# How to Manage and Reduce Technology Debt in Your Organization
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Discover how to manage and reduce technology debt in your organization with strategies from Cause of a Kind. Learn about the impact of legacy systems and how to modernize them effectively.
In today's fast-paced digital landscape, businesses must keep up with technological advancements to remain competitive. However, many organizations are burdened with *technology debt*, a term that refers to the cost and future consequences of outdated or suboptimal technology choices. For companies that have relied on legacy systems, this debt can accumulate over time, leading to increased maintenance costs, decreased agility, and a higher risk of security vulnerabilities.
At *Cause of a Kind*, we specialize in modernizing legacy software and teams, helping businesses address and reduce their technology debt. In this article, we'll explore what technology debt is, its impact on your organization, and practical strategies for managing and reducing it.
## What is Technology Debt?
Technology debt, also known as technical debt, occurs when organizations choose a quick, easy, or cost-effective solution instead of a more robust, long-term one. While these decisions may solve immediate problems, they often lead to increased costs and complications in the future. Technology debt is particularly prevalent in legacy systems, where outdated code, architectures, and processes can create significant obstacles to innovation and growth.
### Impact of Technology Debt on Your Organization
The consequences of technology debt can be far-reaching. Some of the key impacts include:
- **Increased Maintenance Costs**: Legacy systems require ongoing maintenance and support, often consuming a significant portion of IT budgets. This can divert resources from more strategic initiatives and lead to escalating costs over time.
- **Decreased Agility**: Outdated systems can slow down your organization's ability to adapt to market changes, introduce new features, or integrate with modern technologies. This lack of agility can put your business at a competitive disadvantage.
- **Security Vulnerabilities**: Legacy systems are often more susceptible to security risks due to outdated code, unsupported software, and lack of regular updates. This can expose your organization to cyber threats and compliance issues.
- **Talent Retention Challenges**: Modern developers may find working with outdated technologies frustrating, leading to higher turnover and difficulty attracting top talent.
## Strategies for Managing and Reducing Technology Debt
Managing and reducing technology debt requires a strategic approach that balances short-term needs with long-term goals. Here are some strategies to consider:
### 1. **Assess and Prioritize Debt**
Start by conducting a thorough assessment of your existing technology debt. Identify the systems, processes, and technologies that are most outdated or problematic. Once you've mapped out your debt, prioritize it based on factors such as business impact, risk, and cost. Focus on the areas where the debt is most likely to affect your organization's performance and security.
### 2. **Develop a Roadmap for Modernization**
With a clear understanding of your technology debt, develop a roadmap for modernization. This should include short-term fixes for critical issues as well as long-term plans for system upgrades, re-architecture, or replacement. A phased approach allows you to manage risks and costs effectively while gradually reducing your debt.
### 3. **Invest in Training and Development**
One of the challenges of addressing technology debt in legacy systems is ensuring your team has the necessary skills and knowledge. Invest in training and development to equip your team with the expertise required to work with modern technologies and methodologies. This can also help in retaining and attracting talent who are eager to work on innovative projects.
### 4. **Adopt Agile and DevOps Practices**
Agile and DevOps practices can help you manage technology debt by promoting continuous improvement, iterative development, and collaboration across teams. By breaking down large projects into manageable pieces and delivering updates incrementally, you can reduce the risk of accumulating new debt while addressing existing issues.
### 5. **Partner with Experts**
Finally, consider partnering with experts who specialize in legacy system modernization and technology debt management. At *Cause of a Kind*, we have the experience and expertise to guide your organization through the complexities of modernizing outdated systems. We can help you develop a customized strategy that aligns with your business goals and reduces your technology debt effectively.
## Conclusion
Technology debt is an inevitable challenge for organizations that rely on legacy systems, but it doesn't have to be a roadblock to innovation and growth. By assessing your debt, developing a clear roadmap for modernization, investing in your team's skills, adopting modern practices, and partnering with experts, you can manage and reduce your technology debt, positioning your organization for long-term success.
At *Cause of a Kind*, we understand the unique challenges of legacy systems and technology debt. Our mission is to help businesses modernize their internal software and processes, ensuring they remain competitive in today's digital world.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-to-manage-and-reduce-technology-debt-in-your-organization
# Creating a Digital Transformation Roadmap for Legacy Systems
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Create a successful digital transformation roadmap for modernizing legacy systems. Learn key steps including cloud adoption, automation, and data-driven decisions to stay competitive.
---
# Creating a Digital Transformation Roadmap for Legacy Systems
In today’s fast-paced digital world, businesses that rely on legacy systems face significant challenges. Outdated technologies can hinder growth, limit scalability, and increase operational costs. For organizations looking to stay competitive, modernizing legacy systems is not just an option but a necessity. At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in guiding businesses through this complex transformation. This article will provide a comprehensive roadmap to help you navigate the process of modernizing your legacy systems effectively.
## Understanding Legacy Systems
Legacy systems are the backbone of many organizations, having been developed and deployed years, or even decades, ago. These systems often run on outdated hardware, use obsolete programming languages, and lack integration capabilities with modern technologies. Despite their limitations, they are deeply embedded in business processes, making them difficult to replace without causing significant disruption.
### Why Modernize?
The primary reasons for modernizing legacy systems include:
- **Improved Efficiency:** Modern systems streamline operations through automation and better integration with other tools and platforms.
- **Cost Reduction:** Maintaining old systems can be expensive. Modern solutions often offer better ROI with reduced maintenance costs.
- **Enhanced Security:** Legacy systems are more vulnerable to cyber threats. Modernizing can help improve your organization’s security posture.
- **Scalability:** Modern systems are designed to scale with your business, allowing you to grow without being constrained by outdated technology.
## Building a Digital Transformation Roadmap
Creating a digital transformation roadmap involves several key steps. Here’s how to approach it:
### 1. **Assessment and Analysis**
Begin by assessing your current systems. This includes identifying all legacy systems, understanding their functionality, and analyzing their impact on your business operations. Conduct a SWOT analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with these systems.
### 2. **Defining Objectives**
Set clear, measurable objectives for your digital transformation. Whether it’s reducing operational costs, improving customer experience, or enabling faster time-to-market, having well-defined goals will guide your entire transformation process.
### 3. **Prioritization**
Not all systems need to be modernized at once. Prioritize based on business impact, cost, and complexity. Start with systems that are critical to your operations and have the highest risk of failure or security vulnerabilities.
### 4. **Choosing the Right Technology**
Selecting the right technology is crucial for successful modernization. Consider adopting cloud-based solutions, microservices architecture, and APIs to enhance flexibility and scalability. According to [Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-02-08-gartner-survey-shows-majority-of-organizations-are-implementing-digital-transformation-strategies), over 70% of organizations are incorporating cloud adoption into their digital transformation strategy.
### 5. **Automation and Integration**
Automation is a key component of modernizing legacy systems. Implementing automation tools can reduce manual processes, increase efficiency, and reduce human error. Additionally, ensure your new systems can integrate seamlessly with existing ones to prevent data silos and enhance collaboration across departments.
### 6. **Data-Driven Decision-Making**
Leverage data analytics to drive decision-making throughout the transformation process. By analyzing data from your existing systems, you can identify areas for improvement, predict future trends, and make informed decisions that align with your business objectives. A study by [McKinsey](https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/what-digital-really-means) found that data-driven organizations are 23 times more likely to acquire customers and 19 times more likely to be profitable.
### 7. **Change Management**
Modernizing legacy systems often involves significant changes in processes, technology, and even company culture. Develop a change management strategy that includes communication, training, and support to help employees adapt to new systems and workflows. According to [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2024/03/15/the-importance-of-change-management-in-digital-transformation/), effective change management is critical to the success of any digital transformation project.
### 8. **Continuous Improvement**
Digital transformation is not a one-time event but an ongoing process. Continuously monitor your systems, gather feedback, and make adjustments as needed. Embrace a culture of continuous improvement to stay ahead of the competition and ensure long-term success.
## Conclusion
Modernizing legacy systems is a complex but essential part of any digital transformation strategy. By following a structured roadmap and focusing on key areas such as cloud adoption, automation, and data-driven decision-making, you can ensure a smooth transition that positions your business for future growth. At Cause of a Kind, we are committed to helping businesses navigate this journey with expert guidance and innovative solutions.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/creating-a-digital-transformation-roadmap-for-legacy-systems
# The Benefits of Software Re-Engineering for Legacy Systems
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Discover the benefits of software re-engineering for legacy systems. Learn how Cause of a Kind can help you modernize outdated software, improve performance, and future-proof your business.
# The Benefits of Software Re-Engineering for Legacy Systems
In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, businesses face a critical decision: adapt or risk becoming obsolete. For many companies, legacy systems form the backbone of operations. However, these outdated systems can become a significant burden, hindering growth and innovation. This is where software re-engineering comes into play. At [Cause of a Kind](https://www.causeofakind.com), we specialize in modernizing legacy software, ensuring your business stays competitive in the digital age.
## What is Software Re-Engineering?
Software re-engineering is the process of analyzing and modifying existing software to improve its functionality, performance, and maintainability. Unlike a complete system overhaul, re-engineering focuses on enhancing what already exists, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses that rely heavily on legacy systems.
### Key Steps in Software Re-Engineering
1. **Assessment of Current System**: The first step is to evaluate the existing software. This involves identifying the system's strengths, weaknesses, and areas that require improvement.
2. **Code Refactoring**: Code refactoring involves cleaning up the codebase without changing its external behavior. This process makes the code more efficient, easier to understand, and less prone to bugs.
3. **Migration to Modern Platforms**: Many legacy systems run on outdated platforms that are no longer supported. Re-engineering includes migrating these systems to modern, scalable platforms, such as cloud environments.
4. **Integration with Modern Tools and Technologies**: As part of the re-engineering process, legacy systems are integrated with modern tools, such as continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, which enhance productivity and enable faster delivery of updates.
5. **User Interface (UI) Modernization**: Outdated UIs can lead to poor user experiences. Re-engineering often includes a UI overhaul to make the software more intuitive and user-friendly.
## Why is Software Re-Engineering Beneficial?
### Cost-Effective Modernization
Replacing an entire legacy system can be expensive and time-consuming. Software re-engineering offers a cost-effective alternative by preserving and enhancing the existing system. This approach reduces the need for a complete rebuild while extending the system's lifespan.
### Improved System Performance
Legacy systems are often plagued by performance issues due to outdated code and technologies. Re-engineering optimizes the codebase and transitions the system to more efficient platforms, leading to improved performance and faster processing times.
### Enhanced Security
Security is a growing concern for businesses, particularly those relying on outdated systems. Legacy systems may lack the necessary security features to protect against modern threats. Through re-engineering, these systems can be updated with the latest security protocols, safeguarding sensitive data and reducing the risk of cyberattacks.
### Integration with Modern Business Processes
Modern businesses require software that can integrate seamlessly with other systems and tools. Re-engineering allows legacy systems to communicate with modern applications and adhere to current industry standards, ensuring they remain relevant in a fast-paced business environment.
### Future-Proofing Your Business
By re-engineering your legacy software, you're not just addressing current issues; you're also preparing your business for the future. The process ensures that your systems can adapt to new technologies and market demands, providing long-term stability and growth opportunities.
## How Cause of a Kind Can Help
At [Cause of a Kind](https://www.causeofakind.com), we understand the unique challenges that legacy systems present. Our team of experts specializes in re-engineering outdated software, bringing it up to speed with today's technological standards. We work closely with your team to ensure a smooth transition, minimizing disruptions to your business operations.
Whether you're looking to enhance performance, improve security, or integrate new capabilities, our re-engineering services are tailored to meet your specific needs. By partnering with us, you can breathe new life into your legacy systems and ensure they continue to deliver value for years to come.
## Conclusion
Software re-engineering is not just about maintaining the status quo—it's about transforming your legacy systems into powerful tools that drive your business forward. With the right approach, you can extend the life of your software, enhance its capabilities, and position your business for future success.
Don't let outdated software hold you back. Explore the benefits of re-engineering with [Cause of a Kind](https://www.causeofakind.com) and discover how we can help you modernize your legacy systems.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-benefits-of-software-re-engineering-for-legacy-systems
# Redesigning Legacy Architectures for Scalability and Growth
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Discover the importance of scalable architecture and how Cause of a Kind helps businesses redesign legacy systems for growth and flexibility. Learn how modernizing your infrastructure can prepare you for future success.
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, companies are under immense pressure to scale their operations, adapt to market changes, and stay ahead of the competition. For organizations relying on legacy systems, these challenges can be even more daunting. These older systems, often built on outdated technology and rigid architectures, struggle to keep pace with modern demands. At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in modernizing legacy software and teams, helping businesses transform their infrastructure to support scalability and growth.
### The Importance of Scalable Architecture
A scalable architecture is essential for any business looking to grow. As customer bases expand, data volumes increase, and the need for real-time processing becomes more critical, the underlying architecture must be robust enough to handle these demands. However, many legacy systems were designed in an era where scalability was not a priority. These systems often rely on monolithic structures, making it difficult to add new features or accommodate increased workloads without significant rework.
Without scalability, businesses risk hitting a growth ceiling, where the cost of maintaining and upgrading systems becomes prohibitive. This can lead to slower response times, reduced efficiency, and ultimately, lost revenue opportunities. Modernizing your architecture not only prepares your business for growth but also ensures that you can pivot quickly in response to market changes.
### Redesigning Legacy Systems for Scalability
The first step in modernizing legacy systems is to conduct a thorough assessment of your current architecture. Understanding the limitations and bottlenecks is crucial in developing a roadmap for modernization. At Cause of a Kind, we start by evaluating the existing system, identifying areas where scalability is hindered, and recommending a phased approach to redesign.
One of the key strategies in modernizing legacy systems is transitioning from a monolithic architecture to a microservices architecture. Microservices allow for individual components of a system to be developed, deployed, and scaled independently, providing greater flexibility and resilience. This approach not only enhances scalability but also simplifies maintenance and enables faster deployment of new features.
Another critical aspect of redesigning for scalability is the adoption of cloud-native technologies. Cloud platforms offer the elasticity needed to scale resources up or down based on demand, reducing the risk of overprovisioning or underutilization. Leveraging cloud services also enables businesses to integrate advanced capabilities like AI, machine learning, and big data analytics, further driving innovation and growth【source】.
### The Role of DevOps in Scalable Architecture
DevOps practices are integral to achieving scalable architecture. By fostering a culture of continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD), businesses can automate testing, streamline updates, and ensure that new features are rolled out efficiently and without disruption. DevOps also emphasizes collaboration between development and operations teams, leading to more robust and scalable solutions.
At Cause of a Kind, we help businesses implement DevOps methodologies tailored to their specific needs. This includes setting up automated pipelines, enhancing monitoring and observability, and ensuring that security is baked into every step of the development process. These practices are vital in maintaining a scalable and resilient architecture that can support your business as it grows.
### Conclusion
Redesigning legacy architectures for scalability is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity for businesses aiming for long-term success. By modernizing your systems with a focus on scalability, you position your company to handle growth, adapt to changes, and stay competitive in a fast-paced environment. At Cause of a Kind, we bring the expertise and experience needed to guide you through this transformation, ensuring that your infrastructure is ready for the challenges of tomorrow.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/redesigning-legacy-architectures-for-scalability-and-growth
# Why Modernizing Your Legacy Systems is Critical for Future-Proofing Your Business
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, relying on outdated legacy systems can be a significant liability for businesses. As technology continues to evolve, the risks of maintaining old systems grow, potentially leading to increased costs, security vulnerabilities, and an inability to meet market demands. This article explores the importance of modernizing legacy systems, discusses the challenges and risks of inaction, and outlines key strategies for successful modernization.
### The Challenge of Relying on Legacy Systems
Legacy systems are often the backbone of many businesses, supporting critical operations that have been in place for decades. However, these systems were built in a different era, using outdated technologies and methodologies that may no longer be sufficient to meet current business needs.
__1. Costly Maintenance__
Maintaining legacy systems can be expensive. As technology advances, finding support for older systems becomes increasingly difficult. This often leads to higher maintenance costs and the need to hire specialized personnel familiar with outdated technologies. Moreover, the inefficiency of legacy systems can lead to lost productivity and missed opportunities.
__2. Security Vulnerabilities__
Old systems are more vulnerable to cyber threats. As new vulnerabilities are discovered, legacy systems that are no longer supported by vendors are at a greater risk of being exploited. This can result in costly data breaches, legal liabilities, and damage to your brand's reputation.
__3. Inability to Innovate__
Legacy systems can be a roadblock to innovation. They often lack the flexibility needed to integrate with modern technologies, making it difficult to adapt to changing market conditions or take advantage of new opportunities. This can leave your business trailing behind competitors who have embraced modern solutions.
### The Risks of Inaction
Choosing to ignore the need for modernization can have severe consequences for your business. The longer you wait, the more difficult and expensive the modernization process can become. Here are some of the key risks of inaction:
__1. Operational Disruption__
As legacy systems age, the risk of failure increases. A sudden system failure could disrupt operations, leading to significant downtime, lost revenue, and damage to customer relationships.
__2. Increased Regulatory Pressure__
In many industries, regulatory requirements are becoming more stringent. Legacy systems may not be able to meet these new standards, leading to potential fines, legal actions, and a loss of customer trust.
__3. Competitive Disadvantage__
Businesses that fail to modernize are at a significant competitive disadvantage. They may struggle to deliver the level of service customers expect, leading to a loss of market share to more agile competitors.
### The Benefits of Modernization
Modernizing legacy systems offers numerous benefits that can help future-proof your business. These benefits include:
__1. Improved Efficiency and Productivity__
Modern systems are more efficient, allowing your business to automate processes, reduce manual work, and increase overall productivity. This can lead to cost savings and a more agile operation.
__2. Enhanced Security__
By modernizing your systems, you can take advantage of the latest security features and protocols, reducing the risk of cyberattacks and ensuring compliance with industry regulations.
__3. Greater Flexibility and Scalability__
Modern systems are designed to be flexible and scalable, allowing your business to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and scale operations as needed. This can give you a significant competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
__4. Increased Customer Satisfaction__
By integrating modern technologies, such as AI and machine learning, into your systems, you can offer a better customer experience, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.
### Key Strategies for Successful Modernization
Modernizing legacy systems is a complex process that requires careful planning and execution. Here are some key strategies to consider:
__1. Re-platforming__
Re-platforming involves moving legacy systems to a new platform, such as the cloud, without making significant changes to the underlying architecture. This can provide immediate benefits, such as reduced costs and improved scalability, while maintaining continuity in your operations.
__2. Re-architecting__
Re-architecting involves redesigning your legacy systems to take full advantage of modern technologies. This may include breaking down monolithic applications into microservices, adopting containerization, and implementing CI/CD pipelines. While more complex, re-architecting can provide long-term benefits, such as greater flexibility and resilience.
__3. Integration with Modern Technologies__
Rather than replacing your legacy systems entirely, consider integrating them with modern technologies. This can include adding APIs to enable communication with newer systems, using middleware to bridge old and new applications, or employing AI and machine learning to enhance legacy functionalities.
Modernizing your legacy systems is no longer optional—it’s essential for future-proofing your business. By addressing the challenges and risks associated with legacy systems and embracing modern technologies, your business can stay competitive, secure, and agile in an ever-changing digital landscape. The time to act is now, before the risks of inaction become too great to manage.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/why-modernizing-your-legacy-systems-is-critical-for-future-proofing-your
# Integrating Modern DevOps Tools into Legacy Systems
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Discover how integrating modern DevOps tools into legacy systems can streamline operations and improve software delivery. Learn best practices for CI/CD, IaC, and cultural transformation.
**Integrating Modern DevOps Tools into Legacy Systems**
In today’s fast-paced technological landscape, businesses face increasing pressure to deliver software faster, more reliably, and with greater efficiency. However, many organizations still rely on legacy systems—aging software environments that, while stable and functional, often hinder the agility and speed required in modern development practices. Integrating modern DevOps tools into these legacy systems can be a game-changer, transforming sluggish processes into streamlined operations that enhance software delivery and business outcomes.
### Understanding the Challenge of Legacy Systems
Legacy systems are often the backbone of many organizations, supporting critical business operations. These systems were typically built in a time before the advent of cloud computing, Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and Agile practices. They may rely on outdated programming languages, monolithic architectures, and on-premises infrastructure, which makes integration with modern tools a daunting task. The challenge lies not only in the technical complexity but also in the cultural shift required to adopt new ways of working.
### Why Modernize with DevOps Tools?
Modern DevOps tools offer a range of benefits that can significantly improve how legacy systems are maintained and evolved. By automating manual processes, enhancing collaboration between development and operations teams, and enabling faster, more reliable software releases, DevOps tools can help organizations overcome the limitations of their legacy environments.
For example, **CI/CD pipelines** automate the building, testing, and deployment of code, reducing the likelihood of errors and accelerating the release cycle. Integrating a CI/CD pipeline with a legacy system can automate routine tasks that would otherwise take hours or days to complete manually.
**Infrastructure as Code (IaC)** is another key DevOps practice that can be integrated with legacy systems. IaC allows for the management of infrastructure through code, enabling version control, repeatability, and scalability. Tools like **Terraform** or **Ansible** can be introduced to manage and automate the provisioning and configuration of legacy environments, reducing the risk of configuration drift and ensuring consistency across deployments.
### Steps to Integrate Modern DevOps Tools into Legacy Systems
1. **Assess the Current State**: Start by evaluating the current state of your legacy system. Identify the bottlenecks in your development and deployment processes and determine which DevOps tools can address these issues.
2. **Build a Cultural Foundation**: The successful integration of DevOps tools requires a cultural shift. Encourage collaboration between development, operations, and security teams. Promote the adoption of Agile methodologies to facilitate continuous improvement and faster feedback loops.
3. **Implement CI/CD**: Begin by introducing a CI/CD pipeline to automate the building, testing, and deployment of your applications. This might involve integrating tools like **Jenkins**, **GitLab CI**, or **CircleCI** with your legacy codebase.
4. **Adopt Infrastructure as Code**: Implement IaC to manage your infrastructure more effectively. Start small by automating a portion of your environment, then gradually expand to cover your entire infrastructure.
5. **Monitor and Iterate**: Continuous monitoring is crucial to ensure that the integration is successful. Use monitoring tools like **Prometheus** or **Nagios** to track performance and quickly identify any issues. Regularly review and refine your DevOps processes to ensure ongoing improvements.
### Overcoming Common Challenges
Integrating modern DevOps tools into legacy systems is not without its challenges. One common issue is resistance to change, particularly from teams who are accustomed to working with the existing system. Overcoming this requires strong leadership, clear communication, and a focus on the long-term benefits of modernization.
Another challenge is the complexity of integrating new tools with old systems. Legacy systems might have limited APIs, documentation, or compatibility with modern technologies. In such cases, it may be necessary to create custom interfaces or leverage middleware solutions to bridge the gap between old and new.
Finally, security is a critical consideration when integrating DevOps tools into legacy environments. Ensure that any new tools or practices comply with your organization’s security policies and standards. Tools like **HashiCorp Vault** can be used to manage secrets and credentials securely within your DevOps pipeline.
### Conclusion
Modernizing legacy systems with DevOps tools is a strategic investment that can lead to significant improvements in software delivery and business performance. By carefully assessing your current state, fostering a collaborative culture, and methodically integrating CI/CD, IaC, and monitoring tools, your organization can achieve greater agility, reliability, and scalability in its operations.
At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in helping businesses navigate the complexities of modernizing their legacy software and teams. Whether you’re just starting your DevOps journey or looking to optimize your existing processes, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/integrating-modern-devops-tools-into-legacy-systems
# How Business Process Automation Can Revolutionize Legacy Systems
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Learn how business process automation (BPA) can enhance efficiency and productivity in organizations with legacy systems. Discover tips on implementing automation technologies for a seamless modernization journey.
In today's fast-paced digital world, businesses that still rely on legacy systems often find themselves struggling to keep up with the competition. These outdated systems, while once the backbone of an organization, can now act as a barrier to efficiency and innovation. However, there's a way to breathe new life into these systems: Business Process Automation (BPA). By automating key processes, companies can enhance productivity, reduce errors, and unlock new levels of efficiency—even with older technology in place.
### Understanding Business Process Automation
Business Process Automation involves the use of technology to execute recurring tasks or processes in a business where manual effort can be replaced. This can range from simple tasks like automated email responses to more complex processes such as order processing, customer support, and even managing IT operations.
By automating these processes, businesses can not only reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks but also minimize human error, leading to more consistent and reliable outcomes. According to a report by McKinsey, companies that embrace automation can increase productivity by up to 20% .
### The Challenges of Legacy Systems
Legacy systems are often deeply entrenched in an organization’s operations. They may be running on outdated hardware, using obsolete programming languages, or be dependent on processes that have not been updated in years. These systems can be costly to maintain, difficult to integrate with modern software, and prone to failures. Yet, replacing them entirely can be a daunting and expensive task.
This is where BPA comes into play. Instead of overhauling the entire system, businesses can implement automation technologies to enhance the functionality of their existing infrastructure. This approach allows companies to modernize at their own pace, reducing downtime and avoiding the steep costs associated with a full system replacement.
### Implementing Business Process Automation in Legacy Systems
To successfully implement BPA in legacy systems, businesses should follow these steps:
1. **Identify Key Processes for Automation:** Begin by mapping out all the processes within your legacy system. Identify those that are most time-consuming or prone to errors. These are the processes that will benefit most from automation.
2. **Choose the Right Automation Tools:** There are various automation tools available, ranging from Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven solutions. The key is to choose tools that can integrate seamlessly with your existing systems. For instance, Cause of a Kind specializes in creating custom solutions that bridge the gap between legacy systems and modern automation technologies.
3. **Start Small and Scale Up:** Implement automation in stages, starting with a single process or department. This allows your team to adjust to the changes and provides an opportunity to refine the automation strategy before rolling it out across the entire organization.
4. **Monitor and Optimize:** Once automation is in place, it's important to continuously monitor the performance of the automated processes. Use analytics to identify any areas where the automation can be improved, and make adjustments as needed.
### The Benefits of Business Process Automation for Legacy Systems
Implementing BPA in legacy systems offers several significant benefits:
- **Increased Efficiency:** Automation reduces the time spent on manual processes, allowing employees to focus on more strategic tasks.
- **Cost Savings:** By automating repetitive tasks, businesses can reduce labor costs and minimize the risk of costly errors.
- **Improved Compliance:** Automation ensures that processes are followed consistently, which can help with regulatory compliance.
- **Scalability:** Automation allows businesses to scale operations more easily, as automated processes can handle increased workloads without additional resources.
According to Forrester Research, companies that leverage automation can achieve a 10-15% cost reduction while improving customer satisfaction .
### Final Thoughts
For businesses still reliant on legacy systems, the prospect of modernization can be overwhelming. However, by focusing on business process automation, companies can gradually modernize their operations, enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and staying competitive in a rapidly evolving market.
At Cause of a Kind, we understand the challenges of modernizing legacy systems. Our approach to BPA is tailored to meet the unique needs of each client, ensuring that automation solutions are seamlessly integrated and deliver maximum value.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-business-process-automation-can-revolutionize-legacy-systems
# Moving from Mainframes to the Cloud: Challenges and Solutions
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-19
Discover the challenges and solutions in migrating from mainframes to the cloud. Learn best practices for a successful transition and how Cause of a Kind can help you modernize your legacy systems.
**Title: Moving from Mainframes to the Cloud: Challenges and Solutions**
In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, businesses are increasingly finding themselves at a crossroads: continue relying on aging mainframe systems or transition to modern, cloud-based solutions. At Cause of a Kind, we understand the complexities and challenges involved in this critical decision. This article delves into the common challenges, benefits, and best practices for migrating from mainframe systems to the cloud.
### Why Migrate from Mainframes to the Cloud?
Mainframes have been the backbone of many large enterprises for decades, providing robust, reliable processing power for mission-critical applications. However, as technology advances, maintaining and upgrading these systems has become increasingly expensive and challenging. Meanwhile, the cloud offers scalability, flexibility, and cost savings that are hard to ignore.
#### Key Drivers for Migration
1. **Cost Efficiency**: Cloud computing allows businesses to pay only for the resources they use, reducing the significant overhead costs associated with maintaining mainframe infrastructure .
2. **Scalability**: Unlike mainframes, cloud solutions can easily scale up or down to meet fluctuating business demands .
3. **Agility and Innovation**: The cloud enables faster deployment of new services and technologies, fostering innovation and agility within the organization .
### Common Challenges in Mainframe to Cloud Migration
Despite the clear benefits, migrating from mainframes to the cloud is not without its challenges. Understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for a successful migration.
#### 1. **Complexity of Legacy Systems**
Mainframes often run critical applications that have been customized over many years. These legacy systems can be highly complex, making it difficult to move them to the cloud without risking disruption to business operations.
**Solution**: A phased migration approach can help mitigate risks by gradually moving workloads to the cloud while maintaining business continuity .
#### 2. **Data Integrity and Security**
Ensuring data integrity during migration is paramount, especially when dealing with sensitive information. Moreover, security concerns are heightened when transferring data between environments.
**Solution**: Implementing robust encryption and data validation processes can help ensure that data remains secure and intact throughout the migration process .
#### 3. **Skills Gap**
Many organizations lack the in-house expertise needed to manage both mainframe and cloud environments, leading to potential skill gaps during the migration process.
**Solution**: Partnering with a consultancy like Cause of a Kind, which specializes in legacy system modernization, can bridge the skills gap and ensure a smooth transition .
### Best Practices for a Successful Migration
1. **Thorough Assessment and Planning**: Before embarking on a migration, conduct a detailed assessment of your current infrastructure and create a comprehensive migration plan that includes timelines, resource allocation, and risk mitigation strategies .
2. **Choose the Right Migration Strategy**: Depending on your organization’s needs, you may opt for rehosting, refactoring, rearchitecting, or even replacing your mainframe applications. Each approach has its pros and cons, so it’s important to choose the strategy that aligns with your business goals .
3. **Pilot Projects**: Starting with smaller, non-critical applications can help you test the waters and refine your migration process before tackling larger, mission-critical systems .
4. **Continuous Monitoring and Optimization**: Post-migration, it’s essential to continuously monitor system performance and optimize your cloud environment to ensure that it meets your organization’s evolving needs .
### The Benefits of a Successful Migration
A well-executed migration from mainframes to the cloud can offer numerous benefits, including:
- **Cost Savings**: Reduced infrastructure and maintenance costs, with the ability to scale resources as needed.
- **Enhanced Agility**: Faster deployment of new services and features, enabling your business to stay competitive.
- **Improved Security**: Access to advanced security features and protocols provided by cloud service providers.
- **Innovation**: The ability to leverage cutting-edge technologies like AI, machine learning, and IoT, which are more easily integrated into cloud environments.
### Conclusion
Migrating from mainframes to the cloud is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning, the right expertise, and a phased approach, the benefits far outweigh the challenges. At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in helping businesses navigate this complex process, ensuring a seamless transition that aligns with your strategic goals. If you’re ready to modernize your legacy systems and embrace the future of cloud computing, we’re here to help.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/moving-from-mainframes-to-the-cloud-challenges-and-solutions
# GitHub: The Backbone of Modern Software Development
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-10
Explore the value of GitHub in modern software engineering, from version control and collaboration to CI/CD and security, and learn how this powerful platform transforms development workflows.
In the world of modern software engineering, collaboration, version control, and continuous integration are crucial components of a successful development process. GitHub, a platform that has become synonymous with these concepts, is a vital tool for developers and teams around the globe. Whether you're working on a small personal project or contributing to a massive open-source initiative, GitHub provides the infrastructure needed to manage and share code efficiently. In this article, we'll explore the value of GitHub, how it's used, and why it's become indispensable in today's engineering landscape.
### **What is GitHub?**
At its core, [GitHub](https://github.com/) is a cloud-based hosting service for Git repositories. Git, a distributed version control system created by Linus Torvalds in 2005, allows developers to track changes in their code, collaborate with others, and manage project versions over time. GitHub builds on this by offering a web-based interface, additional collaboration features, and integrations with other tools that make managing Git repositories even easier.
### **The Value of GitHub**
GitHub offers a wide array of features that bring immense value to both individual developers and teams:
1. **Version Control and Collaboration:**
- GitHub's version control system is its most powerful feature. It allows multiple developers to work on the same codebase simultaneously, without fear of overwriting each other's changes. By using branches, developers can experiment with new features or fixes in isolation, then merge their changes back into the main project when they're ready.
- The platform also makes collaboration simple with pull requests, which let developers review and discuss proposed changes before integrating them into the main codebase. This not only improves code quality but also encourages a collaborative development environment.
2. **Open Source Community:**
- GitHub is the home of open-source development. Millions of open-source projects, including popular frameworks and libraries like [React](https://react.dev/) and [TensorFlow](https://www.tensorflow.org/), are hosted on GitHub. This makes it easy for developers to contribute to these projects, share their own work, and learn from others.
- The platform's robust issue tracking and project management tools help maintainers manage contributions, bugs, and feature requests, ensuring that even large, community-driven projects remain organized and productive.
3. **Continuous Integration and Deployment:**
- Modern software development often relies on continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to automate testing, building, and deploying code. GitHub integrates seamlessly with CI/CD tools like [GitHub Actions](https://github.com/features/actions), [Jenkins](https://www.jenkins.io/), and [CircleCI](https://circleci.com/), allowing developers to set up automated workflows that keep projects moving smoothly.
- With GitHub Actions, for example, you can automate tasks such as running tests, building packages, or deploying applications whenever code is pushed to a repository, ensuring that your software is always in a deployable state.
4. **Security and Compliance:**
- Security is a top priority for any software project, and GitHub provides several tools to help developers secure their code. Features like [Dependabot](https://github.blog/2020-06-01-keep-all-your-packages-up-to-date-with-dependabot/) automatically monitor dependencies for security vulnerabilities and suggest updates.
- GitHub also supports [code scanning](https://docs.github.com/en/code-security/code-scanning) to detect potential security issues in your codebase, helping developers catch and fix vulnerabilities before they become problems.
5. **Learning and Growth:**
- GitHub isn’t just a tool for professionals; it’s also a valuable resource for learning and professional development. By exploring public repositories, developers can study code written by others, learn new techniques, and even fork projects to experiment on their own.
- For beginners, GitHub offers [GitHub Learning Lab](https://lab.github.com/), an interactive platform that provides hands-on training in using Git and GitHub, as well as other software development practices.
### **How GitHub is Used in Modern Engineering**
GitHub is integral to modern engineering practices across various industries. Here's how it's typically used:
1. **Team Collaboration:**
- Development teams use GitHub to collaborate on projects, whether they’re working in the same office or distributed across the globe. By using branches and pull requests, teams can maintain a stable main branch while allowing individual developers to work on features or fixes in parallel.
- Code reviews are facilitated through the pull request system, where team members can comment on changes, suggest improvements, and discuss the implementation before merging it into the main branch.
2. **Project Management:**
- GitHub isn’t just about code; it also includes powerful project management tools. Teams can use [GitHub Projects](https://github.com/features/project-management) to organize tasks, track progress, and manage issues all within the same platform. This ensures that everyone on the team has visibility into the project's status and can contribute to planning and execution.
3. **Open Source Contributions:**
- Contributing to open-source projects on GitHub is a common practice for developers looking to improve their skills, contribute to the community, or gain visibility in the industry. Open-source projects benefit from the collective knowledge and expertise of a global community of developers.
4. **Continuous Integration and Deployment:**
- Engineers use GitHub to automate their CI/CD pipelines, ensuring that every change is automatically tested, built, and deployed. This reduces the risk of bugs making it into production and allows teams to release new features and fixes more frequently.
5. **Documentation and Knowledge Sharing:**
- GitHub repositories often include detailed documentation, making it easier for developers to understand how to use or contribute to a project. Wikis, README files, and issue tracking are just some of the ways GitHub facilitates knowledge sharing within a project.
### **The Importance of GitHub in Modern Engineering**
GitHub’s impact on modern engineering cannot be overstated. It has revolutionized how developers collaborate, manage, and share code, making it an essential tool in today’s software development landscape.
- **Efficiency:** By streamlining collaboration and automating workflows, GitHub helps teams work more efficiently, reducing the time between writing code and deploying it to production.
- **Quality:** The platform’s support for code reviews, testing, and security scanning ensures that code is of high quality, secure, and ready for production use.
- **Community:** GitHub fosters a global community of developers, enabling open-source collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and tools across the industry.
In essence, GitHub has become the central hub for modern software engineering, providing the tools and infrastructure needed to build, maintain, and scale projects in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
### **Conclusion**
Whether you’re a solo developer or part of a large team, GitHub offers the features and tools necessary to succeed in modern software development. Its robust version control, seamless integration with CI/CD tools, and powerful collaboration features make it indispensable for anyone serious about building high-quality software. If you haven’t yet embraced GitHub as part of your development workflow, there’s no better time to start.
Explore more about GitHub [here](https://github.com/) and see how it can transform your development process.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/github-the-backbone-of-modern-software-development
# Unlocking the Power of Test-Driven Development (TDD): A Modern Approach to Writing Better Code
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-08-01
Discover the benefits of Test-Driven Development (TDD) and explore modern tools like Jest, PyTest, and JUnit 5 that make writing better, more reliable code easier than ever.
### **Unlocking the Power of Test-Driven Development (TDD): A Modern Approach to Writing Better Code**
In the fast-paced world of software development, ensuring code quality while maintaining agility can be a daunting challenge. Enter **Test-Driven Development (TDD)**—a methodology that not only promises cleaner code but also instills confidence in developers by catching errors early in the development cycle. TDD has been around for decades, but with the advent of modern tooling, it has become even more powerful and accessible. In this article, we’ll explore the principles of TDD, its benefits, and the latest tools that are making it easier than ever to implement.
### **What is Test-Driven Development?**
Test-Driven Development is a software development process where developers write tests for their code before writing the actual code itself. The process typically follows a simple cycle known as **Red-Green-Refactor**:
1. **Red:** Write a test for a new feature or functionality. Since the code doesn’t exist yet, the test will fail.
2. **Green:** Write the minimum amount of code necessary to pass the test. The focus here is on getting the test to pass, not on optimizing the code.
3. **Refactor:** Once the test passes, refine the code. The goal is to improve the structure and efficiency of the code without changing its functionality.
This cycle ensures that every piece of code is tested, leading to a suite of tests that can be run whenever changes are made to the codebase. This is particularly valuable in an Agile environment, where changes are frequent, and maintaining code stability is crucial.
### **Why TDD Matters**
TDD offers several significant benefits that make it a valuable practice in modern software development:
- **Improved Code Quality:** By writing tests first, developers are forced to think about the requirements and edge cases of their code before implementation. This often leads to more thoughtful and robust code.
- **Faster Debugging:** When a test fails, it’s much easier to pinpoint where the issue lies, as each piece of functionality has its corresponding test.
- **Confidence in Refactoring:** With a comprehensive suite of tests, developers can refactor code with confidence, knowing that any introduced errors will be caught immediately.
- **Better Collaboration:** TDD promotes clear and concise code, which is easier for other team members to understand and build upon. This is especially important in larger teams or when onboarding new developers.
### **Modern Tooling for TDD**
The rise of modern development tools has made TDD more accessible and efficient. Here are some of the latest tools that are enhancing the TDD workflow:
#### **1. Jest (JavaScript/TypeScript)**
Jest is a delightful JavaScript testing framework with a focus on simplicity. It works out of the box with minimal configuration, making it an excellent choice for projects using React, Node.js, and other JavaScript frameworks. Jest's built-in mocking capabilities, powerful assertion library, and support for snapshot testing make it a go-to tool for developers embracing TDD.
- **Inline Source:** According to the [Jest documentation](https://jestjs.io/docs/getting-started), it’s designed to work seamlessly with your existing setup and provides fast, reliable testing results.
#### **2. PyTest (Python)**
For Python developers, PyTest is a robust testing framework that simplifies the process of writing tests. It’s compatible with a wide range of testing libraries, supports fixtures and plugins, and is highly extensible. PyTest's concise syntax encourages developers to adopt TDD by making it easy to write and maintain tests.
- **Inline Source:** PyTest is praised for its ability to scale from simple unit tests to complex functional testing, as highlighted in the [PyTest documentation](https://docs.pytest.org/en/6.2.x/).
#### **3. RSpec (Ruby)**
RSpec is the most popular testing framework for Ruby, known for its readability and flexibility. It’s built around the concept of behavior-driven development (BDD), which is closely related to TDD. RSpec’s expressive syntax makes it easy to write tests that read almost like natural language, enhancing both development speed and test clarity.
- **Inline Source:** The [RSpec documentation](https://relishapp.com/rspec) notes that its syntax is designed to describe the expected behavior of applications, making it a natural fit for TDD practices.
#### **4. JUnit 5 (Java)**
JUnit has been a staple in the Java testing ecosystem for years. JUnit 5 introduces a modular architecture, allowing developers to select only the components they need. Its extensibility, improved support for parameterized tests, and integration with build tools like Maven and Gradle make it a powerful tool for implementing TDD in Java projects.
- **Inline Source:** JUnit 5’s modern features and flexible architecture are discussed in the [JUnit 5 documentation](https://junit.org/junit5/docs/current/user-guide/).
#### **5. Test-Driven Design with IntelliJ IDEA**
For those using IntelliJ IDEA, one of the most advanced Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), TDD is made even more seamless. IntelliJ IDEA provides built-in support for various testing frameworks, such as JUnit, TestNG, and Spock. It also offers smart code completion, real-time test feedback, and powerful refactoring tools, making the Red-Green-Refactor cycle smoother than ever.
- **Inline Source:** As per the [IntelliJ IDEA documentation](https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/guide/tips/tdd-cycle/), the IDE’s comprehensive support for TDD practices is designed to improve developer productivity and code quality.
### **Getting Started with TDD**
Adopting TDD may require a shift in mindset, but the benefits are well worth it. Here are a few tips for getting started:
- **Start Small:** Begin by writing tests for smaller, isolated components of your application. As you become more comfortable, expand your testing coverage.
- **Leverage Tools:** Use modern tools that integrate well with your development environment to streamline the TDD process.
- **Practice Consistently:** Like any skill, TDD improves with practice. Make it a regular part of your development routine.
### **Conclusion**
Test-Driven Development is more than just a technique; it’s a philosophy that promotes better coding practices, more reliable software, and a stronger development process. With the help of modern tools like Jest, PyTest, RSpec, and JUnit 5, TDD has never been more accessible or effective. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting, embracing TDD can lead to significant improvements in your code quality and overall software development workflow.
So, are you ready to test the waters with TDD? Give it a try, and you might just find it to be the game-changer your development process needs.
Happy coding! 🎉
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/unlocking-the-power-of-test-driven-development-tdd-a-modern-approach-to
# Mastering Project Management with Jira: A Key to Modern Software Development
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-07-12
This article highlights the significance of Jira in modern software engineering, with inline links to external references, providing readers with a comprehensive overview of the tool’s capabilities and benefits.
In the fast-evolving world of software development, managing projects efficiently is crucial to delivering high-quality products on time. Whether you're coordinating a small team or overseeing a large-scale enterprise project, having the right tools to organize tasks, track progress, and collaborate effectively is essential. Enter Jira—one of the most powerful project management tools designed specifically for software teams. In this article, we'll dive into what makes Jira indispensable, how it's used, and why it's a cornerstone of modern engineering practices.
### **What is Jira?**
[Jira](https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira) is a project management tool developed by Atlassian, tailored for software development but versatile enough to be used across various industries. Originally designed for bug tracking, Jira has evolved into a comprehensive platform that supports all aspects of Agile project management, from sprint planning and tracking to reporting and team collaboration.
### **The Value of Jira**
Jira’s value lies in its flexibility, powerful features, and ability to integrate seamlessly with other tools used in the software development lifecycle. Here’s what makes Jira stand out:
1. **Agile Project Management:**
- Jira is built with Agile methodologies in mind, making it ideal for teams that follow Scrum, Kanban, or other Agile frameworks. It allows teams to create and manage sprints, backlogs, and user stories, ensuring that everyone is aligned and focused on delivering value with each iteration.
- Teams can easily track progress through customizable boards, whether they're using a [Kanban board](https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/features/kanban-board) to manage continuous flow or a Scrum board to manage sprints.
2. **Issue and Bug Tracking:**
- At its core, Jira excels in issue and bug tracking. It allows developers and testers to log bugs, assign tasks, and prioritize issues based on severity and impact. This ensures that critical issues are addressed promptly, helping to maintain software quality and stability.
- Jira's robust search and filtering options make it easy to navigate large volumes of issues and focus on what matters most.
3. **Customizable Workflows:**
- One of Jira’s most powerful features is its customizable workflows. Teams can define their own workflows to match their specific processes, whether they’re simple or complex. This ensures that every task, from inception to completion, follows a consistent path that aligns with the team’s goals.
- Workflows can include custom states, transitions, and rules, allowing for a tailored project management experience that meets the unique needs of each team.
4. **Reporting and Analytics:**
- Jira provides extensive reporting and analytics capabilities that help teams monitor progress, identify bottlenecks, and make data-driven decisions. From burn-down charts and velocity reports to custom dashboards, Jira offers a comprehensive view of a team’s performance over time.
- These insights are crucial for continuous improvement, allowing teams to refine their processes and deliver better results with each sprint.
5. **Integration with Other Tools:**
- Jira integrates seamlessly with a wide range of tools used in software development, including [GitHub](https://github.com/), [Bitbucket](https://bitbucket.org/), [Confluence](https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence), and CI/CD platforms like [Jenkins](https://www.jenkins.io/). This integration ensures that all aspects of the development lifecycle are connected, from coding and testing to deployment and documentation.
- With the [Atlassian Marketplace](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/), teams can extend Jira’s functionality even further by adding plugins and apps that cater to their specific needs.
### **How Jira is Used in Modern Engineering**
Jira’s versatility makes it a key tool in modern engineering practices across various stages of software development:
1. **Sprint Planning and Tracking:**
- In Agile teams, Jira is used to plan and track sprints. Product owners can prioritize the backlog, and developers can pull tasks into a sprint, ensuring that the team is working on the most valuable features.
- Throughout the sprint, the team can monitor progress using Jira’s burn-down charts and task boards, making it easy to adjust course if needed.
2. **Task Management and Collaboration:**
- Jira’s task management features allow teams to break down large projects into manageable tasks, assign them to team members, and track their progress. Each task can include detailed descriptions, attachments, and links to related issues, ensuring that everyone has the information they need to get the job done.
- Collaboration is enhanced through comments, mentions, and notifications, keeping team members connected and informed.
3. **Bug and Issue Tracking:**
- During development and testing, Jira is indispensable for tracking bugs and issues. Testers can log bugs directly in Jira, developers can prioritize and assign fixes, and the team can track the status of each issue until it’s resolved.
- The ability to link issues to specific code commits or builds ensures traceability and accountability throughout the process.
4. **Project Reporting and Monitoring:**
- Managers and stakeholders rely on Jira’s reporting features to get a clear view of project status. Whether it’s monitoring sprint progress, tracking velocity, or analyzing workload distribution, Jira’s reports provide the data needed to make informed decisions.
- Custom dashboards allow team members to create personalized views that highlight the metrics and tasks most relevant to their roles.
5. **Continuous Improvement:**
- After each sprint, teams can use Jira’s reporting tools to conduct retrospectives, identifying what went well and what can be improved. This feedback loop is essential for Agile teams that strive for continuous improvement.
- Jira’s flexibility allows teams to adjust workflows, processes, and practices based on these insights, driving better outcomes in future sprints.
### **The Importance of Jira in Modern Engineering**
Jira has become a cornerstone of modern engineering for several reasons:
- **Scalability:** Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, Jira scales with your needs. Its flexible architecture and customizable features make it suitable for projects of any size.
- **Alignment:** Jira ensures that teams are aligned on goals, tasks, and timelines, reducing miscommunication and keeping projects on track.
- **Transparency:** With Jira, everything is tracked and visible, from the smallest bug to the biggest feature. This transparency is key to maintaining accountability and ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.
- **Efficiency:** By automating workflows and integrating with other tools, Jira helps teams work more efficiently, reducing the time spent on administrative tasks and freeing up more time for actual development.
### **Conclusion**
In today’s fast-paced software development environment, having the right tools to manage projects is crucial. Jira stands out as one of the most powerful and flexible project management platforms available, offering everything from task tracking and bug management to Agile planning and reporting. Its ability to integrate with other tools and its customizable nature make it indispensable for any software team looking to stay organized, efficient, and aligned.
If you’re looking to improve your project management processes and drive better outcomes in your software development projects, Jira is a tool worth exploring. Start your journey with Jira [here](https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira) and see how it can transform the way your team works.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/mastering-project-management-with-jira-a-key-to-modern-software-development
# Exploring Ensemble/Mob Programming and Extreme Programming (XP): A Comparative Insight
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-06-14
Discover the benefits of ensemble/mob programming and Extreme Programming (XP). Compare with Agile and Waterfall methodologies, and learn how team collaboration boosts software development. Unlock better code quality and innovation now!
# Exploring Ensemble/Mob Programming and Extreme Programming (XP): A Comparative Insight
Ensemble programming, also known as mob programming, is a practice where the entire team works on the same task at the same time, on the same computer. This collaborative approach is a cornerstone of Extreme Programming (XP), a methodology within Agile that emphasizes customer satisfaction and adaptive planning. In this article, we’ll delve into the intricacies of ensemble programming, its synergy with XP, and how it compares to other software development methodologies like Agile and Waterfall.
## What is Ensemble/Mob Programming?
Ensemble programming is a team-based approach where multiple developers work on a single task collectively. One person types (the driver), while the others (the navigators) provide direction and insight. The roles rotate frequently to ensure engagement and contribution from all members. This practice promotes continuous code review, knowledge sharing, and collective ownership of the codebase.
**Key Features of Ensemble Programming:**
- **Collective Code Ownership:** Everyone has a stake in the code, leading to better quality and fewer bottlenecks.
- **Continuous Learning:** Team members learn from each other in real-time, increasing overall team skill levels.
- **Immediate Feedback:** Instant feedback helps catch errors early, improving code quality.
## What is Extreme Programming (XP)?
Extreme Programming (XP) is an Agile software development framework that aims to improve software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements. XP does this through frequent releases in short development cycles, which improves productivity and introduces checkpoints to adapt to new requirements.
**Core Practices of XP:**
- **Pair Programming:** Two developers work together at one workstation. This complements ensemble programming by scaling up the collaborative aspect.
- **Test-Driven Development (TDD):** Writing tests before code to ensure functionality meets the requirements.
- **Continuous Integration:** Integrating and testing code frequently to catch and fix issues early.
### How Does Ensemble Programming Fit into XP?
Ensemble programming is an extreme form of pair programming, extending it to the whole team. This practice fits well within XP’s framework of continuous feedback and iterative improvement. XP's emphasis on teamwork, communication, and adaptability makes ensemble programming a natural fit, enhancing the collaborative spirit and shared understanding of project goals.
## Comparison with Other Development Methodologies
### Agile vs. Ensemble Programming
Agile and ensemble programming share common values like collaboration and flexibility. However, ensemble programming is more intensive in its approach to teamwork.
- **Agile:** Focuses on iterative development, customer collaboration, and quick responses to change. Teams typically work on tasks independently within a sprint.
- **Ensemble Programming:** Extends Agile principles to an extreme, with the whole team collaborating on a single task at a time, leading to rapid knowledge transfer and real-time problem-solving.
**Read More:** [Agile Methodology](https://example.com/agile-methodology)
### Waterfall vs. Ensemble Programming
The Waterfall model is a linear, sequential approach to software development. It’s characterized by distinct phases such as requirement gathering, design, implementation, and testing, which don’t overlap.
- **Waterfall:** Emphasizes thorough planning and design before any coding begins. Each phase must be completed before the next starts, which can make adapting to changes difficult.
- **Ensemble Programming:** Allows for continuous adjustments and improvements, as the team is collectively involved in all phases of development simultaneously. This fosters a more adaptable and iterative process compared to the rigid structure of Waterfall.
**Read More:** [Waterfall Model](https://example.com/waterfall-model)
## Benefits of Ensemble Programming in XP
### Enhanced Code Quality
With multiple eyes on the code, potential issues are identified and resolved quickly. This continuous peer review process ensures that the code meets the highest quality standards.
**Example:** A bug that might take hours or days to identify in a traditional setup can be caught within minutes in an ensemble programming environment.
### Accelerated Learning and Knowledge Sharing
Team members of varying skill levels work together, facilitating real-time knowledge transfer and skill development. This collective learning reduces the dependency on individual experts and builds a more versatile team.
**Read More:** [Team Dynamics in Software Development](https://example.com/team-dynamics)
### Increased Team Engagement
Ensemble programming keeps all team members actively involved, preventing the isolation that can occur in more segmented approaches. This leads to higher job satisfaction and a stronger team dynamic.
**Example:** In traditional setups, developers might work in silos, leading to disengagement and lack of communication. Ensemble programming ensures constant interaction and engagement.
### Better Adaptability and Innovation
With the whole team focusing on a single task, they can quickly adapt to changes and come up with innovative solutions. The collaborative environment fosters creative thinking and problem-solving.
**Read More:** [Innovation in Software Development](https://example.com/software-innovation)
## Challenges of Ensemble Programming
Despite its benefits, ensemble programming also presents challenges:
- **Coordination Issues:** Keeping the whole team focused and coordinated on a single task can be difficult.
- **Overheads:** Requires more resources in terms of time and manpower, which might not be feasible for all projects.
- **Potential for Burnout:** The intensity of constant collaboration can lead to burnout if not managed properly.
**Example:** In a high-pressure project, the need for constant collaboration might overwhelm team members, leading to fatigue and reduced productivity.
## Conclusion
Ensemble programming and XP represent a shift towards more collaborative and adaptive software development practices. By fostering teamwork, continuous learning, and rapid iteration, these approaches offer a robust alternative to traditional methodologies like Waterfall and even more conventional Agile practices.
While ensemble programming might not be suitable for every project, its benefits in terms of code quality, team engagement, and adaptability make it an invaluable tool for teams looking to enhance their development process. As the software development landscape continues to evolve, practices like ensemble programming and XP will likely play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of how we build software.
**Read More:**
- [Extreme Programming Explained](https://example.com/xp-explained)
- [Mob Programming Guide](https://example.com/mob-programming-guide)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/exploring-ensemble-mob-programming-and-extreme-programming-xp-a-comparative
# The Benefits of Running an Entirely Onshore Agency on Long Island, NY
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-06-14
Discover the advantages of an onshore, subscription-based software and web development agency on Long Island, NY. Learn how this model ensures steady revenue, customer loyalty, and resilience against economic downturns, unlike traditional big-budget agencies.
## Introduction
In today's ever-evolving business landscape, traditional software and web development agencies are facing significant challenges. Long gone are the days when hefty budgets and a handful of high-profile clients could sustain an agency. Instead, a new model is emerging that focuses on sustainability, customer loyalty, and economic resilience: the entirely onshore, subscription-based software and web development agency. This model is particularly advantageous for businesses operating on Long Island, NY, an area known for its thriving local economy and competitive business environment.
## The Traditional Agency Model: A Snapshot
Traditional software and web development agencies have typically relied on a few large clients and significant upfront budgets. This model, while lucrative in the short term, comes with inherent risks:
1. **High Dependency on Big Budgets**: Agencies often rely on substantial initial investments for projects, which can be risky, especially in times of economic downturn.
2. **Limited Customer Loyalty**: The traditional model does not foster ongoing customer relationships. Once a project is completed, the client-agency interaction often ends, leading to a lack of customer retention.
3. **Seasonal and Economic Vulnerability**: During economic downturns or off-peak seasons, agencies may struggle to secure new projects, leading to financial instability.
4. **Outsourcing Challenges**: Many traditional agencies outsource a significant portion of their work offshore, which can lead to communication issues, quality control problems, and time zone challenges.
## The Onshore, Subscription Model: A Modern Solution
The onshore, subscription-based model offers a refreshing alternative that addresses the pitfalls of traditional agencies while providing numerous benefits, particularly for agencies based on Long Island, NY.
### 1. **Steady Cash Flow and Financial Stability**
A subscription model ensures a steady cash flow, which is crucial for financial stability. By offering clients monthly or annual subscription plans, agencies can predict their revenue streams and plan accordingly. This consistent income helps in weathering economic downturns and provides a buffer during slow business periods.
### 2. **Enhanced Customer Loyalty and Retention**
Subscription models naturally promote long-term customer relationships. Clients commit to ongoing services, leading to higher retention rates and stronger customer loyalty. This continuous engagement not only ensures steady revenue but also opens opportunities for upselling and cross-selling additional services.
### 3. **Improved Quality Control with Onshore Talent**
Keeping all operations onshore guarantees better communication, quality control, and faster turnaround times. For Long Island-based agencies, this means leveraging the local talent pool, which is known for its high skill levels and dedication to excellence. Onshore operations also eliminate the complications of time zone differences and language barriers that can hinder offshore projects.
### 4. **Resilience Against Economic Fluctuations**
The subscription model is more resilient to economic fluctuations. During tough economic times, clients are more likely to continue their subscriptions for essential services rather than committing to large, one-off projects. This resilience is critical for maintaining business continuity and growth in uncertain economic climates.
## Long Island, NY: A Strategic Location for Onshore, Subscription-Based Agencies
### Access to a Thriving Local Economy
Long Island's economy is robust and diverse, with a mix of industries including healthcare, technology, and finance. This diversity offers ample opportunities for software and web development agencies to tap into a broad client base and various sectors.
### Proximity to New York City
Being close to New York City provides Long Island agencies with access to a larger market while maintaining the benefits of a local presence. This proximity allows agencies to offer competitive services to clients in the city without the overhead costs associated with a Manhattan office.
### A Talented Workforce
Long Island is home to a highly educated and skilled workforce, thanks to its reputable educational institutions and a strong emphasis on technology and innovation. This local talent pool is ideal for agencies that want to deliver high-quality, onshore services.
## How to Implement an Onshore, Subscription Model on Long Island
### 1. **Develop a Subscription-Based Service Offering**
Create a range of subscription plans tailored to different client needs and budgets. This could include basic maintenance and support, premium development services, and ongoing SEO and marketing support.
### 2. **Leverage Local Talent**
Hire local developers, designers, and project managers who understand the unique needs of Long Island businesses. Emphasize the benefits of working with an entirely onshore team, such as faster communication and better project management.
### 3. **Focus on Building Long-Term Relationships**
Prioritize customer satisfaction and long-term relationships over short-term gains. Offer personalized services and regular updates to keep clients engaged and satisfied.
### 4. **Invest in Marketing and Branding**
Highlight the benefits of your onshore, subscription-based model in your marketing efforts. Use local SEO strategies to attract clients from Long Island and surrounding areas. Emphasize your commitment to quality, reliability, and customer service.
### 5. **Adapt to Changing Market Conditions**
Stay flexible and ready to adapt your service offerings as market conditions change. Regularly review and update your subscription plans to ensure they meet the evolving needs of your clients.
## Conclusion
Running an entirely onshore, subscription-based software and web development agency on Long Island, NY, offers numerous advantages over the traditional agency model. It ensures steady revenue, fosters customer loyalty, and provides resilience in tough economic times. By leveraging local talent and focusing on long-term client relationships, agencies can thrive in the competitive Long Island market and beyond.
For agencies looking to succeed in today's dynamic business environment, the onshore, subscription model is not just an option—it’s a strategic imperative. Embrace this approach, and you’ll be well-positioned to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-benefits-of-running-an-entirely-onshore-agency
# Transforming the Agency Model: The Rise of Onshore Subscription-Based Software and Web Development on Long Island, NY
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2024-06-14
Discover why an onshore, subscription-based software and web development agency on Long Island, NY, outperforms traditional models. Learn how predictable revenue, client retention, and flexibility drive success in tough economic times.
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and business, the traditional agency model of big budgets, fleeting customer loyalty, and vulnerability to economic downturns is quickly becoming obsolete. This is particularly true in the vibrant region of Long Island, NY, where an innovative approach is reshaping the software and web development industry. By adopting an onshore, subscription-based model, agencies are ensuring stability, fostering long-term client relationships, and thriving through economic fluctuations. Here's why this model is gaining traction and how it outperforms the conventional agency approach.
## The Pitfalls of the Traditional Agency Model
### High Budgets and Low Flexibility
Traditional agencies often require substantial upfront investments from clients. These high-budget projects can be prohibitive for small to mid-sized businesses, limiting their access to top-tier development services. Moreover, this model offers limited flexibility, as clients are locked into extensive contracts with rigid deliverables, making it difficult to adapt to changing needs and market conditions.
### Customer Loyalty and Seasonal Volatility
Customer loyalty in the traditional model can be tenuous at best. Once a project is completed, clients may have little reason to maintain the relationship, leading to a constant need for new business acquisition. Additionally, traditional agencies are highly susceptible to seasonality and economic cycles. During economic downturns, marketing and development budgets are often the first to be slashed, leaving these agencies vulnerable to significant revenue losses.
## The Onshore Subscription-Based Advantage
### Predictable Revenue and Client Retention
One of the most compelling benefits of the subscription model is predictable, recurring revenue. Instead of relying on sporadic large projects, agencies benefit from steady, monthly payments. This model fosters long-term client relationships, as clients receive continuous service and support, ensuring their digital presence remains up-to-date and effective.
### Enhanced Flexibility and Responsiveness
Subscription-based agencies offer unparalleled flexibility. Clients can scale services up or down based on their current needs and budget, making it a more accessible option for businesses of all sizes. This adaptability is particularly crucial during economic downturns, allowing clients to adjust their expenditures without severing ties with the agency.
### Onshore Quality and Accessibility
Operating entirely onshore, particularly in a tech-savvy region like Long Island, NY, ensures a higher level of quality and accessibility. Clients benefit from working within the same time zone, eliminating the communication delays often associated with offshore teams. Moreover, onshore agencies can provide more personalized service, understanding the local market nuances and regulatory environment better than their offshore counterparts.
## Long Island, NY: A Hub for Innovation
Long Island, NY, boasts a rich talent pool and a thriving tech community, making it an ideal location for an onshore subscription-based agency. The region's robust infrastructure, coupled with its proximity to New York City, provides a fertile ground for tech innovation and business growth.
### Access to Skilled Professionals
Long Island is home to numerous universities and tech institutions, producing a steady stream of skilled professionals. This local talent pool ensures that agencies can recruit top-tier developers, designers, and strategists to deliver exceptional services to their clients.
### Proximity to Major Markets
Being close to one of the world's largest business hubs, New York City, offers Long Island-based agencies access to a vast network of potential clients and partners. This proximity also allows for easy in-person meetings and collaboration, further strengthening client relationships.
## Case Study: A Success Story
Consider the case of a Long Island-based agency that transitioned to a subscription model. Initially struggling with the volatility and high demands of the traditional agency model, this agency shifted to a subscription-based approach, offering clients continuous support and development services for a monthly fee. The results were transformative:
- **Increased Client Retention**: The agency saw a 50% increase in client retention within the first year.
- **Stable Revenue Streams**: Monthly recurring revenue stabilized cash flow, allowing for better financial planning and investment in growth.
- **Enhanced Service Offerings**: With predictable revenue, the agency could reinvest in its team and technology, providing clients with cutting-edge solutions and superior service.
## Conclusion
The onshore, subscription-based model represents the future of software and web development agencies, especially in dynamic regions like Long Island, NY. By addressing the pitfalls of the traditional agency model, this innovative approach offers a more sustainable, client-centric, and flexible solution. As businesses increasingly seek stability and long-term partnerships, the subscription model is set to become the new standard in the industry, driving growth and innovation on Long Island and beyond.
---
Embrace the future of digital development and see how an onshore, subscription-based agency can transform your business. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you navigate the digital landscape with confidence and success.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/transforming-the-agency-model
# How is Building Software Like Tying a Shoe?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2024-06-13
Discover the fascinating parallels between software development and tying a shoe, from initial setup to ongoing maintenance. Learn how attention to detail, customization, and iterative improvements are key in both tasks.
Well, let’s journey through the world of software development, using something as simple and everyday as tying a shoe to illustrate the process. At first glance, these two activities might seem completely unrelated, but when you delve deeper, you'll find that the parallels are surprisingly insightful.
Let’s start at the very beginning: putting on socks. Just as you wouldn’t think of tying your shoes without first slipping on a pair of comfortable socks, you shouldn’t dive into coding without proper preparation. In software development, this preparatory phase involves setting up your environment, gathering requirements, and laying out a clear plan. Just as socks provide the foundation for comfortable and secure footwear, a solid initial setup ensures that your software project will proceed smoothly.
Once you have your socks on and your shoes in front of you, the next step is to position your shoe properly and make sure the laces are even. This is similar to the initial project setup in software development, where defining your requirements and planning your tasks are crucial. Just as an uneven start with your laces can lead to a poorly tied shoe, a shaky start in software development can cause complications down the line.
Tying your shoes is a process that involves a series of steps: crossing the laces, creating loops, and pulling them tight. Similarly, building software is a process-oriented task that follows a sequence: planning, coding, testing, and deploying. Each step is vital, and skipping any or doing them out of order can result in a problematic outcome. Just as a hastily tied shoe can come undone, a software project lacking a structured approach can easily fall apart.
Attention to detail is another critical aspect in both activities. Missing a loop or not pulling the laces tight enough can leave you with a loose shoe, just as overlooking small details in your code, like a misplaced semicolon or an incorrect variable name, can lead to software errors. The devil is in the details, and ensuring meticulousness in both tasks prevents future issues.
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you might need to adjust and retie your shoes if they’re too tight or too loose. This iterative process is also a cornerstone of software development, where code often needs to be revised and refined through multiple iterations to achieve the desired functionality and fix bugs. The ability to adjust and improve is key to both tying a secure shoe and developing reliable software.
Customization plays a role in both activities as well. There are numerous ways to tie a shoe—double knots, bunny ears, or even more complex methods for those who like to experiment. Similarly, software can be customized to meet specific user requirements and preferences. Developers have the flexibility to choose different approaches and techniques to tailor the software to fit its intended purpose perfectly.
Balancing simplicity and complexity is another common thread. A simple knot is quick and easy but may come undone more easily, while a more complex knot takes longer but provides greater security. In software development, a simple solution is often easier to maintain and understand but might not cover all possible scenarios. On the other hand, more complex solutions can handle a wider range of situations but come with increased management challenges.
Testing is crucial in both realms. You walk around after tying your shoes to make sure they’re securely fastened and comfortable. Similarly, rigorous testing in software development ensures that the application works as intended and is free of bugs. Just as you wouldn’t want your shoes coming undone at an inopportune moment, you don’t want your software failing when it’s most needed.
Immediate feedback is another shared characteristic. You know right away if your shoes are too tight, too loose, or if the knot didn’t hold. In software development, developers receive instant feedback from code tests, which allows for quick fixes and improvements. This immediate response helps in making necessary adjustments promptly.
Both shoe tying and software development require ongoing maintenance. Throughout the day, you might need to retie your shoes, especially if you’re active. Similarly, software requires continuous updates, bug fixes, and enhancements to remain functional and relevant. Just as you keep your shoes in good shape to ensure comfort and safety, you maintain your software to keep it effective and up to date.
With practice, both activities improve over time. You become faster and more efficient at tying your shoes, just as developers become more proficient and efficient at coding and solving problems with experience. Skill improvement in both tasks leads to better and quicker results.
Overcomplication is a pitfall to avoid in both domains. Adding unnecessary knots can make tying your shoes more cumbersome without adding real value, much like over-engineering a software solution can introduce unnecessary complexity and potential issues. Keeping things simple and effective is often the best approach.
Lastly, the tools and techniques you use can make a significant difference. The type of laces and shoes can influence your tying technique and ease, just as the choice of programming languages, frameworks, and tools can impact the software development process and its outcome. The right tools can make both tasks smoother and more efficient.
In the end, the tangible result is what matters. Whether it’s a securely tied shoe or a fully functional software application, the end product is something practical and useful. The journey to that point, whether it’s tying a perfect knot or developing software, involves careful preparation, methodical execution, and continuous improvement.
So, the next time you lace up your shoes, take a moment to reflect on the fascinating parallels to software development. Both tasks, though seemingly different, share fundamental principles that are key to success. And remember, it all starts with putting on your socks!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-is-building-software-like-tying-a-shoe
# Comparing AI PDF Parsers
By: Brian McGough
Published: 2024-06-03
Explore the best tools for parsing and extracting data from PDFs in our comprehensive comparison, "Peter Piper Picked a Python PDF Parser." Discover the strengths and weaknesses of popular libraries like PDFMiner, PyPDF, Tabula, and more, as well as OCR and AI solutions. Access our Google Colab notebook for hands-on testing. Ideal for AI engineers and developers looking to optimize PDF data extraction. AI engineering projects, especially for those involving Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) solutions.
## Alternate title: Peter Piper Picked a Python PDF Parser
## Intro
When programmatically analyzing PDF documents, the first step generally is parsing the PDF itself. If you’ve ever experimented with PDF parsing packages, you probably noticed a significant disparity in the text produced by different packages for a single given PDF. This article and the provided Colab notebook should help understand why.
## About PDFs
PDFs are complex documents that can contain a variety of elements, such as text, images, and interactive elements. At a technical level, PDFs are constructed using a language called PostScript, which describes the layout and graphics of the document. This complexity necessitates different approaches for extracting data effectively, depending on the document’s content.
## Summary of findings
Parsing Packages: PDF parsing packages, like PDFMiner.six, PyPDF, and others, are highly effective for extracting text and structured data directly from the PostScript contents of a PDF. These tools are designed to interpret the underlying structure of the PDF, making them reliable for well-formatted, text-heavy documents. However, they cannot interpret or extract text from images embedded within the PDF. They also struggle with unstructured data and complex layouts, which can result in missed or jumbled text.
__OCR Tools:__ Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tools, such as Pytesseract, Surya, and EasyOCR, are effective in scenarios where the PDF contains scanned images or photographs of text. These tools analyze the images to recognize and convert text into a machine-readable format. OCR is invaluable for digitizing printed documents and handling cases where text is not accessible to traditional parsers. However, OCR can be less accurate with poor image quality and typically has a longer processing time compared to parsing packages.
__AI Tools:__ AI tools like ChatGPT-4 Vision use machine learning models to understand and extract data from both text and images. These tools can handle highly unstructured data, recognize complex patterns, and interpret visual elements within the PDF. While AI tools offer the most comprehensive extraction capabilities, they are generally more resource-intensive, less deterministic, and come with higher costs. They also require access to computational resources and may have varying accuracy depending on the specific content and layout of the PDF.
In the end, the choice between parsing packages, OCR, and AI tools depends on the specific requirements of the PDF documents you are working with. Parsing packages are ideal for structured, text-based PDFs, OCR tools are best for image-based text extraction, and AI tools can be useful for highly unstructured and complex documents. Combining these approaches can often yield the most reliable results.
## Instructions for running notebook
1. Access the provided Colab link.
2. Import a PDF that is representative of your use case to the Colab file system.
3. If you want to test ChatGPT Vision and/or LlamaParse, make sure you have an `OPENAI_API_KEY` and `LLAMAPARSE_API_KEY` added to your Colab secrets ([instructions here](https://medium.com/@parthdasawant/how-to-use-secrets-in-google-colab-450c38e3ec75 "instructions here"))
4. Update the `pdf_url` variable to point to your PDF
5. Run all cells
6. Compare the printout of each package with what you would expect to see returned
7. Profit
## Comparison of tools for different PDF types
Preface: these results are general, subjective, and not meant to be comprehensive. If you are planning on creating a production system using one of these tools, I would suggest that you run sample PDFs that your application will be consuming through the provided notebook to determine what tool is most appropriate for your use case.
## PDF #1: “Get Started with Smallpdf” (Basic)
### Parsing Libraries:
- __PyPDF:__ 6/10 — Captures all text, but does not organize logically
- __PDFMiner:__ 10/10 —Captures all text, organizes logically
- __Tabula:__ 0/10 — Returns an empty list
- __PDFQuery:__ 10/10 — Captures all text, organizes logically
- __PyMuPDF:__ 6/10 — Captures all text, unable to organize logically
- __LlamaParse:__ 10/10 — Captures all text, organizes logically, even represents text placement well
### OCR:
- __Pytesseract:__ 6/10 — Recognizes most characters well, but gets confused by some of the images behind text, has difficulty separating side by side elements. Decent run time.
- __Surya:__ 8/10 — Slow run time compared to Pytesseract/EasyOCR, good results otherwise.
- __Doctr:__ 5/10 — Seems to have missed a lot of text, maybe I did something wrong.
- __EasyOCR:__ 9/10 — Similar to Pytesseract results.
### LLMs:
- __GPT-4:__ 10/10 — Captured all characters, divided content logically
- __GPT-4 Vision:__ 10/10 — Captured all characters, divided content appropriately.
## PDF #2 Scientific Paper (Highlighted text and side-by-side sections)
### Parsing Libraries:
- __PyPDF:__ 6/10 — Recognized characters well, but was not able to logically separate sections.
- __PDFMiner:__ 8/10 — Recognized characters well, separated sections in a way reflective of the document itself.
- __Tabula:__ 3/10 — Recognized characters well, but returned a jumble of disorganized text.
- __PDFQuery:__ 6/10 — Almost exact same return value as PyPDF.
- __PyMuPDF:__ 6/10 — Almost the same as PyPDF & PDFQuery.
- __LlamaParse:__ 9/10 — Recognized characters well, separated sections effectively & logically.
### OCR:
- __Pytesseract:__ 6/10 — Accurate character recognition, did not recognize highlighted text.
- __Surya:__ 4/10 — Accurate character recognition, jumbles side-by-side text to the point of being unintelligible.
- __EasyOCR:__ 3/10 — Accurate character recognition, jumbles side-by-side text to the point of being unintelligible.
- __Doctr:__ 6/10 — Accurate character recognition, had difficulty with logical breaks.
### LLMs:
- __GPT-4:__ 4/10 — Did well on the characters it did analyze, but left out a large chunk of the document.
- __GPT-4 Vision:__ 5/10 — Did well on characters it analyzed, and captured more than GPT-4, but also left out a large chunk of the document. Upon running multiple times, got very different responses.
## PDF #3 Complicated Physical Mailer Image (Converted to PDF)
### Parsing Libraries:
- __PyPDF:__ 0/10 — Recognizes no characters.
- __PDFMiner:__ 0/10 — Recognizes no characters.
- __Tabula:__ 0/10 — Recognizes no characters.
- __PDFQuery:__ 0/10 — Recognizes no characters.
- __PyMuPDF:__ 0/10 — Recognizes no characters.
- __LlamaParse:__ 5/10 — Recognizes some characters, but jumbles them up.
### OCR:
- __Pytesseract:__ 0/10 — Printed gibberish.
- __Surya:__ 2/10 — Printed some correct characters, mostly wrong.
- __EasyOCR:__ 0/10 — Printed a long string of numbers.
- __Doctr:__ 0/10 — Printed gibberish.
### LLMs:
- __GPT-4:__ 5/10 — Printed accurate text for part of the image, left the rest out.
- __GPT-4 Vision:__ 6/10 — Captured more text than GPT-4.
## Tools Compared:
### PDF Parsing and Extraction Libraries:
- __PDFMiner.six__ ([GitHub](https://github.com/pdfminer/pdfminer.six "GitHub"))
- __Tabula__ ([PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/tabula-py/ "PyPI"))
- __PDFQuery__ ([PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/pdfquery/ "PyPI"))
- __PyMuPDF__ ([PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/PyMuPDF/ "PyPI"))
- __PyPDF__ ([PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/pypdf/ "PyPI"))- In case you’re considering PyPDF2 or similar, I’d suggest reading [this comparison](https://pypdf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/meta/comparisons.html "this comparison").
- __LlamaParse__ ([PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/llama-index-readers-llama-parse/ "PyPI"))
### OCR:
- __Pytesseract__ ([PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/pytesseract/ "PyPI"))
- __Surya__ ([PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/surya-ocr/ "PyPI"))
- __Doctr__ ([PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/python-doctr/ "PyPI"))
- __EasyOCR__ ([PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/easyocr/ "PyPI"))
### AI:
- __ChatGPT-4 Turbo/ChatGPT-4 Vision__ ([OpenAI](https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/vision "OpenAI"))
[Google Colab notebook for tool comparison](https://colab.research.google.com/drive/1KZwV7JWKiSXfO69c1TzQZSzQcl9LkBtP#scrollTo=PzLgJOf5CnLs "Google Colab notebook for tool comparison")
About the Author: [Brian McGough](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmcgough/ "Brian McGough LinkedIn") | AI Consultant and Software Engineer | World Traveler | Brian is available for AI engineering projects, and am especially interested in building RAG solutions.
Original Article on [Medium](https://medium.com/@bpmcgough/comparing-pdf-parsers-1b9f5ae24afe "Original Article on Medium")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/comparing-ai-pdf-parsers
# The Age of Artificial Intelligence, Powered by Human Intelligence
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2024-05-10
The Age of Artificial Intelligence, Powered by Human Intelligence. Think about that for a moment. Artificial Intelligence, powered by human intelligence. There is a symbiosis there. When a business thinks about applying AI to their motion, it begins with curiosity.
Think about that for a moment. Artificial Intelligence, powered by human intelligence.
There is a symbiosis there. When a business thinks about applying AI to their motion, it begins with curiosity. We’re not talking about using [ChatGPT](https://openai.com/ "ChatGPT"), or some other “AI” tool, or a generative AI tool like [Midjourney](https://www.midjourney.com/home "Midjourney") or [Dall-e](https://openai.com/dall-e-3 "Dall-e") or [Firework.ai](https://fireworks.ai/ "Firework.ai"). We’re not talking about AI note takers like [Fireflies.ai](https://fireflies.ai/ "Fireflies.ai") or even research tooling like [Google Gemini](https://gemini.google.com/ "Google Gemini"). There are now countless tools in the market that all have a little wrinkle to differentiate themselves, but they are largely the same. We refer to these endearingly as, party tricks or worker-bee efficiency tools.
Not to diminish the herculean effort it takes to create these tools or the value that they bring to their customers, we are just talking about a bigger opportunity for transforming businesses…
We’re talking about creating a business intelligence tooling for the evolving and innovating business.
Cause of a Kind is fortunate to be on the conceptualization side of the AI era. Businesses of all shapes and sizes come to us with their data. The innerworkings and the plumbing of their business and ask a simple question.
How could this data inform a proprietary AI solution, to give our business a 10X advantage above the competition?
Innovating businesses are running pilot programs. It is now so much more than asking company staff to dabble with ChatGPT, or explore a customGPT. This is about creating new infrastructure within a business. This is about meeting technology and adapting to a new way of conducting business.
The market for AI solutions, proprietary, inhouse, home grown solutions to independent businesses is upon us. So much so that we recently attending a conference hosted by [MongoDB](https://www.mongodb.com/ "MongoDB"). Traditionally, MongoDB is a database platform (oversimplified for the non-technical reader). Curiously, at the event, every vendor, every presentation, every discussion was on the topic of AI. Major players in the space from [Amazon Web Services](https://aws.amazon.com/ "Amazon Web Services"), to [Microsoft Azure](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us "Microsoft Azure"), to [Google Cloud Platform](https://cloud.google.com/ "Google Cloud Platform"), were all flexing their presentations to the topic of AI and how businesses can evaluate their tools to inform decisions impacting custom solutions.
It is obvious to us. The age of AI is in it’s infancy and the era of business adaptation and transformation will likely mimic the transition experienced when moving to the internet, or adopting email, or some other collectively moving internet based event.
But…
None of this is possible without Human Intelligence first.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-age-of-artificial-intelligence-powered-by-human-intelligence
# Forward To Extraordinary… Continuously
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2024-05-10
There is a certain irony in building other peoples dreams. You never know who the next dreamer to walk through your doors is going to be.
There is a certain irony in building other peoples dreams. You never know who the next dreamer to walk through your doors is going to be. It’s unsettling, inspiring, exciting and miraculous all at the same time.
We build software and websites for the modern day dreamer.
It’s as simple as that.
However, when you really peel back the layers, we play a role that is pretty scary. We hold peoples dreams in the palm of our hand. There is a certain sense of trust and fear and uncertainty that comes along with the territory that we have come to navigate quite well, but in reality, we are handling someone’s baby. Someone’s hopes and dreams for a future. For a purpose. For a life well lived. For their mark in history.
The gravity of what we do for our customers is a massive load to bear, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Our true north is to one day point at a unicorn and say, we were the inception team behind that. We met that founder when they were bright eyed and bushy tailed and we got them from Zero-to-Market, bootstrapped, bruised, battered, beaten but not broken. We got them to their first milestones. First revenue, first customers, first employees, first investors. We gave them everything we had and their success is our success.
When we say, “Forward to Extraordinary” it is a battle cry for future days. It implores and demands excellence today for a beautiful tomorrow.
So, with that, to you, to our readers, to our customers, to our future dreamers, Forward To Extraordinary, for you and for all of us.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/forward-to-extraordinary-continuously
# Beyond The MVP and Exploring Minimum Marketable, Buyable, Sellable, and Launchable Products
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2024-03-19
Everyone has heard of the Minimum Viable Product. But have you heard of the Minimum Marketable Product, or Minimum Buyable Product, or Minimum Sellable Product, or perhaps the Minimum Launchable Product? Don't worry, neither did I.
In the realm of startup and product development, the concept of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) has become a cornerstone. However, as the landscape evolves and the focus shifts towards creating products with real market impact, several variations of the MVP have emerged. Today, we'll explore these variations - the Minimum Marketable Product (MMP), Minimum Buyable Product (MBP), Minimum Sellable Product (MSP), and Minimum Launchable Product (MLP) - and delve into what each entails in the journey of building a successful software startup.
Everyone has heard of the Minumum Viable Product (MVP) which serves as a tool for learning and experimentation, helping startups and businesses validate their ideas, mitigate risks, and ultimately build successful products that address real market needs. But have you heard about all of the other milestone minimums out there?
Don't worry, neither did I.
## Minimum Marketable Product (MMP):
While an MVP focuses on the bare minimum features to validate a product idea, an MMP takes it a step further. An MMP includes additional features and polish beyond what is strictly necessary for viability, aiming to attract early adopters and generate initial traction. This version of the product is designed not just to function but to shine in the eyes of potential customers, thereby enhancing its marketability from the outset.
## Minimum Buyable Product (MBP):
An MBP goes beyond mere marketability; it is designed with the intention of being directly purchasable by customers. Unlike an MVP, which might offer a free trial or rely on indirect monetization strategies, an MBP is positioned to convert interested users into paying customers. It includes not only the essential features but also those that incentivize users to make a purchase, such as premium features or enhanced capabilities.
## Minimum Sellable Product (MSP):
Similar to an MBP, an MSP focuses on driving sales but with a broader perspective. An MSP isn't just about making a one-time sale; it's about establishing a sustainable revenue stream. This version of the product not only emphasizes the initial purchase but also considers factors like customer retention, upselling opportunities, and long-term profitability. It's about building a product that not only sells once but keeps customers coming back for more.
## Minimum Launchable Product (MLP):
An MLP represents the culmination of efforts to create a product ready for a full-scale launch. It encompasses all the necessary features, polish, and infrastructure required for a successful market entry. Unlike an MVP, which might still be in an experimental phase, an MLP is a fully realized product prepared to capture the attention of a broader audience. It's about making a splash in the market and seizing the opportunity for growth from day one.
## Debunking the Milestones:
While each of these phases - MMP, MBP, MSP, and MLP - offers valuable insights into product development and market readiness, it's essential not to lose sight of the ultimate goal: __creating a product that truly adds value and solves real problems for people__. While it's tempting to focus solely on reaching these milestones, success in the startup world ultimately hinges on building something that customers can't live without.
This is our north star at the [Cause of a Kind Startup Igniter](https://www.causeofakind.com/startup-igniter "Cause of a Kind Startup Igniter"). "Does this idea solve a real pain point for customers?"
As entrepreneurs and product developers, our primary focus should always be on creating solutions that address genuine pain points and deliver meaningful value to users. While concepts like MMP, MBP, MSP, and MLP provide useful frameworks for guiding our journey, they are merely waypoints along the path to success. So let's shift our focus from meeting arbitrary milestones to building something truly remarkable - something with a painkiller effect that people can't imagine living without.
As you embark on your startup journey or continue to refine your product, remember to prioritize value creation above all else. Build something that solves a real problem, delights your users, and keeps them coming back for more. Let's move beyond the buzzwords and hype and focus on what truly matters - building products that make a difference in the lives of our customers.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/beyond-the-mvp-and-exploring-minimum-marketable-buyable-sellable-launchable-product
# The Impact of Fractional Executives on Businesses at Various Growth Stages
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2023-12-29
Explore the transformative impact of fractional executives on business growth at various stages. Learn how roles like fractional CEO, CMO, CFO, and CTO can drive success in this insightful blog post.
# The Impact of Fractional Executives on Businesses at Various Growth Stages
In the dynamic world of business, navigating through various stages of growth demands not just hard work, but also smart work. Enter the realm of fractional executives - a revolutionary approach that is reshaping how businesses, from nimble startups to established giants, scale and succeed. These part-time, experienced professionals, ranging from fractional CEOs to CMOs, CFOs, CTOs, and beyond, bring a wealth of expertise without the full-time cost. Let’s dive into how these roles can be transformative at different stages of your business’s journey.
## The Strategic Vision of a Fractional CEO
Imagine having a seasoned CEO at the helm of your startup or growing business, but without the full-time executive salary. That's the allure of a [fractional CEO](https://hbr.org/). This role is pivotal in crafting strategic visions, driving key decisions, and steering companies through crucial growth phases. They're the architects of business foundations and strategies, adept at building competent teams to scale new heights. Their impact in instilling a robust organizational structure and culture is often the cornerstone of a company’s success.
## Marketing Mastery with a Fractional CMO
In an era where marketing can make or break a business, a [fractional CMO](https://www.forbes.com/) is your ace in the hole. These experts bring a deep understanding of market dynamics, consumer behavior, and cutting-edge marketing strategies. They're the artists behind brand storytelling, the strategists in customer engagement, and the drivers of sales growth, especially crucial in the competitive, early stages of your business.
## Financial Finesse from a Fractional CFO
No business can thrive without a sound financial strategy. A [fractional CFO](https://www.wsj.com/) offers not just number-crunching expertise but strategic financial planning and risk management. They are pivotal in navigating budgeting, cash flow, and funding - the lifelines for businesses scaling their operations.
## Technological Edge with a Fractional CTO
In today’s tech-driven marketplace, a fractional CTO can be your guide to staying ahead of the curve. These professionals align technology strategies with business goals, ensuring your company doesn’t just keep up with tech trends, but innovates through them. For startups and SMEs, this role is crucial in leveraging technology for competitive advantage.
## Information Mastery with a Fractional CIO
Data is the new gold, and a fractional CIO helps you mine and manage it effectively. They oversee IT strategies, ensuring your data management serves your business objectives. Optimizing IT infrastructure, bolstering cybersecurity, and ensuring regulatory compliance are all in a day’s work for these information stewards.
## Revenue Growth with a Fractional CRO
Every business's endgame is revenue growth, and a fractional CRO is your strategist for this goal. They specialize in maximizing revenue through innovative sales strategies and customer relationship management. A fractional CRO is not just a revenue generator but a visionary in identifying and tapping into new revenue streams.
## Product Success with a Fractional CPO
In the product-centric world of business, a fractional CPO is key. Their expertise in product strategy, design, and lifecycle management aligns product development with market needs and business objectives, ensuring your products don’t just meet but exceed market expectations.
## Safeguarding Assets with a Fractional CISO
With cyber threats on the rise, a fractional CISO’s role in safeguarding information assets is more critical than ever. They are the architects of your cybersecurity strategy, mitigating risks and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.
Fractional executives offer a strategic, flexible, and cost-effective solution for businesses seeking senior-level expertise without the commitment of a full-time executive. Their impact across various stages of business growth is profound, bringing specialized skills and experiences essential for navigating today's complex business environment.
Harnessing the power of fractional executives could be the catalyst your business needs to scale new heights. So, are you ready to embrace this game-changing approach for your business’s growth story?
In today's fast-evolving business landscape, companies are increasingly turning to fractional executives to navigate various stages of growth. These seasoned professionals offer a wealth of experience and expertise, often at a fraction of the cost of a full-time executive. From startups to established corporations, the roles of fractional executives - such as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Chief Product Officer (CPO), and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) - are becoming integral in steering businesses towards success.
## The Fractional Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
A fractional CEO can be a game-changer for startups and small businesses. They provide strategic vision and leadership, helping to navigate the company through critical early growth phases. By leveraging their experience, fractional CEOs can help establish strong business foundations, create effective strategies, and build a competent team.
## The Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
In the realm of marketing, a fractional CMO can revolutionize a company's approach to its market. They bring in-depth knowledge of market trends, consumer behavior, and digital marketing strategies. This role is crucial in defining brand positioning, enhancing customer engagement, and driving sales growth, especially in the competitive early stages of business development.
## The Fractional Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Financial expertise is critical at all stages of business growth. A fractional CFO offers financial strategy, planning, and risk management. They are instrumental in budgeting, cash flow management, and securing funding - essential elements for businesses scaling up their operations.
## The Fractional Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Technology is at the heart of modern business operations. A fractional CTO provides the technical leadership necessary to develop and implement technology strategies that align with business goals. This role is particularly vital for startups and SMEs looking to innovate and stay competitive in a technology-driven market.
## The Fractional Chief Information Officer (CIO)
In the information age, managing data effectively is crucial. A fractional CIO oversees the information technology (IT) strategy, ensuring that data management aligns with the business's objectives. This role is critical in optimizing IT infrastructure, implementing cybersecurity measures, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
## The Fractional Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
Revenue growth is a primary goal for any business. A fractional CRO specializes in developing and executing strategies to maximize revenue. This includes sales strategy, customer relationship management, and exploring new revenue streams.
## The Fractional Chief Product Officer (CPO)
Product development and management are key to business success. A fractional CPO brings expertise in product strategy, design, and lifecycle management. They play a significant role in aligning product development with market needs and business goals.
## The Fractional Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
With the increasing threat of cyberattacks, information security is paramount. A fractional CISO ensures that a company's information assets are protected. They develop and implement security strategies to mitigate risks and ensure compliance with data protection regulations.
## Conclusion
Fractional executives offer a flexible and cost-effective solution for businesses to access senior-level expertise without the commitment of a full-time executive. Their impact is profound across various stages of business growth, bringing specialized skills and experiences that are crucial for navigating the complexities of today's business environment.
---
For further reading and in-depth analysis, the following resources provide valuable insights:
1. [Harvard Business Review's article on the rise of the fractional executive](https://hbr.org/).
2. [Forbes' insights on the benefits of fractional executives for startups](https://www.forbes.com/).
3. [The Wall Street Journal's discussion on the strategic importance of fractional CMOs](https://www.wsj.com/).
These articles offer a deeper understanding of the roles and benefits of fractional executives in contemporary business settings.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-impact-of-fractional-executives-on-businesses-at-various-growth-stages
# A Guide to Project Management Tools for Engineering Teams
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2023-11-29
Explore the best project management tools for engineering teams in our comprehensive guide. Compare Jira, Trello, Asana, Basecamp, and Monday.com to find the perfect solution for your project needs. Discover pros, cons, and use cases to enhance team efficiency and project success.
(image source: [https://www.getclockwise.com/blog/best-agile-project-management-tools](https://www.getclockwise.com/blog/best-agile-project-management-tools "https://www.getclockwise.com/blog/best-agile-project-management-tools"))
#### **Introduction**
In the fast-paced realm of engineering, selecting the right project management tool is crucial for success. These tools not only facilitate better collaboration but also streamline project workflows. Let's explore some of the leading project management tools, assessing their benefits, drawbacks, and ideal use cases.
## But First, What is a Project Management Tool?
A project management tool is a software application or system designed to assist project managers and teams in organizing, managing, and tracking their projects and tasks. The core functionalities of such tools typically include:
1. **Task Management:** They allow users to create, assign, and track tasks or activities, often visualized in various formats like lists, Kanban boards, or Gantt charts.
2. **Collaboration:** These tools facilitate communication and collaboration among team members, offering features like chat, comments, file sharing, and real-time updates.
3. **Scheduling and Deadlines:** Project management tools help in scheduling tasks, setting deadlines, and reminding team members of upcoming due dates.
4. **Resource Allocation:** They assist in managing and allocating resources, including team members’ time, budget, and tools required for the project.
5. **Reporting and Analytics:** Most tools offer reporting features for tracking the progress of projects, monitoring resource utilization, and analyzing team performance.
6. **Integration Capabilities:** They often integrate with other software systems, like email, calendar, file storage, and specialized tools, to streamline workflows and centralize information.
By utilizing a project management tool, teams can improve their efficiency, meet deadlines more effectively, and manage projects more systematically, leading to better project outcomes. These tools are adaptable to a wide range of industries and project types, from small team projects to complex, large-scale operations.
### The Top 5 Project Management Tools that we have used:
#### **1. Jira**
**Typical Use Cases:** Jira is a favorite for software development and implementing agile methodologies.
**Pros:**
- **Customizable Workflows:** Perfectly aligns with agile frameworks like Scrum and Kanban.
- **Advanced Reporting:** Offers detailed dashboards for tracking project milestones.
**Cons:**
- **Steep Learning Curve:** Can be challenging for newcomers.
- **Cost Factor:** Tends to be more expensive for larger teams.
[https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira](https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira "Jira")
#### **2. Trello**
**Typical Use Cases:** Ideal for small to mid-sized projects that benefit from visual task management.
**Pros:**
- **Intuitive Interface:** Features an easy-to-navigate, drag-and-drop system.
- **Adaptable:** Suitable for a variety of project types.
**Cons:**
- **Basic Reporting:** Lacks advanced tracking features.
- **Scaling Limitations:** Less effective for larger, more complex projects.
[Trello.com](https://trello.com/ "Trello.com")
#### **3. Asana**
**Typical Use Cases:** Great for managing tasks and planning projects across different departments.
**Pros:**
- **Diverse Task Management:** Offers multiple views like lists, boards, and timelines.
- **Wide Range of Integrations:** Compatible with numerous other apps and services.
**Cons:**
- **Feature Overload:** Can be overwhelming for simpler projects.
- **Higher Cost for Premium Features:** More expensive for advanced capabilities.
[Asana.com](https://asana.com/ "Asana.com")
#### **4. Basecamp**
**Typical Use Cases:** Favored for its simplicity and effectiveness in team collaboration and project management.
**Pros:**
- **User-Friendly:** Known for its ease of use and clean interface.
- **All-in-One Tool:** Combines chat, file sharing, and task management in one platform.
**Cons:**
- **Limited Customization:** Not as customizable as some other tools.
- **Basic Reporting Functions:** Reporting features might be too simplistic for complex projects.
[Basecamp.com](https://basecamp.com/ "Basecamp.com")
#### **5. Monday.com**
**Typical Use Cases:** Excellent for tracking projects and team collaboration across various sectors.
**Pros:**
- **Customization:** Offers highly customizable boards.
- **Intuitive Design:** Known for its user-friendly interface.
**Cons:**
- **Costly Add-Ons:** Price increases with additional features.
- **Elementary Reporting:** Lacks advanced reporting capabilities.
[Monday.com](https://monday.com/ "Monday.com")
#### **Conclusion**
In our experience, the right project management tool can significantly impact the efficiency and outcome of your engineering projects. Each tool presents a unique set of features, usability, and pricing, making it essential to evaluate your team's specific needs before deciding.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/a-guide-to-project-management-tools-for-engineering-teams
# An AI Guide for Main Street Businesses
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2023-11-28
Explore how Main Street businesses can leverage AI to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and add value to customers. Learn about practical AI tools and strategies for small businesses to stay competitive in the digital era.
In the ever-evolving world of business, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a game-changer, especially for common businesses. It's no longer just a playground for tech giants; AI is now accessible and beneficial to Main Street businesses. This article explores how these businesses can leverage AI tools to enhance efficiency, reduce overhead, and provide exceptional value to customers.
## Understanding AI for Your Business
### What is AI?
AI refers to computer systems or machines that mimic human intelligence to perform tasks and can improve themselves based on the information they collect. This includes technologies like machine learning, natural language processing, and robotics.
### Why Should Main Street Businesses Care?
AI can revolutionize how small businesses operate, offering solutions that were previously unattainable due to cost or complexity. From personalized customer experiences to streamlined operations, the potential is enormous.
## How to Adopt and Adapt to AI
### Identifying the Right Tools
1. **Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems:** AI-powered CRMs like [Salesforce](https://www.salesforce.com/) and [HubSpot](https://www.hubspot.com/) can help businesses understand and anticipate customer needs.
2. **Automated Marketing Tools:** Tools like [Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/) use AI to optimize email campaigns and improve customer engagement.
3. **AI-Enabled Analytics:** Platforms like [Google Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/) offer insights into customer behavior, helping businesses make data-driven decisions.
### Integration into Business Operations
1. **Optimizing Inventory Management:** AI tools can predict stock requirements, reducing overhead costs. Check out [Sortly](https://www.sortly.com/) for inventory management.
2. **Efficiency in Customer Service:** Chatbots and virtual assistants, available through services like [Zendesk](https://www.zendesk.com/), can handle customer queries efficiently, freeing up human resources for complex tasks.
3. **Financial Management:** AI can streamline financial processes. [QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/) uses AI to simplify accounting tasks for small businesses.
### Training and Adaptation
Adopting AI requires a learning curve. Businesses should invest in training their employees. Online platforms like [Coursera](https://www.coursera.org/) and [Udemy](https://www.udemy.com/) offer courses on AI and its business applications.
## Overcoming Challenges
### Cost and Complexity
While the initial investment might seem daunting, the long-term benefits often outweigh the costs. Many AI tools offer scalable solutions suitable for small businesses.
### Security and Privacy
With AI handling sensitive data, security becomes paramount. Businesses should ensure they use AI tools that comply with data protection regulations. The [General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)](https://gdpr.eu/) provides a good framework.
## Conclusion
For Main Street businesses, AI is not just a futuristic concept but a present-day tool that can drive efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences. By adopting and adapting to AI, these businesses can stay competitive and relevant in the digital age.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/a-guide-for-main-street-businesses
# Harnessing the Wonders of Automated Intelligence: A Guide for Roaring Twenties Businesses
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2023-11-27
Step into a 1920s Main Street transformed by early visions of AI: Discover how businesses of the past might have embraced futuristic technology, merging traditional charm with imaginative mechanization.
In an era where the rattle of typewriters and the buzz of telegraph lines signify the height of business technology, the concept of "Automated Intelligence" might sound like a fancy tale from a Jules Verne novel. However, this guide aims to demystify Automated Intelligence (AI) and illustrate its potential for businesses in the 1920s. Here, we explore how even the most traditional businesses on Main Street can harness this novel marvel to streamline operations, reduce expenses, and delight their clientele.
## Understanding Automated Intelligence
### What is Automated Intelligence?
Automated Intelligence, in its simplest form, is akin to a mechanical brain. It performs tasks, much like a human clerk would, but with the precision and speed of our finest machinery. This includes the ability to learn from patterns, make decisions, and even interact with customers.
### Why Should Businesses of the 1920s Care?
Imagine a world where your ledger entries are tallied in a blink, or where customer preferences are anticipated without a lengthy conversation. This is the promise of AI, making it not just a luxury but a necessity for forward-thinking businesses.
## How to Embrace and Utilize Automated Intelligence
### Identifying the Appropriate Mechanisms
1. **Customer Ledger Automation:** AI can keep track of customer transactions and preferences, much like an automated ledger.
2. **Automated Correspondence Handling:** Imagine a device that can help draft and send customer correspondences more efficiently, like an advanced typewriter.
3. **Predictive Inventory Control:** AI can predict which goods will be in demand, ensuring your store is never over or under-stocked.
### Integration into Your Business Practices
1. **Enhancing Customer Service:** Automated Intelligence can help manage customer inquiries, freeing up your staff for more complex tasks.
2. **Efficient Bookkeeping:** AI can assist in managing your financial records with unprecedented accuracy.
### Training and Adaptation
While this technology may seem daunting, it's designed to be user-friendly. Think of it as teaching a new employee, albeit one that learns at an astonishing rate.
## Navigating the Challenges
### Investment and Complexity
Although the initial investment might seem substantial, consider it akin to acquiring a state-of-the-art cash register or a top-of-the-line typewriter.
### Security and Confidentiality
With new technology comes new responsibilities. Ensuring that customer information is handled with the utmost care is paramount.
## Conclusion
For the businesses of the 1920s, embracing Automated Intelligence is like opening the door to a new world of efficiency and opportunity. It's an invitation to be at the forefront of a commercial revolution, blending the charm of traditional business with the wonders of modern mechanization.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/harnessing-the-wonders-of-automated-intelligence-a-guide-for-roaring
# Embracing Flexibility and Innovation: The Rise of Headless Ecommerce
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2023-11-09
Explore the dynamic world of headless ecommerce in our comprehensive guide, comparing it with traditional platforms and highlighting its benefits, challenges, and real-world examples from leading brands like Nike and Burberry. Dive into the future of digital commerce today!
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital commerce, businesses are continuously seeking innovative ways to engage customers and streamline operations. One approach gaining significant traction is headless ecommerce, a model that separates the frontend user interface from the backend ecommerce functionality. This article explores the ins and outs of headless ecommerce, contrasting it with traditional platforms, discussing its benefits and potential pitfalls, and highlighting examples of brands successfully implementing this strategy.
## Understanding Headless Ecommerce
Traditionally, ecommerce platforms like [Magento](https://magento.com/), [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/), and [WooCommerce](https://woocommerce.com/) offer a coupled architecture where the frontend (what users see) and the backend (where products, orders, and customer data are managed) are tightly integrated. While this setup is user-friendly and straightforward, it can limit flexibility and customization. Enter headless ecommerce, where the frontend and backend are decoupled, allowing each to operate independently. This separation is facilitated by APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), which let various frontend applications (like websites, mobile apps, or even IoT devices) communicate with the backend ecommerce system.
### The Benefits of Going Headless
#### Enhanced Customization and Flexibility
Headless ecommerce allows brands to tailor the customer experience precisely. By decoupling the frontend and backend, companies can rapidly adapt their UI/UX to meet market demands, experiment with new features, or personalize the shopping experience without overhauling their entire ecommerce system.
#### Omnichannel Consistency
This approach enables seamless integration across various touchpoints — from traditional webstores to mobile apps, social media platforms, and even smart devices — ensuring a consistent and engaging customer experience.
#### Improved Performance
Websites utilizing headless architecture often load faster as they can use modern frontend technologies optimized for speed and efficiency, enhancing the overall user experience and potentially boosting SEO rankings.
#### Easier Integrations
API-driven interactions make it easier to integrate with third-party services, from payment gateways to CRM systems, allowing for a more robust and feature-rich ecommerce ecosystem.
### The Challenges of Headless Ecommerce
However, embracing headless ecommerce isn't without its challenges:
#### Technical Complexity
Implementing a headless architecture requires a higher level of technical expertise, potentially increasing the dependence on skilled developers and raising the cost of maintenance and updates.
#### Initial Investment
Transitioning to a headless setup can be costly and time-consuming, particularly for businesses migrating from a traditional ecommerce platform.
#### Potential Integration Issues
While API integrations offer flexibility, they also bring the risk of potential compatibility issues or challenges in ensuring smooth communication between various services and systems.
### Headless Solutions to Explore
For brands considering a foray into headless ecommerce, several platforms stand out:
- **[Shopify Plus](https://www.shopify.com/plus)**: Known for its ease of use, Shopify Plus offers headless capabilities, allowing brands to use Shopify as the backend while customizing the frontend.
- **[BigCommerce](https://www.bigcommerce.com/)**: BigCommerce provides extensive API support, enabling businesses to create custom frontends while leveraging its robust ecommerce backend.
- **[Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento)](https://magento.com/)**: With strong B2B and B2C capabilities, Adobe Commerce is a powerful choice for businesses seeking a highly customizable headless solution.
- **[Commercetools](https://commercetools.com/)**: This platform is built on a headless architecture, providing a suite of APIs for creating diverse ecommerce experiences.
### Real-World Headless Success Stories
Numerous brands have leveraged headless ecommerce to enhance their online presence:
- **[Burberry](https://www.burberry.com/)**: The luxury fashion brand adopted a headless approach to provide a seamless, customized online shopping experience, integrating their digital presence with in-store customer interactions.
- **[Nike](https://www.nike.com/)**: Nike’s move to a headless setup has enabled them to offer a more personalized and responsive online store, catering to their global customer base with ease.
- **[Target](https://www.target.com/)**: The retail giant uses a headless architecture to power its omnichannel strategy, ensuring consistency across web, mobile, and in-store experiences.
### Conclusion
The decision to adopt a headless ecommerce solution hinges on a brand's specific needs and capabilities. While it offers unparalleled flexibility and the ability to create unique customer experiences, it also demands a higher level of technical expertise and initial investment. As the digital commerce space continues to evolve, headless ecommerce stands as a testament to the industry's ongoing innovation and the pursuit of enhanced customer engagement.
For businesses ready to explore the cutting edge of ecommerce, delving into a headless solution could very well be the key to unlocking new levels of customization, efficiency, and market responsiveness.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/embracing-flexibility-and-innovation-the-rise-of-headless-ecommerce
# The Bootstrapper’s Dilemma: Navigating the Precipice of Product-Market Fit
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2023-11-07
Explore the critical phase before achieving product-market fit in SaaS, the importance of cash conservation, and why choosing a professional software agency can lead to startup success. Essential insights for bootstrappers.
As an aspiring entrepreneur on the brink of launching a SaaS product, you are likely intimately familiar with the exhilaration and trepidation of the pre-product-market fit (PMF) phase. It's a time characterized by promise and peril, where the decisions you make can profoundly impact the trajectory of your venture. In this delicate period, the conservative allocation of cash and strategic partnerships can be your greatest allies.
## The Quest for Product-Market Fit
The term "product-market fit" was coined by [Marc Andreessen](https://a16z.com/author/marc-andreessen/ "Marc Andreessen") and is defined as "being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market." Simple as it sounds, finding PMF is anything but. It’s a moment when your product resonates deeply with a target audience, creating a demand that is organic, sustainable, and scalable.
Yet, before this inflection point, you face a sea of uncertainty. Is the market ready? Does the product truly address a pain point? These questions loom large, and the answers are often veiled until you're in the trenches, gathering feedback and iterating relentlessly.
## The Conservative Cash Approach
In this high-stakes phase, cash is not merely king; it’s your lifeline. Bootstrappers don't have the luxury of burning through capital with the hopes that venture funding will come to the rescue. As highlighted by bootstrapping advocates like Rob Walling, co-founder of MicroConf and author of "Start Small, Stay Small," the benefits of being conservative with cash reserves are numerous.
1. **Longevity:** Limited cash reserves force you to focus on what's essential, extending your runway and giving you more shots at finding PMF.
2. **Discipline:** A conservative budget fosters discipline, pushing you to make smart, lean choices and avoid the frivolity that can come with more abundant resources.
3. **Freedom:** By not being beholden to investors, you maintain control over your company's direction, allowing you to pivot without external pressures.
## Choosing the Right Development Partner
When it's time to turn your vision into a tangible product, the allure of lower costs can make offshore teams or a sweat equity CTO seem appealing. However, during the precarious PMF period, it is crucial to work with a partner that can navigate the nuances of your market and provide high-quality, agile development.
### The Case for a Professional Software Igniter Agency
A professional software igniter agency brings several distinct advantages to the table:
1. **Expertise:** They have the experience to foresee common pitfalls and guide you around them ([Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/04/05/why-hiring-the-right-software-development-team-is-so-crucial/?sh=4e4b41b15d67)).
2. **Speed:** Such agencies can expedite the development process, ensuring that you go to market quickly without sacrificing quality.
3. **Communication:** Being in a similar time zone and cultural context minimizes misunderstandings and streamlines workflows ([Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2020/11/making-remote-work-when-youre-not-all-in-the-same-time-zone)).
### The Risks with Offshore Teams or Sweat Equity Partners
1. **Quality Control:** With offshore teams, time zone differences and language barriers can lead to communication gaps and quality control issues ([MIT Sloan Management Review](https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/getting-offshoring-right/)).
2. **Commitment:** A sweat equity CTO may be invested, but if the product doesn't gain traction quickly, their interest and effort could wane, especially without monetary compensation.
3. **Scalability:** As your product grows, an offshore team might not be able to scale quickly or effectively with your needs, whereas a professional agency can adapt rapidly.
## Product Market Fit is Mission Critical
The journey toward product-market fit is fraught with uncertainty, but with strategic planning and smart partnerships, bootstrappers can navigate this period successfully. By being conservative with cash and choosing a professional software igniter agency over less reliable alternatives, you increase your chances of crossing the PMF chasm.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to building a SaaS product, the principles of fiscal prudence and partnering with experienced developers stand as pillars that can support your journey from uncertainty to success. Embrace the challenge, for the rewards of finding product-market fit as a bootstrapper are not just financial, but profoundly gratifying in the autonomy and impact they allow.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-bootstrappers-dilemma-navigating-the-precipice-of-product-market-fit
# How to build an app with nestjs and hotwire!
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2023-11-02
Are you a Javascript / typescript developer that's been curious about building with Hotwire, Phoenix Liveview, or Laravel Livewire but didn't want to learn an entirely new programming language or framework? I went ahead and set up Hotwire, built by 37 Signals, to work with a Javascript backend powered by Nestjs.
---
TLDR; If you just want to fire up the code and try it out, here's the git repository: https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/nest-hotwire-boilerplate
---
A few years ago, 37 Signals announced Hotwire, a new approach to building web applications without writing front-end JavaScript. Hotwire was developed by the team at 37 Signals while building Hey.com and allows you to have the responsiveness of a single-page app using only back-end code.
I've been intrigued by similar frameworks like Phoenix LiveView and Laravel Livewire, but as a JavaScript developer, I didn't want to have to learn a whole new backend language to try them out. While I had a bunch of Ruby on Rails experience a number of years ago, my knowledge of the framework has grown rusty.
Hotwire is backend agnostic, so I decided to test it out using NestJS, a Node.js framework that has an MVC structure similar to Rails. The idea is I could kick the tires on this new paradigm without my opinion being clouded by my unfamiliarity with a different backend language.
Hotwire is composed of three main libraries:
- Turbo
- Stimulus
- Strada
What I focused on is Turbo for this demo. This is the library that powers the HTML over the wire (H-OT-WIRE) approach to building your application. Stimulus is specifically for manage your client side javascript, and isn't a required part of this. You can use plain Vanilla JS or you can use a different client-side library like Alpine JS as an alternative.
In the demo I go over the three main components of Turbo for web apps:
- Turbo Drive
- Turbo Frames
- Turbo Streams
Let's dive in.
## Turbo Drive
The first part of Hotwire I tried was Turbo Drive. This eliminates full page reloads when navigating between pages. To enable it, I simply added the Hotwire package script from Skypack to the document `` and voila.
```html
...
...
```
With Turbo Drive, clicking between pages fetched the new page in the background and replaced the `` contents instead of fully reloading.
## Turbo Frames
Next, I added Turbo Frames, which are effectively the *components* of your application that can update independently of each other.
For example, I added a `Loading...
Messages
-
{{#each messages}}
- {{message.text}} Edit
{count}
``` --- ### **5. Common Applications** - **Astro:** Ideal for static sites, blogs, documentation websites, and multi-framework projects. - **SvelteKit:** Best suited for single-page applications (SPAs), interactive web apps, and complex front-end projects. --- ### **6. Noteworthy Web Experiences** 1. [**Astro's Official Documentation**](https://docs.astro.build/): An excellent example of a documentation site built with Astro. 2. [**Svelte's Interactive Tutorial**](https://svelte.dev/tutorial): A hands-on introduction to Svelte and SvelteKit, showcasing the framework's capabilities. --- **Conclusion** Both Astro and SvelteKit offer unique advantages, and the right choice depends on your project's requirements. For a blend of multiple frameworks, Astro might be the way to go. If you're looking for a streamlined development experience with built-in features, SvelteKit is a strong contender. Whichever you choose, both frameworks represent the future of efficient, powerful web development. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/a-deep-dive-into-astro-and-sveltekit-which-is-right-for-you # The Marketing Struggles of SaaS Companies: Bridging the Gap with AlwaysOn Website Management By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-10-30 Boost your SaaS marketing with AlwaysOn Website Management. Bridge the resource gap with dedicated developers, analytics experts, and designers. Partner for success!  As the owner of a software development and web marketing agency, I've had the privilege of working alongside numerous SaaS companies. From startups to mature enterprises, one recurring challenge is evident: a resource gap in marketing teams. **Understanding the Challenge** It's a familiar story - a SaaS company's marketing team brimming with ideas, campaigns, and strategies, but lacking the robust support system of developers, analytics experts, website managers, and designers. The pressure is real. They have to consistently generate revenue, educate their audience, maintain an active online presence, and sustain their creativity. Yet, without the necessary resources, these teams often find themselves mired in technical roadblocks, data interpretation challenges, or design constraints, which hampers their productivity and stifles innovation. **Why Does This Resource Gap Exist?** 1. **Budget Constraints**: Hiring a full-time expert for every role is expensive, especially for startups or smaller SaaS companies. 2. **Scalability Concerns**: As companies grow, their needs change, making it challenging to anticipate and fill roles ahead of time. 3. **Rapidly Changing Technology Landscape**: The digital world evolves at a breakneck pace. Keeping up requires constant upskilling, which might not be feasible for every in-house team member. **Enter AlwaysOn Website Management: Your Extended Team** For SaaS companies facing this dilemma, I propose a solution - [AlwaysOn Website Management](https://www.causeofakind.com/always-on "AlwaysOn Website Management"). Think of it as an extension of your marketing team. Here's how we can bridge the resource gap: 1. **Dedicated Developer Resources**: Whether you need a landing page for a new campaign or intricate integration between your website and a third-party platform, our developers have got you covered. 2. **Analytics Experts on Call**: Our data wizards can help decipher user behavior, track conversions, and offer insights to refine your marketing strategies. 3. **Hassle-free Website Management**: With us, you no longer need to worry about uptime, updates, or unexpected glitches. We ensure your online presence is always smooth. 4. **On-demand Designers**: Need a graphic for a blog post? A redesign of a product page? Our creative team is ready to assist. **Why AlwaysOn?** - **Flexibility**: Scale up or down based on your needs without the overheads of hiring or training. - **Expertise**: Our team is continually updated with the latest trends, tools, and technologies. - **Cost-Effective**: Get the benefits of a diverse team without the expenses of full-time salaries, benefits, and training. - **Partnership Approach**: We're not just a service provider. We're your partners in success, aligning with your goals and working towards shared milestones. Navigating the SaaS landscape with limited resources can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. With AlwaysOn Website Management, your marketing team can break free from constraints and truly shine. We're here to support, augment, and accelerate your journey to success. Let's collaborate and make your vision a reality. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-marketing-struggles-of-saas-companies-bridging-the-gap-with-alwayson # Revolutionizing Web Development: Why Subscription Models Are the Future By: Michael Rispoli Published: 2023-10-24 In the world of web design and development, marketing teams are constantly on the lookout for reliable, efficient, and cost-effective solutions. Traditional models such as retainers or time and materials have long been the norm, but there's a new player in town that's garnering attention: the subscription model. Specifically tailored for marketing teams grappling with the challenges of building out ecommerce or informational websites, this model offers a myriad of benefits that are hard to ignore. Let's dive in and explore why a subscription model could be what your team has been searching for.  In the world of web design and development, marketing teams are constantly on the lookout for reliable, efficient, and cost-effective solutions. Traditional models such as retainers or time and materials have long been the norm, but there's a new player in town that's garnering attention: [the subscription model](https://www.causeofakind.com/always-on). Specifically tailored for marketing teams grappling with the challenges of building out ecommerce or informational websites, this model offers a myriad of benefits that are hard to ignore. Let's dive in and explore why a subscription model could be what your team has been searching for. ## 1. Predictable Costs One of the standout advantages of a subscription model is the predictability it brings to your budget. With a fixed monthly fee, your team can wave goodbye to the unpredictability of time and materials billing, and the occasional sticker shock that comes with it. This stability enables better financial planning, ensuring that your web design and development needs are always covered without any nasty surprises. ## 2. Continuous Improvement In the fast-paced digital world, a website can't afford to remain static. The subscription model inherently promotes continuous improvement, as it ensures that your development team is on hand to make ongoing updates, enhancements, and optimizations. This means your site stays current, functional, and competitive, all while your team focuses on core marketing strategies. ## 3. Access to a Dedicated Team Finding a reliable development resource can be a Herculean task for marketing teams. With a subscription model, this concern is mitigated, as you gain access to a dedicated team of professionals who are familiar with your brand, goals, and website. This long-term relationship fosters trust, ensures consistency in work quality, and significantly reduces the learning curve and onboarding time for new projects. ## 4. Scalability Whether your marketing strategies are in a phase of rapid expansion or you're streamlining operations, a subscription model offers the scalability to match your needs. One month you may need more UX design, a WebGL specialist, or someone to help make sense of your analytics. With a subscription model you don't have to hunt down specialists for short term projects. You can easily adjust your team to accommodate changes in workload, ensuring you have the right resources at your disposal, exactly when you need them. ## 5. Proactive Support and Maintenance With a traditional retainer or time and materials model, support and maintenance can sometimes become an afterthought, only addressed when issues arise. Don't get stuck in a reactive state when it comes to maintenance. A subscription model brings proactive support and maintenance as a core component of the service. This means potential issues are addressed before they become critical, ensuring your website's performance is always top-notch. ## 6. Faster Project Turnaround The familiarity and ongoing relationship fostered by a subscription model lead to faster project turnaround times. Your dedicated team understands your brand, your website's architecture, and your goals, allowing them to hit the ground running with each new project or update, saving precious time and resources. ## 7. Enhanced Collaboration Subscription models often incorporate tools and processes that enhance collaboration between your marketing team and the development team. Regular check-ins, progress reports, and collaborative platforms ensure everyone is on the same page, leading to more effective communication and better end results. ## Conclusion In conclusion, the subscription model presents a compelling alternative to traditional retainer or time and materials models, especially for marketing teams navigating the complex terrain of ecommerce and informational website development. With predictable costs, continuous improvement, access to a dedicated team, scalability, proactive support, faster project turnaround, and enhanced collaboration, it's a model that not only addresses the pain points of unreliability and unpredictability but also actively contributes to the success and competitiveness of your online presence. Revolutionize your web design and development approach with a subscription model, and watch your website thrive. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/revolutionizing-web-development-why-subscription-models-are-the-future # AI and Software: The New Frontiers in the Fight Against Climate Change By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-10-20 Explore the transformative role of AI and software in combating climate change. Dive into real-world examples and discover how technology is reshaping our approach to environmental sustainability.  ## **AI and Software: The New Frontiers in the Fight Against Climate Change** The climate crisis is one of the most pressing issues of our time. With sea levels rising, temperatures increasing, and natural disasters becoming more frequent, the need for solutions has never been greater. Enter the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and software – technologies that have the potential to revolutionize our approach to environmental sustainability. ### **How can AI Help in the Fight Against Climate Change?** Artificial Intelligence offers a unique advantage in the realm of climate solutions. It can process vast amounts of data, recognize patterns that might be invisible to the human eye, and make predictions with impressive accuracy. Some key areas where AI is making strides include: 1. **Forecasting & Modeling:** AI can improve the accuracy of [climate models](https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-how-do-climate-models-work), making predictions about future changes more reliable. This aids policymakers in making informed decisions. 2. **Monitoring Deforestation:** Satellite imagery, when processed by AI, can monitor and predict areas at risk of deforestation. Platforms like [Global Forest Watch](https://www.globalforestwatch.org/) utilize such technologies to offer real-time monitoring of forests. 3. **Energy Consumption:** AI can optimize energy use in buildings, transportation, and industries. Google’s DeepMind, for instance, [reduced the energy used for cooling its data centers by 40%](https://deepmind.com/blog/article/deepmind-ai-reduces-google-data-centre-cooling-bill-40) using its AI algorithms. ### **Software's Role in Environmental Sustainability** While AI provides the computational muscle, software serves as the framework where these solutions are implemented. Here are some tangible examples: 1. **Carbon Footprint Tracking:** Apps like [JouleBug](https://www.joulebug.com/) help individuals track and reduce their carbon footprint by promoting sustainable habits. 2. **Supply Chain Optimization:** Companies are increasingly using software to track the carbon footprint of their supply chains. Platforms like [SourceMap](https://www.sourcemap.com/) offer businesses tools to track and reduce emissions throughout their supply chain. 3. **Renewable Energy Integration:** Softwares like [Autogrid](https://www.auto-grid.com/) assist in the seamless integration of renewable energy sources into the grid by predicting energy supply and demand. ### **Real Examples: AI and Software Initiatives Making a Difference** 1. **[Project Drawdown](https://www.drawdown.org/):** A global initiative that leverages research, modeling, and tech solutions, including AI, to address the climate crisis. They've listed a range of solutions, from food to energy, that can collectively help "draw down" atmospheric carbon dioxide. 2. **[SunPower's](https://www.sunpower.com/) AI-backed Solar Solutions:** By using machine learning to forecast weather and optimize energy consumption, SunPower enhances the efficiency of solar panels, making renewable energy more accessible. 3. **[Watson Decision Platform for Agriculture](https://www.ibm.com/products/watson-decision-platform-for-agriculture):** IBM's solution uses AI to integrate weather data, satellite imagery, and IoT to offer farmers insights on water usage, crop health, and more. This helps in sustainable farming practices and reduces resource wastage. ### **The Road Ahead** With AI and software playing a pivotal role, there's hope for a sustainable future. However, while technology offers promising solutions, collaboration is key. Governments, businesses, and individuals must work together, leveraging these tools for the greater good. Moreover, ethics should guide the development and deployment of AI. We must ensure that while harnessing the power of AI for the environment, we don't inadvertently create new problems, like job displacements or increased e-waste. Lastly, individuals can play their part. By supporting eco-friendly businesses, using sustainability apps, and staying informed about the latest in tech and sustainability, we can collectively make a difference. ### **Conclusion** The fight against climate change is multifaceted, and while the challenges are immense, the solutions are many. With the advent of AI and software geared towards environmental sustainability, we have more tools in our arsenal than ever before. These technologies, combined with a collaborative global approach, can pave the way for a brighter, greener future. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/ai-and-software-the-new-frontiers-in-the-fight-against-climate-change # Fundraising for a Pre-Revenue, Post-User Adoption SaaS Platform By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-10-20 Explore strategies for SaaS startups in the unique position of being pre-revenue but post-user adoption. Dive into crafting narratives, showcasing metrics, and diversifying fundraising avenues to attract early-stage investments.  Raising funds is one of the most challenging tasks for bootstrapping founders, especially in the SaaS (Software as a Service) industry. This task becomes even more daunting when you're post-user adoption but still pre-revenue. However, with a clear strategy and knowledge about what investors are looking for, fundraising can be a more navigable journey. ### **Understanding the Unique Position of Pre-Revenue, Post-User Adoption** Being post-user adoption implies that your SaaS platform has a validated idea, and users are adopting your software solution. This stage is critical as it proves that there's a demand for your product. On the flip side, being pre-revenue means you're yet to monetize this demand. The challenge here is convincing investors that the user adoption will translate to substantial revenue in the near future. *Key Takeaway:* Use your user adoption metrics as a strength when pitching. Demonstrating consistent growth in user base can be a compelling selling point. [Why Traction is Important for Startup Fundraising](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alejandrocremades/2019/02/27/why-traction-is-important-for-startup-fundraising/?sh=5bcef8e33bf6) provides a deeper insight into this perspective. ### **1. Craft a Compelling Narrative** Your story matters. Narrate your journey, why you built the platform, and the problem it's solving. Additionally, outline your vision and plans for the future. This narrative can be a significant differentiator, especially if there are other similar platforms in the market. [The Power of Storytelling in Pitching](https://www.inc.com/peter-cohan/why-startup-storytelling-is-key-to-pitching.html) underscores the importance of a well-crafted narrative. ### **2. Showcase Your Roadmap** Investors will want to know what you'll do with their money. Prepare a detailed roadmap. Highlight key milestones, such as hiring specific talent, enhancements in the software, marketing campaigns, and founder salary sustenance. Be transparent about the expected ROI at each milestone. But remember, it's vital to keep your roadmap realistic. Over-promising and under-delivering can lead to strained investor relationships as highlighted by [Why Startups Fail: A Postmortem Analysis](https://www.cbinsights.com/research/startup-failure-post-mortem/). ### **3. Highlight Traction and Metrics** Post-user adoption means you have traction. Present clear metrics, such as Monthly Active Users (MAU), Churn Rate, and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). Strong metrics serve as evidence that, once monetized, your platform has a high potential for return on investment. For a better understanding, you can refer to [Startup Metrics: Which Ones Matter Most to Investors?](https://firstround.com/review/Startup-Metrics-Which-Ones-Matter-Most-to-Investors/). ### **4. Consider Different Fundraising Avenues** There are multiple avenues for fundraising: - **Angel Investors:** They are often more willing to invest in early-stage startups. Platforms like [AngelList](https://angel.co/) can be a good starting point. - **Venture Capitalists (VCs):** While VCs typically prefer startups with a proven revenue model, they might be interested if you have impressive growth metrics and a clear monetization strategy. - **Crowdfunding:** Platforms like [Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/) and [Indiegogo](https://www.indiegogo.com/) allow you to present your idea to the public. This can also serve as a validation tool. - **Grants and Competitions:** Look out for startup competitions and grants. They can provide both funding and visibility. *Key Takeaway:* Diversify your fundraising approach. Don't rely on a single source. To delve deeper into this, explore [How to Diversify Your Fundraising Strategy](https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-to-diversify-your-fundraising-strategy). ### **5. Network Relentlessly** Networking is crucial. Attend industry conferences, webinars, and workshops. Join relevant online communities and forums. [The Power of Networking in the Startup World](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/305650) highlights the significance of building relationships with potential investors and other entrepreneurs. They can provide invaluable advice, introductions, and sometimes, even funding. ### **6. Perfect Your Pitch** Your pitch can make or break the deal. Keep it concise, clear, and compelling. Practice with mentors, peers, and anyone willing to listen. For refining your pitch to perfection, [Perfecting Your Pitch: Tips from Top Investors](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/309107) offers valuable insights. ### **7. Be Prepared for Rejection** Fundraising is challenging. You'll likely hear more "no's" than "yes's". Each rejection is an opportunity to refine your approach and understand potential weaknesses in your proposition. Stay persistent and keep iterating. [Rejection in Startup Fundraising: How to Cope and Succeed](https://techcrunch.com/2019/06/29/startup-fundraising-is-the-most-tangible-gender-gap-how-can-we-overcome-it/) can offer guidance on navigating rejections. ### **Conclusion** Raising funds for a pre-revenue, post-user adoption SaaS platform requires a strategic approach. By showcasing traction, crafting a compelling narrative, and leveraging multiple fundraising avenues, bootstrapping founders can navigate the complex landscape of early-stage investment. Remember, persistence and adaptability are your allies in this journey. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/fundraising-for-a-pre-revenue-post-user-adoption-saas-platform # Unlocking New Frontiers: Why SaaS Companies Should Migrate from Drag-and-Drop to a Headless CMS By: Michael Rispoli Published: 2023-10-20 In the dynamic arena of SaaS marketing, staying ahead is not just about capturing attention but sustaining engagement. As the digital terrain shifts beneath our feet, there's an emerging need for systems that offer more than just visual appeal — they must be robust, adaptable, and ever-evolving. Enter the transformative world of headless CMS. If you've been anchored to drag-and-drop platforms like Webflow, this article dives into why platforms like Contentful or Sanity might be the wind beneath your SaaS company's wings.  In today's fast-paced digital world, the landscape of web design and content management is continuously evolving. For SaaS software companies, keeping up with the competition often requires more than just an attractive UI; it's about delivering optimized and personalized experiences to users. One such evolution that has become increasingly popular is the shift from traditional drag-and-drop editors like [Webflow](https://webflow.com/), [Framer](https://www.framer.com/), or [Squarespace](https://squarespace.com/)--to headless Content Management Systems (CMS) such as [Contentful](https://contentful.com/) or [Sanity](https://sanity.io/). If you're the head of marketing for a SaaS company, here's why this transition might just be the game-changer you've been waiting for. ### **1. Scalability and Performance: Prepared for Explosive Growth** As a SaaS software company, one anticipates rapid growth, a surge in users, and expansion to new territories. Drag-and-drop solutions, while easy to start with, can sometimes struggle with large-scale operations. Whilst tools like Webflow offered you initial speed to launching a great looking first site, but this is also a generalist's tool. At some point, you're introducing more specialists to you team. You have UX designers that want to push the limits and developers want to use the tools that allow them to deliver them with pixel perfect precision. Your content editors also want to use the editing tools they love and deliver them without worrying about design or messing with other elements on the page. These specialists have pointy tools they want to use, so let's allow them to do so and produce their best work. Headless CMS platforms like Contentful or Sanity offer a decoupled architecture. This means the content backend (where you manage your content) and the frontend (what users see) operate independently. Every player on the team can use the pointy tools their used to for design, authoring code, and producing content. With this separation, companies can scale their operations without compromising on performance. ### **2. Omnichannel Distribution: Beyond the Web** In an era where consumers interact with brands across various touchpoints — from mobile apps, IoT devices, to VR and AR platforms — being web-centric is limiting. Traditional CMS platforms, due to their tight coupling of content and presentation, can inhibit distribution across multiple channels. A headless CMS, with its content-first approach, ensures that your content is ready to be pushed to any platform, be it a mobile application, email newsletter, SMS messaging, a digital kiosk, or even a smartwatch app. This ensures that your SaaS product reaches your audience wherever they are. ### **3. Seamless Integrations: Playing Well with Others** Modern SaaS companies rely on an ecosystem of tools and platforms. Whether it's CRM tools, marketing automation software, or analytics dashboards, integration is key. With drag-and-drop editors, you might find limitations in how well they integrate with your evolving tech stack. They often have one-click integrations for popular vendors but limited or no options at all for a custom integration. On the contrary, platforms like Contentful or Sanity are built API-first. This makes it easier to integrate with other tools via their API's, enhancing your marketing team's capability to deliver targeted and efficient campaigns. ### **4. Improved Developer Experience: Happy Coders, Better Results** While drag-and-drop editors offer ease-of-use for non-tech-savvy individuals, they sometimes restrict developers with their predefined templates and structures. In contrast, a headless CMS provides developers with the freedom to design the frontend using their preferred technology stack. This not only accelerates development cycles but ensures that you're not limited by the platform's design constraints. They can also deliver on your UX team's specs as they are conceived. ### **5. Future-Proofing: Stay Ahead of the Curve** The digital world is always in flux. Today's innovative tech might be obsolete tomorrow. By opting for a headless CMS, you're ensuring that whatever new technology or platform emerges, your content can be seamlessly adapted without a complete overhaul of your website or application. We can now achieve complete re-designs without having to also do total content migrations. Anyone who's had to do this on a traditional open source platform like Wordpress or Drupal knows this can be painful. Doing this with a drag-and-drop editor or CMS can be downright grueling. If you plan to do regular re-designs every 2 or 3 or 4 years, you can save yourself some major headaches by keeping your content and CMS separate from your frontend code. ### **Conclusion: Time to Make the Switch** Embracing a headless CMS isn't merely a technological decision; it's a strategic one. By migrating from a drag-and-drop solution like Webflow to a platform like Contentful or Sanity, SaaS companies can ensure that they are equipped to meet the demands of today's digital consumers and are prepared for future innovations. For heads of marketing, the appeal is clear: a more flexible, scalable, and forward-looking approach to content management. It's time to break the mold and lead the SaaS industry into a new era of web content delivery. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/unlocking-new-frontiers-why-saas-companies-should-migrate-from-drag-and-drop # Adopting Artificial Intelligence for Interior Designers, Builders, and Architects By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-10-19 Explore the transformative impact of AI on architecture and interior design. Dive into practical insights and actionable tips for professionals to seamlessly integrate AI tools into their design practices, driving innovation and efficiency.  Image generated with [DALL-E](https://openai.com/dall-e-3 "DALL-E") (Prompt:A coastal-inspired residence with a wooden exterior, wrap-around porches, and ocean views.) In today's digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) is not just a buzzword—it's a revolutionary force reshaping sectors from healthcare to finance. But one might wonder, how does AI fit into the worlds of architecture, interior design, and urban planning? As it turns out, quite snugly. In this blog post, we'll delve into how AI is changing the landscape of design and provide actionable advice for professionals looking to harness its power. ### The Age of Intelligent Interior Design The age-old practice of crafting spaces is undergoing a transformative phase. Traditional tools are being complemented—sometimes even replaced—by AI algorithms that offer new perspectives and capabilities. Here's how: 1. **Personalized Recommendations**: Ever imagined a tool that learns your client's taste through their social media or past choices? AI now offers design suggestions tailored to individual preferences, bridging the gap between personal touch and technological efficiency. - *Practical Tip*: Explore platforms like [Planner 5D](https://planner5d.com), which leverage AI for home design. Such tools can give a starting point, saving hours of brainstorming. 2. **Meticulous Simulations**: Gone are the days when physical models were the only way to test a design's feasibility. AI-backed tools, like [Autodesk's Project Refinery](https://www.autodesk.com/research/publications/project-refinery), can simulate structural outcomes, offering an efficient and eco-friendly alternative. - *Practical Tip*: Invest time in mastering these AI-driven simulation tools. They can not only save costs but also reduce project timelines. 3. **Green by Design**: With rising global concerns over climate change, creating energy-efficient buildings is a necessity. AI can analyze and optimize a building's energy consumption pattern, marrying design with sustainability. - *Practical Tip*: Engage with platforms that highlight energy consumption patterns. The insights can offer a unique selling proposition to eco-conscious clients. ### Actionable Steps for Professionals For professionals navigating this new territory, here are steps to seamlessly incorporate AI into their practices: 1. **Educate Yourself**: Before diving in, get acquainted with AI's potential and limitations. Websites like [ArchDaily](https://www.archdaily.com/) frequently discuss the latest in AI and architecture. 2. **Start Small**: You don't need to overhaul your entire process. Begin by integrating AI tools into a single phase of your project, perhaps the initial conceptualization or the final compliance checks using tools like [UpCodes](https://up.codes/). 3. **Collaborate**: AI is a tool, not a replacement. Use it to enhance collaboration. For instance, platforms like [IrisVR](https://www.irisvr.com) allow virtual reality architectural visualization, letting clients "walk" through designs and offer feedback. 4. **Stay Updated**: The AI landscape is ever-evolving. Set aside time monthly or quarterly to explore new tools or upgrades to existing platforms you use. 5. **Consider Ethics and Privacy**: With great power comes great responsibility. Ensure any AI tool you employ respects user data and privacy. Transparency with clients about how their data is used is key. 6. **Attend Workshops and Webinars**: Many AI tool providers offer training sessions. Engage actively in these to harness the tool's full potential. ## Architects at the Forefront of AI Integration Architects have always been visionaries, blending art with science to shape the built environment. As AI weaves its way into multiple industries, architects are uniquely positioned to harness its potential. AI can assist in early design stages, enabling rapid prototyping and visualization. Tools like [Autodesk's Generative Design](https://www.autodesk.com/solutions/generative-design) allow architects to input design goals alongside parameters like materials, costs, and spatial requirements, with the AI proposing optimal design solutions. Additionally, AI-driven platforms can assist in understanding site-specific environmental and socio-cultural factors, ensuring designs that are both innovative and contextually relevant. As AI tools continue to evolve, architects can utilize platforms like [IrisVR](https://www.irisvr.com) for immersive VR presentations or [UpCodes](https://up.codes/) for real-time code compliance checks. Embracing AI doesn't mean sidelining human creativity; rather, it's about augmenting human capabilities, streamlining repetitive tasks, and allowing architects to focus on what they do best: envisioning spaces that inspire and endure.  Image generated with DALL-E ( Prompt: A Mediterranean-inspired kitchen with olive green cabinets, terrazzo countertops, and French doors leading to an outdoor patio.) ## How AI Empowers Builders, Developers, and General Contractors Builders, developers, and general contractors stand to gain considerably from the integration of AI into their workflows. Here are some ways AI can benefit these professionals: 1. **Efficiency and Productivity Improvements**: AI can automate routine and repetitive tasks. For instance, in project management, AI can help in scheduling, predicting project delays, or optimizing resource allocation, ensuring tasks are carried out seamlessly. 2. **Cost Predictions and Overrun Detection**: By analyzing past projects and current market conditions, AI can provide accurate cost predictions. It can also alert contractors about potential cost overruns or areas where expenses are likely to escalate. 3. **Safety Enhancements**: AI-driven systems can monitor construction sites in real-time using cameras and sensors, identifying safety violations or potential hazards. This can drastically reduce onsite accidents. 4. **Predictive Maintenance**: AI algorithms, when paired with IoT sensors, can predict when equipment is likely to fail or need maintenance, reducing downtime and ensuring that machinery is always in optimal working condition. 5. **Supply Chain and Inventory Management**: AI can forecast material needs, optimize inventory levels, and even track the delivery and usage of materials, reducing wastage and ensuring timely availability. 6. **Enhanced Decision-making**: Through data analytics, AI provides insights derived from vast amounts of data, aiding builders and developers in making informed decisions about everything from design choices to market launches. 7. **Quality Control**: Advanced image recognition can be used to compare the work done on the construction site with architectural plans and blueprints, ensuring that the quality of the work meets the desired standards. 8. **Land Assessment and Project Viability**: Before a project begins, AI can assist developers in assessing the viability of land plots for construction. By analyzing environmental data, market trends, and other variables, AI can predict the potential success and profitability of a project. 9. **Improved Customer Engagement**: AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants can engage customers, answering queries about projects, providing updates, and even assisting in post-sale issues, offering a better customer experience. 10. **Simulation and Testing**: Before actual construction begins, AI can run simulations based on the structural designs to anticipate potential problems, helping in refining designs and ensuring structural integrity. 11. **Environmental and Sustainability Analysis**: AI can help in analyzing the environmental impact of a project, offering solutions to reduce carbon footprints, improve energy efficiency, and ensure sustainable construction practices. For builders, developers, and general contractors, the key to harnessing the potential of AI lies in identifying specific challenges and then adopting tailored AI solutions. As AI continues to evolve, it's crucial to stay informed about the latest technologies and be open to adapting new methodologies, ensuring enhanced efficiency, profitability, and sustainability in construction and development projects. ### The Future is Now The marriage of AI and design is in its honeymoon phase, with boundless possibilities on the horizon. As a design professional, embracing AI can elevate your practice, offering innovative solutions while streamlining processes. Remember, in the words of the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, "We are here to create a life of beauty, but simplicity." With AI, we're just finding newer, more efficient ways to do so. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/adopting-artificial-intelligence-for-interior-designers-builders-and-architects # Revolutionize Your Startup Journey with Cause of a Kind's Agile Accelerator Program By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-10-17 Discover a game-changing approach to launching your startup in just 12 weeks or less. Explore our customizable, agile Startup Accelerator program at Cause of a Kind, designed to fit your unique needs for speed and spend.  The Startup Accelerator program at Cause of a Kind stands out in the crowded landscape of startup accelerators and incubators for its unique and highly flexible approach to bringing innovative ideas to market rapidly. Our core offerings, DISCODAY, DISCOWEEK, WEEK2WEEK, MONTH2MONTH, and DEVSHARE, provide a wide range of engagement options tailored to the specific needs of founders. We understand that not all startups follow the same trajectory, and that's why our program can be customized to accommodate both speed and spend. What truly sets us apart is our commitment to speed. We take pride in our ability to transform ideas into market-ready products or solutions in just 12 weeks or less. Whether you need a quick burst of innovation and development with DISCODAY or a more extended engagement with MONTH2MONTH, we've got you covered. Our agile methodology ensures that every step of the process is efficient and focused on delivering tangible results. Unlike traditional startup accelerators or incubators that often have rigid programs and fixed timelines, our approach is adaptable. We recognize that innovation doesn't always fit neatly into a predefined structure, and we're here to support founders in their unique journey. Plus, our DEVSHARE option ensures that ongoing development, design, and research can continue at cost-effective rates, providing sustainable support beyond the initial acceleration phase. In summary, Cause of a Kind's Startup Accelerator program is designed for founders who value flexibility, speed, and tailored support. We offer a diverse set of engagement options to meet your specific needs, all while ensuring that your idea goes from 0-to-market in record time. We're not just an accelerator; we're a partner dedicated to helping you succeed in the fast-paced world of startups. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/startup-accelerator # Pre-Money Valuation vs. Post-Money Valuation: What's the Difference? By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-10-12 When navigating the world of startup finance and investment, two crucial terms are frequently thrown around: **pre-money valuation** and **post-money valuation**. These concepts are fundamental for founders, investors, and anyone involved in the startup ecosystem. Let's delve deep into what they mean, their significance, and how they impact startups and investments.  When navigating the world of startup finance and investment, two crucial terms are frequently thrown around: **pre-money valuation** and **post-money valuation**. These concepts are fundamental for founders, investors, and anyone involved in the startup ecosystem. Let's delve deep into what they mean, their significance, and how they impact startups and investments. ### What is Pre-Money Valuation? **Pre-money valuation** refers to the valuation of a company immediately before it receives external funding or a new investment. In simpler words, it's how much the startup is worth before getting any new money. For instance, if a startup is said to have a pre-money valuation of $5 million and an investor is ready to inject $1 million, that does not mean the startup was worth $4 million before the investor came along. It means the startup was worth $5 million. *Reference: [Investopedia: Pre-Money Valuation](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/premoneyvaluation.asp)* ### What is Post-Money Valuation? **Post-money valuation** is a company's estimated value after outside financing and/or capital injections are added to its balance sheet. Continuing with the previous example, if a startup has a pre-money valuation of $5 million and receives an investment of $1 million, its post-money valuation becomes $6 million ($5 million + $1 million). *Reference: [Investopedia: Post-Money Valuation](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/postmoneyvaluation.asp)* ### Why are these Valuations Important? 1. **Equity Stake Determination**: The distinction between pre-money and post-money valuations helps determine the equity stake an investor will receive in exchange for their investment. Using the above example, if an investor puts in $1 million at a pre-money valuation of $5 million, they get 1/6 (or roughly 16.67%) of the company's equity, based on the post-money valuation. 2. **Negotiation and Discussions**: For entrepreneurs, a higher pre-money valuation means they give away less equity for the same amount of investment. For investors, they'll own a larger portion of the company for their investment if the pre-money valuation is lower. As such, these valuations are crucial negotiation points in investment discussions. 3. **Startup's Growth Trajectory**: A rising pre-money valuation over successive funding rounds can indicate that a startup is growing and achieving its milestones. Conversely, a declining valuation may be a warning sign. 4. **Exit Strategy and Future Funding**: A company's valuation helps set expectations for future funding rounds and exit strategies, including acquisitions or Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). ### Key Considerations: - **Market Dynamics**: Just like any other valuation, pre and post-money valuations aren't just based on current earnings or assets. They consider growth prospects, the competitive landscape, and overall market conditions. A startup in a fast-growing market might command a higher valuation than one in a stagnant or declining market. - **Dilution**: Founders should be aware that as they raise more capital, their ownership percentage in the company decreases unless they have provisions to prevent such dilution. - **Due Diligence**: Investors typically conduct thorough due diligence before arriving at a pre-money valuation. This process can include scrutinizing the company's financials, business model, management team, and more. ### Conclusion: Pre-money and post-money valuations are integral in the world of startups and venture capital. They help set the stage for negotiations, determine equity stakes, and provide insights into a company's growth and health. As with any valuation, it's essential to approach these figures with a comprehensive understanding and critical thinking, considering both the opportunities and risks involved. *For more on startup valuations and finance, consider reading articles from [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/), [Crunchbase News](https://news.crunchbase.com/), and [CB Insights](https://www.cbinsights.com/).* Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/pre-money-valuation-vs-post-money-valuation-whats-the-difference # Heroku vs. Vercel: A Deep Dive into Deployment Platforms By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-10-12 Explore a comprehensive comparison of Heroku vs. Vercel for deployment needs. Dive into their features, pros and cons, and real-world use cases. Find out which platform aligns best with your project requirements.  When it comes to choosing a platform for deploying, running, and managing applications, the tech landscape offers a plethora of choices. Two of the most prominent players in the field are[ **Heroku** and **Vercel**](https://www.causeofakind.com/the-salon/heroku-vs-vercel " **Heroku** and **Vercel**"). Both are popular for different reasons, catering to varying use cases. In this article, we'll delve into each platform, comparing their features, and showcasing example use cases. Let's get started! ## Defining the Players ### 1. Heroku **[Heroku](https://www.heroku.com/)** is a cloud platform that offers a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) environment. It abstracts away infrastructure management and allows developers to simply deploy code, which Heroku then runs in the cloud. Key features of Heroku: - **Dyno System**: Heroku uses containers called dynos to run applications. - **Add-ons**: Offers a marketplace with numerous plugins and integrations. - **Language Agnostic**: Supports multiple programming languages including Python, Ruby, Java, and Node.js. ### 2. Vercel **[Vercel](https://vercel.com/)**, formerly known as Zeit, primarily focuses on the deployment of frontend projects. It's tailored to suit the needs of modern frontend frameworks like Next.js, React, and Angular. Key attributes of Vercel: - **Serverless Functions**: Facilitates easy backend logic alongside frontend deployment. - **Real-time Feedback**: Provides instant feedback and live URLs for every commit. - **Optimized for Performance**: Automatic optimizations for frontend projects. ## Comparing Heroku and Vercel ### Use Cases **1. Backend API Deployment**: - **Heroku**: Ideal for deploying backend applications. For instance, deploying a Flask API is as simple as: ```python from flask import Flask app = Flask(__name__) @app.route('/') def hello(): return "Hello World!" ``` Combined with a `Procfile`: ```text web: gunicorn app:app ``` Deployment is just a push away with the Heroku CLI. - **Vercel**: While Vercel can handle serverless functions, it's not the best fit for a traditional backend API. **2. Frontend Project Deployment**: - **Heroku**: Can serve frontend applications, but it's often overkill for static sites. - **Vercel**: Tailored for this purpose. Deploying a React app, for example: ```jsx function App() { returnHello from Vercel!
; } export default App; ``` With Vercel's CLI, the deployment process is incredibly smooth. ### Pros and Cons - **Heroku** - *Pros*: 1. Quick setup and deployment. 2. Vast array of add-ons and integrations. 3. Good for both frontend and backend apps. - *Cons*: 1. Free tier apps sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity. 2. Can become expensive at scale. 3. Limited to the provided infrastructure. - **Vercel** - *Pros*: 1. Perfect for modern frontend projects. 2. Built-in CDN for blazing-fast site performance. 3. Intuitive serverless functions. - *Cons*: 1. Less suited for traditional backend apps. 2. Some limitations on the free tier, like bandwidth. 3. Serverless architecture may not suit all projects. ## Common Applications - **Heroku**: - Web applications (both frontend and backend). - RESTful APIs. - Small to medium-sized databases using Heroku Postgres. - **Vercel**: - SPA (Single Page Applications) and static sites. - Jamstack applications. - Frontend projects with light backend needs using serverless functions. ## Valuable Web Experiences - **Heroku**: Websites like [Sentry](https://sentry.io/welcome/) and [Bitly](https://bitly.com/) started on or have leveraged Heroku in their tech stacks. - **Vercel**: Websites built with [Next.js](https://nextjs.org/) or frontend frameworks like React and Angular have harnessed the power of Vercel for optimal performance. ## Conclusion While both Heroku and Vercel offer robust solutions for deploying applications, your specific project needs dictate the best fit. If you're focusing on a backend project or full-fledged web application, Heroku might be your go-to. On the other hand, if you're developing a frontend project, especially with modern frameworks, Vercel could be the perfect fit. Whatever your choice, remember that both platforms have stood the test of time, proving their worth in the developer ecosystem. Happy coding! Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/heroku-vs-vercel-a-deep-dive-into-deployment-platforms # Sigh. Another Pitch Deck Blunder? Top Mistakes SaaS Newbies Make! By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-10-10 Dive into common pitch deck mistakes SaaS startups make and how to avoid them. Ensure your pitch stands out—for all the right reasons. Read on!  Well, hello there, brave SaaS entrepreneur! Ready to charm those investors with your pitch deck? Or, are you secretly setting a trap to watch them cringe? We're hoping it's the former, but just in case, we've prepared a list of top pitch deck mistakes we often see from pre-seed, bootstrapped tech SaaS ventures. Let's make sure you're not on this "Oops, I did it again!" list. **1. The War & Peace Novel Approach:** Listen, Tolstoy. Your pitch deck isn’t the place for an epic novel. Investors are busy people. They probably wouldn't even read War & Peace in its entirety. So, why should they spend an eternity on your deck? Keep it concise and punchy. **2. Skipping the Problem Statement:** So you've developed a revolutionary, never-seen-before tool that...does what exactly? Your audience needs to know what problem you're solving. Make it obvious and relatable. **3. Assuming Everyone Speaks "Tech-ese":** Your ultra-sophisticated, jargon-laden pitch might impress a room full of developers, but remember – not every investor is tech-savvy. Break down your business model and tech aspects into plain English. **4. Over-Promising and Under-Delivering:** “By 2024, we aim to be the next unicorn with a trillion users!" Cute. But let's get real. Base your projections on real data and research, not the coffee you spilled on a napkin that kind of looked like a growth curve. **5. The 'Feature Fest':** Sure, your SaaS platform has 101 features. But do investors care about each and every one of them? Focus on the primary features that highlight your USP. Leave the extras for a demo. **6. Forgetting the C-Word:** No, not that! We're talking about "Competition". Pretending like you're the only player in the field doesn't make you look confident. It makes you look naive. **7. The Cringeworthy Design:** Clip-art graphics? Rainbow gradients? Comic Sans? Unless you're pitching a time machine that goes back to the 90s, let's make sure your design is modern and sleek. **8. Neglecting the Money Talk:** Remember, investors are not just there for your charming personality. They want to know about the financials. Burn rate, revenue model, projections – serve them the meaty details. **9. Missing the "Why You?":** Out of all the brilliant minds in the world, why should they bet on you? Highlight your team's expertise, experience, and unique qualities that make you the perfect squad to execute this vision. **10. Not Seeking Feedback First:** Before you present to the big sharks, get feedback. Maybe from a friendly dolphin or a kind sea turtle? Their insights might save you from making a whale of a mistake in front of potential investors. **In Conclusion:** Crafting a pitch deck for your pre-seed, bootstrapped SaaS business is an art and a science. Keep it simple, relatable, and authentic. And remember – it's not just about what you say, but how you say it. Avoid these mistakes, throw in a dash of charm, and who knows, you might just be the next SaaS sensation. Break a leg! (Not literally, though. Health insurance is expensive.) 😉🚀 Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/sigh-another-pitch-deck-blunder-top-mistakes-saas-newbies-make # Achieving Peak Performance, ADA, and Core Web Vitals Compliance in Webflow By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-10-07 Unlock peak performance for your Webflow site with this comprehensive guide on optimization, ADA compliance, and Core Web Vitals. Boost user experience and SEO rankings today!  With the growing emphasis on user experience, accessibility, and SEO rankings, it's crucial for Webflow developers to ensure their websites are optimized for performance, ADA compliance, and Core Web Vitals. Let's dive deep into actionable steps you can take to achieve this trifecta for your Webflow sites. ## **Maximizing Performance in Webflow** Web performance is vital for user experience and SEO. A faster site can lead to better user engagement, higher conversion rates, and improved SEO rankings. ### **1. Image Optimization** High-resolution images are often the biggest culprits of slow website load times. - **Compress Images**: Before uploading, ensure you're compressing images. Tools like [TinyJPG](https://www.tinyjpg.com/) can be beneficial. - **Responsive Images**: Utilize Webflow's built-in responsive image settings. - **SVGs**: Use SVGs instead of raster graphics for icons and logos, as they offer high resolution at a fraction of the file size. ### **2. Web Fonts** Excessive web fonts can considerably slow down your page load times. - **Limit Fonts**: Stick to a minimalistic approach. One or two fonts for your entire site can maintain aesthetics while improving performance. - **Font Subsetting**: Webflow allows you to select only specific font styles and weights. Only use what's absolutely necessary. ### **3. Minimize Animations** While animations can add flair to your site, they can also hamper performance. - **Opt for Necessity**: Animate only when it adds value to user interaction. - **Webflow Interactions**: Use Webflow's interaction tools efficiently. ### **4. Lazy Load Assets** Lazy loading ensures that assets like images and videos only load when they come into a viewport. - **Images and Videos**: Enable lazy loading in Webflow for all media assets that are not immediately visible. ### **5. Clean Code** Extraneous code can slow down your site and lead to potential bugs. - **Remove Unused Elements**: Regularly audit your site for unused classes and get rid of them. Tools like [Webflow Cleaner](https://www.minifycleaner.com/) can be of great assistance. ## **Ensuring ADA Compliance** Ensuring your website is ADA compliant not only avoids potential legal complications but also ensures that your content is accessible to all users. ### **1. Semantic HTML** Webflow provides a semantic structure out of the box, but it's crucial to ensure it's used properly. - **Proper Element Use**: Utilize headings, lists, links, and other elements correctly to ensure proper content structure. ### **2. Alt Text for Images** Every image on your site should have a descriptive alt text, aiding visually impaired users in understanding the content. ### **3. Keyboard Accessibility** Make sure every interactive element on your site can be accessed and used with a keyboard. ### **4. Accessible Forms** All input fields should have labels, and feedback should be provided for both successful form submissions and errors. ### **5. Contrast Ratios** Text should be easily readable against its background. The [WebAIM Contrast Checker](https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/) is a great resource. ## **Meeting Core Web Vitals Standards** Introduced by Google, Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics related to speed, responsiveness, and visual stability. ### **1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)** This metric deals with loading performance. - **Server Performance**: Optimize your backend processes. - **Render Key Content First**: Prioritize the main content of your page. ### **2. First Input Delay (FID)** This measures the interactivity and responsiveness of your site. - **JavaScript Optimization**: Refrain from running large JavaScript tasks that can block the main thread. ### **3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)** This metric evaluates the visual stability of your site. - **Stable Layouts**: Ensure elements don’t shift unexpectedly as your page loads. Tools like the [CLS Debugger](https://defaced.dev/tools/layout-shift-gif-generator/) can help. ## **Final Thoughts** The web is ever-evolving. By following this checklist and regularly monitoring your website using tools like [Google's Lighthouse](https://developers.google.com/web/tools/lighthouse), you can stay ahead of the curve. Keep learning, keep iterating, and keep optimizing for the best user experience on your Webflow site! Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/achieving-peak-performance-ada-and-core-web-vitals-compliance-in-webflow # How to Price a Project By: Michael Rispoli Published: 2023-09-29 Pricing out a software project is the great boogeyman of the industry. On the one hand you have the clients or stakeholders, who are largely non-technical, that are trying to get something built and budget for it. At the other end, you have the developers and the agile gurus shouting that estimates are trash and we can never know how long something will take. So then how the heck does anything actually get done?  Pricing out a software project is the great boogeyman of the industry. On the one hand you have the clients or stakeholders, who are largely non-technical, that are trying to get something built and budget for it. At the other end, you have the developers and the agile gurus shouting that estimates are trash and we can never know how long something will take. So then how the heck does anything actually get done? Businesses need to have some expectations in order to plan for their software needs. Developers need to have some idea of time and complexity, as well as how to handle the inevitable unknown unknowns, or they'll run at a problem forever. Is there actually a way to reconcile these two camps? At a software agency, reliable delivery of software on time and on budget is at the core of the business. But for many, figuring out how to handle pricing and scoping of projects has been harder than the act of learning to program itself. However, after many years of doing this I have a relatively simple framework that works depending upon what's important to the stakeholder. ## Cost, Time, Scope -- Pick One All software estimates come down to three elements: 1. Cost - how much money you have to build? 2. Time - how much time you have to do it? 3. Scope - how many features you need to build? I've found problems arise when you try to fix or lock-down more than one of these elements. Let's take a look at how it typically works when you try to fix two of these components. ### Fixed Scope and Cost Fixed scope and fixed cost is a recipe for an agency going upside down on nearly every project. Most agencies run on margins that are too tight to make this workable. The agreements look something like, we will build *large list of features* and the price is *X*. If you are a buyer and have an agreement like this with your agency, you'll be in relationship counseling with them before the end of the year. There is of course a honeymoon phase where the agency is amicable about building all of the features, no matter the timeline, up until the margin vanishes and the project turns into charity. The reality is time and cost have some relationship to one another as most employees are paid based upon time. Some agencies pull this off by virtue of dirt-cheap labor, but I've found that just prolongs the inevitable. Signs that your agency's margins are vanishing are: - Communications slow down or become irregular. - Releases become less frequent. - Development feels slow. - Discussions of *phase two* are initiated. - More bugs seem to be introduced with feature releases. If you are in this situation it may be tempting to drag your agency through the mud and force them to make good on the contract. However, at some point you will need to accept the contract was doomed from the start and the agency is being forced to find a new project, hence the slowdown in yours, to pay for the losses they are incurring. This isn't a good relationship for either of you, nor the long-term health of your project, which is mounting lines of untested spaghetti code like elephant shit in a three-ring circus. When customers come to me in this situation with their existing agency, my first remedy is not to switch agencies to my team, much as I would love to earn the new business. The best advice I can give is to get on the phone and get into a phase two with fresh budget so you can salvage the codebase. This is usually painful for the stakeholder, but the long-term consequences of allowing trash code to pile up under conditions of haste may put you in the position of needing to re-write everything. You should both take the lesson on the chin and make sure for phase two you try not to fix both budget and scope again. ### Fixed Time and Cost Fixed time and fixed cost appear to go hand in hand, because time is money, and labor is typically paid by the hour. However, there is a subtle variable that many often overlook that separates the two. The cost will determine not just the timeline, but the experience and quality of the team and the experience of the team on the project. The experience and quality of the team become huge factors when it comes to their ability to meet a deadline. Fixing both of these can often leave a project understaffed or lacking the experience necessary to get the thing done on time. Signs that your agency is blowing the budget and risking the deadline are: - A *new developer* is being introduced to the project. - A bunch of new developers appear to be swarming your project. - Requesting more budget for additional team members. What tends to happen in these situations is when it appears that the deadline is in jeopardy, the agency will often swarm the problem, throwing more developers on the project in an effort to move things faster. Unfortunately, as has been classically observed in *The Mythical Man-month*, adding more developers to an already behind project leads to the project getting even more behind. This is because the existing team needs to ramp up the new team on this new project, which further slows them down, as well as there not being enough isolated work streams on the project for all the new developers to be effective without tripping over one another. This leads to a rapid depletion of budget, creating the *agency as charity* situation observed when we fix scope and cost. The relationship declines, and what gets released is typically late or riddled with bugs from hasty execution. If you have found yourself in this situation, my advice is typically to figure out if this deadline is truly a hard deadline. In my experience the only *hard* deadlines are holidays and events. Christmas, Black Friday, the New York City Marathon, and the Super Bowl are not going to be delayed because of your software project. So short of this, as a stakeholder, you'll need to cut your agency some slack here because the quality of the software shipped is often greater than any self-imposed deadline. For example, the marketing team wanting to run a campaign on a specific date is *not* a reason to ship shoddy work. These deadlines can be moved, albeit begrudgingly by the disconnected team, but we are all humans here trying to do our best work, have some empathy. If we are looking at a true hard deadline here, then we have no choice but to speed up the project. By the time you are here it's likely not going to be able to be remedied by throwing more money or people at the problem. The best thing to do here is to aggressively slash features or trim back the expectations such that you can get the software shipped at the highest quality possible by the due date. This may mean you get 100% of what you need but only 80% of what you want, however, this is more desirable than 100% of what you want functioning 80% of the time. ### Fixed Time and Scope Fixed time and fixed scope typically goes awry when the feature set is too rigid or too large as envisioned. As we have observed above, throwing more money and people at a project that is already behind won't work. The best thing do do in this situation is to look to trim scope by cutting features, seeking third-party integrations and libraries, or pairing back design requirements. In order to hit a hard deadline like this, scope is the most important thing to make malleable so engineers can explore alternative avenues to deliver the value desired by the end user, on time. The signs that your deadline is going to be missed are the same as fixed time and cost projects, where you're seeing new teams or staff being introduced to the project. This is likely because you have a large or flexible budget. However, you've been given the wrong instrument to rectify the problem. The only way to get to on time delivery is often by way of scope not budget. So all the money in the world won't save you unless that money is going to buy something that's already built and can be licensed to you. ## This Is The Way You can see that when we become rigid on any two axes of this triangle we jeopardize the delivery of the project. But let's dig into why it works out when we fix just one value and are flexible on the other two. ### Fixed Cost Fixed cost if typical of larger, enterprise organizations. I've found that when things live and die by the finance department and the budget set out at the start of the year, this is really the only way to do it. In this case you need to have flexibility in timing and in scope so you can find a way to fit the value you're looking to deliver within budget. Tools a developer might use to do this are off-the-shelf solutions that can be molded or modified to fit the use case. We can also find ways to trim back or creatively implement features. We also may do a more rigorous value proposition evaluation on the features desired. Use the 80/20 principle, it's usually 20% of the desired scope that delivers 80% of the value. So focus on those features first so you're delivering maximum value early on in the project, making the tough, scope-cutting calls less difficult by leaving the nice-to-have's for the end. In these types of organizations there's usually a clear monetary target to hit in terms of value. Goals of the project usually sound like like: - To improve operational efficiency by X%. - To lower the time it takes to perform a task. - To eliminate costly staff that are doing a manual task. You need to focus on the features that can deliver on these cost or time savings promises first and be willing to trim the nice to have's for a later date or when more budget can be unlocked. It's often helpful to time-box your designs and to keep it simple for your version one. Many rough edges in terms of user experience can be rounded out later, and by getting the software to users sooner, you'll learn about use cases you hadn't considered prior. ### Fixed Time When it comes to being flexible on time, I always recommend having a deadline in mind, because this always helps center everyone on the project. Flexible doesn't mean infinite but there are projects that have true drop-dead due dates. As explained before these are usually holidays or events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or a Concert. In these cases you're going to need to be flexible on scope and on budget to achieve the goal. With these projects we're looking to staff with top talent *right from the start.* Let me repeat that again, *you're going to staff with top talent right from the start.* These are teams of seasoned designers and engineers that know how to build a quality product fast. This type of talent won't be cheap, but they will be masters of their craft. If you try to do this after the project is already behind, it's already too late. There's a ramp up time for any team-member, even an experienced one. If a sufficient amount of poor code has been written, even the most experienced team will struggle to recover the project before a tight deadline. So don't skimp here, get the team right the first time and be ready to pay for it. It also requires being flexible on scope. If you have a strong team and things still run behind you need to be able to trim back on features that are eating up time. A great team with a lot of experience is going to know where these skeletons are hiding before they start implementing them. If you have a lower cost, inexperienced team, you run the risk of finding out a key feature isn't possible in the timeframe too late in the process to react to it. Experienced teams have confidence in their abilities and their recommendations. They thrive on puzzles like these and are going to understand the stakes early and not be afraid to tell you when something needs to change to make sure you never blow a deadline. ### Fixed Scope Fixed scope tends to be the thing people most ask for, but is actually the rarest need in reality. We have some clients that come to us with baked out designs, entire technology architectures, and a suite of tools and services they want to use for every aspect of a project. If this solution is not already in use by the client in some other form, scope is usually far more flexible than it would appear during the initial discovery. Most of the time, all this scoping is used to open up a fixed budget discussion. But if you're not careful, you may get coaxed into fixing BOTH budget and scope. Signs this is happening to you is they want to attach these documents to the contract. It's important to remember that having goals for the project is not the same as scope. Goals are important, but how we get to those goals is the scope. Most people conflate the two and undergo excessive scoping to obtain more accurate price quotes. We've already seen above how this ends up. Where fixed scope might be the reality is when you are re-building or replacing an existing solution. In these cases the client knows all the features their team needs and is actively using, but there are other issues that are leading them to re-build. Typically the existing solution turned into a *big ball of mud* that is hard to modify and extend. Feature development slowed and seemingly simple things are taking too long to implement. Maybe the user experience is poor and teams are struggling to use the software as well. In this case, the feature set is known, but the goal of a re-write is a good user experience with clean, extensible, well-tested, and architected code. This is why a flexible timeline and budget are important. If we start to add time or budget pressure to this project, you may end up with frantic developers cutting corners to deliver the project. This can put you with a brand new code base that will run into the same extensibility problems as the previous one. You delivered the scope, but missed the value. You had plenty of scope but didn't focus on the goals. By being flexible on timeline and budget the project is staffed with the experience it needs, and developers have the time they need to write our proper test suites, documentation, and craft elegant abstractions that will enable faster development well into the future. ## Conclusion As an agency, it's up to you to try to uncover which of these three components is most important to a project. Most people are not familiar with the pitfalls of software development. Because building software is such an abstract and intangible experience for most clients, they'll often try to apply the principles of building physical things to the development process at their own peril. It's easy for us as agencies to give in to these terms in the desire to secure the deal, but we end up with burnt bridges, lost profits, and broken products. > "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they never stopped to think if they should." -- Dr. Ian Malcom, Jurassic Park If the client only has a set budget for a project set down by the CFO, then the decision to fix the budget makes sense. If the solution is built for a major event like the World Cup, Election Day, or the US Open then you fix the timeline. If we're doing a rebuild of an existing solution that needs replacement then fixed scope is the way. When it comes to seeing clients that are currently experiencing the pain of naive engagement terms, my recommendation is to be flexible before firing your agency. Guide the conversation toward recovery and come with this knowledge to correct the mistakes of the previous engagement. You may require experienced leadership to help the existing team or set up a plan for transition, but letting the existing work fall into disrepair is the least desirable outcome. Protect the investment by being flexible and empathetic to the team. We strive to have an offering for every project for each of these three situations depending upon the client's goals. Being flexible in how we engage is the best way we can offer the most value as an agency to the most types of clients. This is also good for the client as they have the right expectations set up front with the value desired delivered in the end. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-to-price-a-project # From Green to Glory: The Parallels Between Golf and Tech Startup Success By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-09-26 Crafting a successful tech startup mirrors the finesse and strategic gameplay of golf. The journey from bootstrapping to success is laden with the precision, patience, and technique similar to maneuvering a golf ball through the courses to the final hole.  Crafting a successful tech startup mirrors the finesse and strategic gameplay of golf. The journey from bootstrapping to success is laden with the precision, patience, and technique similar to maneuvering a golf ball through the courses to the final hole. #### **Teeing Off - The Genesis** Starting a tech startup is akin to the first swing in golf – the tee-off, where ideas are refined, and foundations are solidified. A spark, an [innovative concept](https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalieturner/2019/03/29/the-five-key-ways-to-innovate-successfully/), brings the vision closer to reality, laying down the first stepping stones to potential breakthroughs. #### **Precision Play – Bootstrapping the Journey** In golf, every stroke is calculated, every move is intentional, mirroring the process of [bootstrapping](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bootstrapping.asp) in business. With personal funds, an acute focus on profitability from the onset, and prudent decision-making, entrepreneurs can meticulously navigate the startup course, maintaining autonomy over their trajectory. #### **Navigating the Fairways – The Path of Trials** Every golf course has its unique challenges and intricacies, and similarly, the entrepreneurial journey is fraught with fluctuations. Enduring and learning from these variations require [mental toughness and resilience](https://positivepsychology.com/mental-toughness/), akin to golfers adapting their strategies to the diverse terrains and obstacles they face. #### **Strategic Advances – Scaling Heights** After successfully bootstrapping, the next phase for startups is to scale and expand, comparable to advancing in a golf tournament. Identifying new markets, continuous innovation, and fostering alliances are akin to golfers optimizing their swings, gauging distances, and adapting strategies, to continue their winning streak and elevate their game. #### **Hole-in-One – Sustainable Triumph** Achieving lasting success is the ultimate goal for any startup, symbolized by the elusive hole-in-one in golf. Entities like [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/) and [GoPro](https://gopro.com/) exemplify this, evolving from bootstrapped startups to industry pioneers. It’s about mastering the market dynamics, seizing the opportunities, and reveling in the attainment of the entrepreneurial pinnacle. #### **Green Ethics – Sustainable and Ethical Practices** Much like golfers who respect the greens and play with integrity, entrepreneurs must also uphold ethical and [sustainable business practices](https://www.business.com/articles/sustainable-business-practices/), ensuring a balanced and equitable entrepreneurial landscape. It’s a commitment to nurturing and preserving the ecosystem for future entrepreneurs. ### Conclusion Building a successful tech startup resonates with the intricacy and skill inherent in golf. It's a journey marked by precise planning, overcoming challenges, thoughtful scaling, and the celebration of sustained success, all while maintaining ethical and responsible practices. Just as a golfer meticulously assesses every stroke, an entrepreneur must navigate the business environment with foresight and adaptability, turning visions into tangible realities. The parallels drawn between golf and entrepreneurship illustrate not just a path to triumph but also inspire budding entrepreneurs to approach their ventures with the diligence and elegance of a seasoned golfer. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/from-green-to-glory-the-parallels-between-golf-and-tech-startup-success # Mastering the Tennis Match of Entrepreneurship: A Journey from Bootstrapping to Glory in the Tech Arena By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-09-26 In the vibrant world of entrepreneurship, establishing a tech startup resembles a game of tennis – navigating the business landscape from bootstrapping to attaining remarkable success is akin to playing skillful shots in a competitive match.  In the vibrant world of entrepreneurship, establishing a tech startup resembles a game of tennis – navigating the business landscape from bootstrapping to attaining remarkable success is akin to playing skillful shots in a competitive match. #### **The Energetic Beginning – Serving the Ace** Launching a tech startup is filled with excitement comparable to the anticipation felt when serving the first ace in tennis. This is the phase of solidifying ideas, conceptualizing breakthroughs, and establishing the fundamentals – the ‘[Eureka Moment](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130723-where-do-eureka-moments-come-from)’ where your groundbreaking concept is born. #### **Precision and Control – Bootstrapping Your Venture** Much like the precision and control required in a tennis shot, [bootstrapping](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bootstrapping.asp) demands accuracy and discipline. Self-funding entails utilizing personal funds, concentrating on immediate profitability, careful expenditure, and intelligent business choices. It may be taxing, but the freedom and absolute control it offers are unparalleled. It’s the player controlling the rally, choosing the right shots – the entrepreneur making wise decisions, maneuvering through the obstacles. #### **Handling the Ups and Downs – The Competitive Set** Every set in tennis has its victories and defeats, and so does the journey of a tech startup. The peaks of initial triumphs and the valleys of unexpected hurdles are part of the game. Like a tennis player, an entrepreneur must [cultivate resilience](https://hbr.org/2002/05/how-resilience-works) and adaptability, sustaining concentration and learning from each misstep, to successfully win the set. #### **Gaining Momentum – Scaling Strategically** Once the player has controlled the game, it's about playing each shot with flair and strategy, gaining momentum. Similarly, after the bootstrapping phase, it’s crucial for startups to [scale effectively](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/326422). This involves meticulous market positioning, forming strategic alliances, and continual innovation. It's about finding the right tempo, controlling the game, and maintaining the momentum to propel your venture forward. #### **Winning the Match – Reaching the Pinnacle** For any tennis player, winning a challenging match is the ultimate achievement, just as attaining sustainable success is for an entrepreneur. Companies like [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/) and [GoPro](https://gopro.com/) exemplify this – starting as bootstrapped ventures and navigating through the entrepreneurial sets to emerge as industry leaders. It's about mastering the game of business, utilizing every opportunity, and ultimately reveling in the glory of having won a challenging match. #### **The Ethical Game – Sustainable Practices** The responsibility a tennis player holds to maintain the integrity of the game mirrors the significance of ethical and sustainable practices in entrepreneurship. Adopting [responsible business practices](https://www.wbcsd.org/Programs/People/Social-Impact/Corporate-Social-Responsibility) is vital to ensure a balanced entrepreneurial ecosystem. It's not just about winning the match; it's about ensuring the game remains honorable for the future players – the budding entrepreneurs. Embarking on the path from bootstrapping to glory in the tech industry is an exhilarating expedition, mirroring the thrill and challenges of the tennis match of your life. The one for all the glory, but all the struggle. It’s about navigating and controlling the game, dealing with the highs and lows, strategically scaling, and ultimately winning the match, all while upholding a balance with ethical standards. Just as the tennis player masters the rhythm and flow of the game, the entrepreneur blends with the ecosystem, grasping its intricacies and orchestrating innovations into realities. In this continuous quest, the match won is not only a reflection of one's skill and endurance but also a symbol of inspiration for aspiring players and entrepreneurs alike. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/mastering-the-tennis-match-of-entrepreneurship-a-journey-from-bootstrapping # Conquering Peaks: The Ascent from Bootstrapping to Glory in the Tech World By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-09-26 In the exhilarating realm of entrepreneurship, building a tech startup is akin to mountaineering. From setting out on an uncharted path with bootstrapping to reaching the summit of success, the journey is filled with trials, learnings, and triumphs.  In the exhilarating realm of entrepreneurship, building a tech startup is akin to mountaineering. From setting out on an uncharted path with bootstrapping to reaching the summit of success, the journey is filled with trials, learnings, and triumphs. #### **Embarking on the Expedition – Setting the Basecamp** Starting a tech venture is as thrilling as establishing the first basecamp of a mountain expedition. It’s the stage where ideas crystallize, breakthroughs are conceived, and foundations are laid, a true ‘[Eureka Moment](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130723-where-do-eureka-moments-come-from)’ giving life to revolutionary concepts. #### **Self-Sufficiency and Precision – Bootstrapping the Ascent** Just as a mountaineer needs meticulous planning and self-reliance in the ascent, [bootstrapping](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bootstrapping.asp) in business requires precision and discipline. Using personal savings, focusing on immediate profitability, and making informed decisions are pivotal. It’s like a climber carefully selecting routes and conserving resources, maintaining sovereignty over each step taken. #### **Navigating the Challenges – The Steep Climb** Every mountain has its steep, challenging terrains, and the entrepreneurial journey has its share of ups and downs. To conquer these, an entrepreneur, like a mountaineer, must [cultivate resilience](https://hbr.org/2002/05/how-resilience-works) and flexibility, learning from every stumble and maintaining focus to surmount the obstacles. #### **Scaling Heights – Strategic Elevation** Post the bootstrapping phase, it’s essential for startups to [scale effectively](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/326422), akin to a mountaineer strategically advancing to higher camps. This involves identifying market niches, innovating continuously, and forming strategic partnerships. It’s about gaining and maintaining momentum, controlling the pace, and propelling the venture forward, reaching higher altitudes of success. #### **Reaching the Summit – Attaining Sustainable Success** For mountaineers, reaching the summit is the ultimate victory, just as achieving sustainable success is for an entrepreneur. Ventures like [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/) and [GoPro](https://gopro.com/) symbolize this triumph – they commenced as bootstrapped startups and traversed through the arduous terrains to emerge as leaders. It’s mastering the business landscape, seizing every opportunity, and savoring the glory of having reached the pinnacle. #### **Preserving the Ecosystem – Ethical and Sustainable Practices** Just as a responsible mountaineer strives to preserve the mountain ecosystem, maintaining ethical and sustainable practices is paramount in entrepreneurship. Upholding [responsible business practices](https://www.wbcsd.org/Programs/People/Social-Impact/Corporate-Social-Responsibility) is critical for fostering a harmonious entrepreneurial environment. It’s about ensuring the sustainability of the ecosystem for the future climbers – the aspiring entrepreneurs. The journey from bootstrapping to achieving glory in the tech domain is comparable to the thrill and rigor of a mountaineering expedition. It involves meticulous planning, overcoming challenges, scaling strategically, and ultimately conquering the peak, while maintaining an ethical and sustainable approach. Just as a mountaineer understands the mountain's rhythm, an entrepreneur syncs with the business ecosystem, navigating its complexities and turning innovations into reality. This journey is not only a testament to one's perseverance and skill but also serves as a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of entrepreneurs and mountaineers alike. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/conquering-peaks-the-ascent-from-bootstrapping-to-glory-in-the-tech-world # Riding the Waves of Entrepreneurship: A Journey from Bootstrapping to Glory in the Tech World By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-09-26 In the thrilling world of entrepreneurship, starting a tech startup can be likened to surfing – mastering the tides of the business ecosystem, from bootstrapping to achieving monumental success, is akin to conquering the unpredictable waves of the ocean.  In the thrilling world of entrepreneurship, starting a tech startup can be likened to surfing – mastering the tides of the business ecosystem, from bootstrapping to achieving monumental success, is akin to conquering the unpredictable waves of the ocean. #### **The Thrill of the Initial Push – Catching the Wave** When embarking on the journey of building a tech startup, one experiences a rush similar to the initial push a surfer feels when catching a wave. This is the stage of crystallizing ideas, conceptualizing innovations, and laying the foundations – the ‘[Eureka Moment](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130723-where-do-eureka-moments-come-from)’ where your concept sees the first light of the day. #### **Balance and Precision – Bootstrapping Your Way** Much like maintaining balance on a surfboard, [bootstrapping](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bootstrapping.asp) requires equilibrium and precision. Bootstrapping, or self-funding, necessitates leveraging personal wealth, focusing on immediate profitability, prudent spending, and smart business decisions. The process could be nerve-wracking, but the autonomy and complete ownership it provides are rewarding. It's the surfer maintaining balance, choosing the right waves – the entrepreneur making judicious choices, navigating through the challenges. #### **Navigating the Highs and Lows – The Rollercoaster Ride** Every wave has its crests and troughs, and so does the journey of building a tech startup. The highs of initial success and the lows of unforeseen challenges are inevitable. The entrepreneur, like the surfer, must [embrace resilience](https://hbr.org/2002/05/how-resilience-works) and adaptability, maintaining focus and learning from every fall, to ride the wave to its full length successfully. #### **Building Momentum – Scaling Your Startup** Once the surfer catches the wave, it's about riding it with style and skill, building momentum. Similarly, once past the bootstrapping phase, it's crucial for startups to [scale smartly](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/326422). This involves effective market positioning, strategic partnerships, and continual innovation. It's about finding the right rhythm, staying on top of the wave, and building the momentum to carry your venture forward. #### **Conquering the Wave – Achieving Glory** The crowning moment for any surfer is conquering a massive wave, just as achieving sustainable success is for an entrepreneur. Companies like [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/) and [GoPro](https://gopro.com/) epitomize this – they began as bootstrapped startups and navigated through the entrepreneurial waves to become industry giants. It's about mastering the art of surfing the business ecosystem, leveraging every wave (opportunity), and ultimately basking in the glory of having ridden a mammoth wave successfully. #### **The Environmental Symbiosis – Sustainable Practices** The symbiotic relationship a surfer shares with the ocean reflects the importance of sustainable and ethical practices in entrepreneurship. It is crucial to adopt [sustainable business practices](https://www.wbcsd.org/Programs/People/Social-Impact/Corporate-Social-Responsibility) to maintain a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem. It's not just about conquering the waves; it's about preserving them for the future surfers – the upcoming entrepreneurs. Ad so, the journey from bootstrapping to glory in building a tech startup is a thrilling adventure, reminiscent of surfing's exhilaration and challenges. It's about balancing and navigating through the highs and lows, scaling with momentum, and ultimately conquering the wave, all while maintaining a harmonious relationship with the environment. Just as the surfer becomes one with the wave, mastering its rhythm and flow, the entrepreneur becomes one with the ecosystem, understanding its nuances and dynamics, transforming visions into realities. In this relentless pursuit, the wave conquered is not just a testament to one's skill and resilience but also a beacon of inspiration for aspiring surfers and entrepreneurs alike. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/riding-the-waves-of-entrepreneurship-a-journey-from-bootstrapping-to-glory # How to Successfully Bootstrap your Tech Startup By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-09-25 Explore the ins and outs of bootstrapping for startups. Weigh the pros and cons, understand its significance, and discover strategies for effective self-funding.  Starting up a new venture can be a life-transforming pursuit, promising enriching experiences and potentially revolutionary impacts. However, realizing this dream requires funding, which is often a formidable challenge to overcome. While some startups secure immediate seed money from angel investors, many either struggle to find this or opt not to relinquish equity. Thus enters the concept of bootstrapping. Explore this guide to self-funding your startup. ### **Understanding Bootstrapping** Bootstrapping entails relying on personal funds to fuel the growth of your company, sidestepping external financial aids like venture capital or loans from friends and family. Bootstrapped businesses operate on a stringent budget, focusing on early revenue and prioritizing cautious investment strategies. To determine if bootstrapping aligns with your entrepreneurial journey, weigh its advantages and disadvantages. ### **Bootstrapping versus Seed Funding: A Comparative Analysis** Both bootstrapping and seed funding have propelled startups to success, with neither method being categorically superior. Several renowned companies initiated their journeys through bootstrapping, while others have leveraged seed funding to accelerate their growth trajectories. **Pros of Bootstrapping:** 1. **Complete Ownership:** You maintain entire control over your business, avoiding the equity loss inherent in seed funding. 2. **Business Sustainability:** The emphasis is on developing a sustainable and profitable business model from the outset. 3. **Autonomy:** Avoidance of external interference allows you the freedom to operate your venture as you see fit. 4. **Valuable Insights:** Managing your business with your funds imparts essential lessons in financial management and leadership. **Cons of Bootstrapping:** 1. **Limited Capital:** Personal savings might not match the financial injection that seed funding can provide. 2. **Heightened Risk:** The financial implications of failure are solely yours to bear. 3. **Lack of Mentorship:** Seed funding often comes with valuable guidance and resources that bootstrapping does not offer. 4. **Restricted Networking Opportunities:** The isolation of bootstrapping can limit the expansion of your professional network. ### **Profile of a Bootstrapped Startup** The majority of startups, around 70%, are bootstrapped, depending on the founders’ capital for initial growth. Identifying bootstrapped ventures can be challenging, but notable examples include [GoPro](https://gopro.com/), [Shopify](https://shopify.com/), [Wayfair](https://wayfair.com/), and [GitHub](https://github.com/), each carving its niche with prudent growth strategies and a focus on profitability. ### **Strategies for Bootstrapping Your Startup** Bootstrapping necessitates efficient utilization of personal savings, judicious borrowing, or swift profitability achievements. The goal is to foster a successful business without jeopardizing personal financial security. Here are some strategies to consider: 1. **Prudent Borrowing:** Opt for [SBA loans](https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans) or micro-loans to secure capital without risking personal assets. 2. **Assembling the Right Team:** Seek passionate, growth-oriented individuals committed to your brand’s vision. 3. **Prioritizing Profitability:** Target easily accessible markets and focus on revenue generation before exploring high-risk, high-reward ventures. 4. **Minimizing Outsourcing:** While cost-effective in the long run, initially, focusing on in-house capabilities and learning various skills is beneficial. 5. **Frugality:** Opt for economical solutions, like second-hand equipment and affordable office spaces, to manage expenses effectively. In short, embarking on a startup journey by bootstrapping can be a rewarding yet challenging experience. It demands financial astuteness, strategic planning, and unwavering commitment. By understanding the implications of bootstrapping and leveraging the right strategies, you can navigate your entrepreneurial journey with resilience and vision, potentially joining the ranks of successful bootstrapped enterprises like GoPro and Shopify. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-to-successfully-bootstrap-your-tech-startup # Navigating a New Horizon: A Mid-Career Pivot to Tech Entrepreneurship By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-09-22 Explore tech startup essentials for experienced professionals. Navigate through key steps & challenges with strategies in adaptability, customer focus, & leveraging knowledge. Acquire skills to secure funding & build resilience in the innovative, rapid-paced startup realm.  When envisioning the journey to tech entrepreneurship, the trajectory of young, ambitious innovators often comes to the forefront. However, the startup ecosystem isn’t solely a domain for the youthful go-getter. A plethora of seasoned professionals are unearthing innovative ideas worth pursuing and diving headfirst into the vibrant world of technology startups. Here, we journey through the metamorphosis of a middle-aged professional venturing into this bustling sector, outlining the milestones, potential pitfalls, and imparting advice for a prosperous venture. ### **Milestones:** 1. **Idea Conception and Validation:** - Identifying and refining a groundbreaking, viable idea that fulfills a market need is the foundational stone of any successful startup. [Utilizing extensive industry experience](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/10/03/how-to-leverage-your-experience-to-start-a-business/) can offer invaluable insights into unmet market needs and possibilities. - The validation process involves affirming both demand and feasibility of the product through meticulous market research and [customer interviews](https://leanstartup.co/a-guide-to-customer-development-a-process-for-discovery-and-validation/). 2. **Building a Founding Team:** - Establishing a well-rounded team with diverse skill sets is vital. A mix of different backgrounds enriches creativity and problem-solving capabilities. - [Leveraging professional networks](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/247303) can assist in locating potential partners and advisors, making team formation a smoother process. 3. **Securing Funding:** - Articulating the unique value proposition, scalability, and market potential to investors is crucial in the [fundraising journey](https://www.startups.com/library/expert-advice/a-guide-to-startup-fundraising). - Exploring diverse funding avenues, including [angel investors](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/angelinvestor.asp), [venture capital](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/venturecapital.asp), and grants, can be pivotal in securing the necessary financial backing. ### **Pitfalls:** 1. **Resistance to New Technologies:** - The relentless pace of technological advancement can be intimidating, and a hesitation to adapt can obstruct progress. - Adopting a learning-centric approach and staying updated on the [latest technological trends](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2022-08-24-gartner-identifies-the-top-strategic-technology-trends-for-2023) is essential to overcoming this hurdle. 2. **Balancing Risk:** - Transitioning from a stable career to the uncertain world of startups can invoke trepidation. - Evaluating one’s risk tolerance and developing a [robust business plan](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/281416) with clear goals can allay fears and provide a clear roadmap for the venture. 3. **Overemphasis on Perfection:** - Striving for flawless execution can lead to delays and missed opportunities. - Adopting a [lean startup approach](https://www.theleanstartup.com/) and focusing on releasing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) enables quicker market entry and iterative refinement based on customer feedback. ### **Recommendations for Success:** 1. **Leverage Existing Expertise:** - Deploying the wealth of knowledge and skills acquired over the years can offer a distinct competitive edge. - Pinpoint domains where your proficiency can amplify the value and uniqueness of your startup. 2. **Cultivate a Growth Mindset:** - Embrace lifelong learning and be willing to acquire new competencies. [Continuous learning](https://www.forbes.com/sites/ulysseas/2020/12/09/the-importance-of-continuous-learning/) is a beacon in the rapidly shifting tech landscape. - Secure mentorship and partake in workshops, [online courses](https://www.coursera.org/), and conferences to expand knowledge and connections within the industry. 3. **Foster a Resilient Spirit:** - Cultivating resilience is indispensable for weathering the highs and lows of startup life. Maintain a positive, problem-solving mindset and be prepared to embrace setbacks. - Develop a support network of mentors, peers, and other entrepreneurs to gain diverse perspectives, encouragement, and guidance. 4. **Stay Customer-Centric:** - Keeping the customer at the heart of every decision is paramount. Regularly solicit customer feedback and be agile in refining your product based on their input. - Immerse yourself in understanding customer needs, preferences, and pain points to optimize your product offerings. Embarking on a tech entrepreneurial journey in the midst of one’s career is a courageous, transformative pursuit. Leveraging accumulated wisdom, fostering resilience, and maintaining an unquenchable thirst for knowledge are the linchpins for a successful transition into this dynamic sphere. By maintaining customer focus, adaptability, and embracing novel perspectives, seasoned professionals can contribute profoundly to the tech innovation scene, bringing depth, maturity, and a wealth of insights to the table. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/navigating-a-new-horizon-a-mid-career-pivot-to-tech-entrepreneurship # Bootstrapping a Tech Startup: The Baby Boomer's Next Chapter By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-09-20 For baby boomers, tech entrepreneurship isn't a sunset venture but a sunrise opportunity. Dive into the compelling journey of seasoned professionals breaking barriers in the tech world!  ## Bootstrapping a Tech Startup: The Baby Boomer's Next Chapter In an era dominated by millennial entrepreneurs and success stories of young tech prodigies, there exists a formidable yet frequently overlooked segment of the entrepreneurial landscape: the baby boomers. This generation, born between 1946 and 1964, has witnessed the evolution of technology from its nascent stages to the digital world as we know it today. Harnessing decades of professional experience and insights, some baby boomers are setting out on their new venture — bootstrapping a tech startup. For a baby boomer, pivoting to the world of tech entrepreneurship is not just about catching up with modern trends. It’s about blending their rich tapestry of experiences with contemporary tech solutions. Often, it begins with identifying a gap in their core career or a related field, and the burning desire to address it using technology. ## Journey to the Tech Frontier Jane, a seasoned journalist with over 30 years in the industry, noticed the declining trend in quality investigative journalism. With the rise of instant news and bite-sized information, long-form articles were losing traction. But Jane believed there was an audience, especially among older generations, who still valued in-depth reporting. Merging her journalism experience with technology, she bootstrapped a digital platform dedicated to long-form, investigative pieces. Jane's story is not unique. Many baby boomers have identified problems in their long-standing careers, realizing that the solution could be a tech-driven platform or service. But bootstrapping, especially in the tech sector, presents its set of challenges. ## The Self-funded Pathway Bootstrapping, at its core, is about building a business from the ground up without external funding. For many baby boomers, self-funding is a feasible option due to savings accumulated over their careers. But the trick lies not just in having funds, but in deploying them judiciously. Bootstrapping requires a tight grip on cash flow, a sharp eye for opportunities, and the ability to wear multiple hats simultaneously. Baby boomers, with their wealth of experience, often have the advantage of industry insights, which can lead to better decision-making. ## Market Navigation: A Blend of Old and New With a product or solution in place, the next hurdle is market navigation. Baby boomers have the advantage of extensive networks cultivated over the years. Traditional networking, combined with new-age digital marketing strategies, can pave the way for initial customer acquisition. For instance, Robert, a former supply chain executive, launched a tech solution for supply chain transparency. He reached out to his extensive network of former colleagues, industry peers, and associates to pilot his product. Coupled with targeted LinkedIn campaigns and industry webinars, he gradually built a robust customer base. However, with market dynamics constantly evolving, it is crucial for baby boomer tech founders to stay updated. Resources like [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/) and [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/) can offer invaluable insights into current tech trends and consumer preferences. ## Scaling Up and the Investor Conundrum As the business grows, baby boomer founders may confront the question: to seek external investors or continue self-funding? While bootstrapping offers complete control, external investment can provide the necessary impetus for rapid scaling. Venture capital firms like [Sequoia Capital](https://www.sequoiacap.com/) and [Andreessen Horowitz](https://a16z.com/) have backed numerous startups, helping them transition from fledgling businesses to tech giants. But attracting such investors requires more than just a promising product. It demands a compelling vision, a scalable business model, and a robust team. ## Embracing the Tech Culture Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of this journey is the immersion into the tech culture. The dynamic, fast-paced, and innovative environment can be invigorating. Collaborative spaces like [WeWork](https://www.wework.com/) or online platforms like [GitHub](https://github.com/) offer opportunities for learning, collaboration, and growth. Engaging with younger tech professionals can provide fresh perspectives and foster intergenerational knowledge exchange. ## The Road Ahead Bootstrapping a tech startup as a baby boomer is not a sunset venture but a sunrise opportunity. It's about channeling decades of knowledge, experiences, and insights into creating solutions that resonate with today's tech-savvy audience. In this journey, challenges are inevitable. Yet, with a reservoir of professional wisdom, a proactive approach to learning, and the passion to make a difference, baby boomers are well-equipped to script their success stories in the tech world. The baby boomer's next chapter in tech is not just about building businesses; it's about leaving legacies. It serves as a testament to the timeless spirit of innovation and the belief that age is just a number when it comes to chasing dreams. Related Article : [Bootstrapping After 50](https://www.causeofakind.com/the-salon/building-startups-after-50 "Bootstrapping After 50") Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/bootstrapping-a-tech-startup-the-baby-boomers-next-chapter # Charting New Horizons: Baby Boomers in the Tech Startup Scene By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-09-20 Discover the powerful fusion of baby boomers' seasoned wisdom with tech innovation, as they redefine entrepreneurship in the digital age.  Amidst the buzz of youthful digital natives spearheading innovations, an intriguing cohort is steadily making waves in the tech arena - the baby boomers. This demographic, having ushered in the digital revolution, is uniquely positioned to mesh seasoned wisdom with innovative technology. For many, the allure lies not in retirement but in leveraging their expansive professional journeys to plug gaps in modern sectors. ## A Fresh Perspective Consider Michael, a former real estate mogul who keenly observed the mounting inefficiencies in property management due to technological lags. While most of his contemporaries were contemplating retirement, Michael envisioned a tech platform tailored to streamline property listings, facilitate transparent transactions, and offer virtual tours. This was not just about adapting; it was about revolutionizing an industry he knew inside out. Such instances underscore the undeniable fact highlighted by [Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/): older entrepreneurs have higher success rates, primarily due to their extensive networks and industry acumen. **The Odyssey of Self-funding** For baby boomers, bootstrapping a tech startup often hinges on self-funding, tapping into lifelong savings or assets. The challenge is in strategically channeling these resources. A study from [MIT Sloan](http://mitsloan.mit.edu/) suggests that while older entrepreneurs have an edge in terms of financial resources, their success lies in prudent allocation, ensuring sustainability and growth. A well-honed ability to foresee market fluctuations, a skill accrued over years, often proves invaluable here. ## Building Bridges to the Market A crucial advantage baby boomers wield is their intricate web of professional relationships. When Laura, an ex-banking professional, developed a fintech tool to aid retirees in financial planning, she leveraged her contacts for initial feedback and trials. Parallelly, she embraced modern digital outreach methods, such as targeted Facebook ads and Instagram stories, bringing a holistic approach to her go-to-market strategy. Staying abreast with evolving trends is non-negotiable, and platforms like [VentureBeat](https://venturebeat.com/) and [Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en) become indispensable in this regard. ## Growth and the External Funding Conundrum As these tech ventures gain traction, external funding can emerge as a tantalizing prospect. While self-funding offers autonomy, external investors can catapult a startup into expansive growth trajectories. Firms like [Bessemer Venture Partners](https://www.bvp.com/) or [Benchmark](https://www.benchmark.com/) are pivotal in transforming nascent ideas into industry leaders. Yet, these investors are often on the lookout for more than just a groundbreaking product. They seek vision, tenacity, and adaptability - qualities that seasoned baby boomer entrepreneurs naturally possess. ## Navigating the Tech Terrain The tech ecosystem, with its vibrancy and fluidity, can be a fascinating realm for baby boomers. Co-working spaces, tech meetups, and platforms like [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/) can provide rich learning experiences and opportunities to collaborate with younger tech aficionados. ## The Trail Ahead For the baby boomer generation, diving into tech entrepreneurship is a vivid affirmation of lifelong learning and adaptability. Their ventures are not mere businesses but symbols of persistent innovation and drive. Venturing into tech as a baby boomer is more than a career move; it's a clarion call to contemporaries that innovation knows no age. As these seasoned professionals craft their narratives in the tech world, they inspire, lead, and, most importantly, showcase that every age is ripe for reinvention. [Related Article](https://www.causeofakind.com/the-salon/bootstrapping-a-tech-startup-the-baby-boomers-next-chapter "Related Article") Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/charting-new-horizons-baby-boomers-in-the-tech-startup-scene # Building Startups after 50: Embracing Failures, Pivots, and the Path to Prevail By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-09-14 Discover the journey of starting tech ventures after 50. Dive deep into embracing failures, the art of pivoting, and the wisdom Baby Boomers bring to the startup realm. Learn how age and experience become assets in today's entrepreneurial landscape.  The dream of starting a tech venture knows no age. Whether you've just graduated from college or are nearing retirement, the passion to create, innovate, and lead is universal. For many Baby Boomers, the call to entrepreneurship comes after decades of rich experiences, shaping a unique perspective that today's young founders can only dream of. *[Did you know? According to a Harvard Business Review study, the average age of successful startup founders is 45.](https://hbr.org/2018/07/research-the-average-age-of-a-successful-startup-founder-is-45)* ### 1. The Uncharted Waters of Startups Starting my own tech venture wasn't an impulsive leap but a calculated stride. Like the time when as a kid, I decided the price of a glass of lemonade with my sister after factoring in costs of powdered lemonade, cups, and ice. Today, building a startup is akin to setting up that lemonade stand in the sense that there are core requirements for a successful business. The raw ingredients and the startup formula all impacts the success of the business. ### 2. Failure is a Stepping Stone, Not a Dead End Throughout my career, from sales to full-stack engineering, failure was a constant companion. But instead of viewing them as setbacks, I saw each as a lesson. When a startup fails, it isn't the end of the dream. It's a sign that our approach needs tweaking. *The [Failory survey](https://www.failory.com/blog/startup-failure-rate) suggests 90% of startups fail, but what they don't tell you is how many of those founders rise from the ashes, wiser and more determined.* ### 3. The Pivot: Reinventing and Rediscovering Remember [Blockbuster](https://bendblockbuster.com/ "Blockbuster")? If they had pivoted like [Netflix](https://netflix.com "Netflix") did, we might still be renting DVDs from them. Pivoting in business means recognizing when your current strategy isn't working and being agile enough to change direction. In my journey, I've made countless pivots, from rebranding products to completely changing business models. It's not about admitting defeat but about evolving with the changing tide. ### 4. Leveraging Your Unique Strengths as a Boomer As a Baby Boomer, you bring decades of expertise, a vast network, and a wealth of life experiences to the table. This isn't just about understanding technology but about understanding people, trends, and the world. *[A study from MIT Sloan](http://mitsloan.mit.edu/newsroom/articles/older-entrepreneurs-do-it-better/) asserts that work experience plays a critical role in entrepreneurial success.* ### 5. Prevailing Against All Odds Resilience is the name of the game. The world saw giants like [Apple](https://apple.com "Apple") and [Amazon](https://amazon.com "Amazon") start in garages, face countless rejections, and yet, with perseverance, they revolutionized industries. Your journey, seasoned with rich experiences, is a testament to endurance. I've seen downturns, survived market crashes, and yet with every challenge, I emerged stronger. Starting a new tech venture later in life isn't a gamble but an adventure worth embarking upon. With every hiccup, remember your first lemonade stand or that big sale you closed against all odds. It's the same thrill, the same determination, only the playground is bigger. Every failure, every pivot is a chapter in your epic tale. Embrace them, learn from them, and let your Baby Boomer wisdom guide your tech startup to unprecedented heights. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/building-startups-after-50 # When You Can't Bootstrap By: Michael Rispoli Published: 2023-08-02 Bootstrapping is worn as a badge of honor these days amongst startups. But the reality is many of us have growing careers, a spouse, kids, and financial obligations that make bootstrapping seem like an option only for the young a reckless. The truth is bootstrapping isn't for everyone and there are times when it should be deployed and times when you need other options. The good news is there are options for the would-be founder with responsibilities beyond pure bootstrapping or having a rich family member write you a check.  Bootstrapping is worn as a badge of honor these days amongst startups. Building a sustainable business from day one used to be an anomaly amongst tech startups. Given the current VC funding environment, I'm hearing a lot more founders say they plan to bootstrap their company. The problem is there isn't the overabundance of advice on how to go about this. The reality is that most founders plan to offer their software at a price point, that when they do the math, puts them years away from being able to pay themselves a livable wage no less an entire team. Factor in things like taxes, health insurance, equipment and the overhead of running the software itself and bootstrapping starts to look as impossible as putting humans on the sun. If you're like me, you have a career you're excelling in, a house, a car, and a family that all depend upon your income. You can't exactly tell your spouse and kids it's ramen and peanut butter and jelly for the next few years while you go live your dream. That being said, many founders somehow make it work. In fact, my own company, Cause of a Kind, is bootstrapped. ## What's a good bootstrapped business? Many bootstrapped companies start as service businesses. [37 Signals](https://37signals.com/) and [Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/), both famous bootstrapped companies, started as service based businesses that evolved into their respective software solutions. Service based companies are great candidates for bootstrapping because you aren't taking a moonshot on some zero to one idea. For example in our business, we can be reasonably assured that people are going to be hiring agencies to build software for decades. Even if AI or some other technology changes *how* we do that, the demand continues to grow. When it comes to bootstrapping, service businesses are great. They are also great starter businesses for first time entrepreneurs as you learn to manage things like profit and loss, cash flow, people, and the myriad of other things that come up as a business scales. So you take on less risk in terms of your idea for a business being garbage, but you also learn the ins and outs of being a business owner while you do it. As you grow, and profits grow, you can often funnel those profits into a pure software play, bootstrapping it as part of the business. I think this model is a perfect play book for bootstrapping and one that [Basecamp](https://basecamp.com/) and others have used successfully. ## When you can't bootstrap... Now what if you have an idea for a platform, or marketplace, or SaaS tool and you have solid validation that this idea is going to be THE one. You don't have time to take the slower road of building a service offering, amassing capital, then pivoting into your software play. Maybe you have a family, a spouse, kids, a few pets, and a bunch of other obligations that prevent you from just taking the leap and sleeping on your buddy's couch in Palo Alto. To me this is the biggest shame of the lore coming out of Silicon Valley. Would-be founders that are at the height of their careers and at the height of their lives are not able to ask their families rough it for a few years while they go after their dream. If this sounds like you, you are likely looking for some venture capital so you can take the shot without putting your family in crisis. The good news is, there are ways for founders to overcome this. In the above scenario these founders usually have their mature careers on their side. They make great money at a larger company and provide a good life for their families. That experience will usually be a major advantage when it comes to pitching VC's why you're perfect to execute this idea. Young founders get a lot of attention, but they are also quite risky bets. A bit of maturity and expertise goes a long way when you're investing in someone for the long haul. *Older* founders should use this experience and maturity to their advantage when raising money. The problem is, nobody wants to invest in a founder with a job and a deck they built out on the weekend. In the current climate, VC's are looking to invest in companies that have something built and ideally have paying customers using the platform. This also goes a long way when it comes to preserving your own equity. You'll get a better valuation with revenue than without. The issue is, how are you supposed to build that MVP and get customers between your job, your family, and taking care of yourself? ## Bootstrapping your MVP What I recommend in this case is to treat your day job as your seed round. Set aside some money and use that to validate your market, earn customers, and self-fund the initial MVP of your product. The goal being to get some paying customers using your MVP before you go out and fundraise. It also shows your commitment to the idea. It answers the question, "if you wouldn't put your own money into this idea, why should I?" Well you did put your own money into the idea, you learned there was a market for it, and you have revenue coming in--it's just not enough to quit your day job yet. This is why you're coming to a VC. By allowing you to focus on this full time, this business can get to the next level. Two side effects of maintaining your day job and using your hard-earned money is your time will be limited and the economics will mean a lot more to you. In order to maximize your time, you'll need to deploy more scaleable processes early on. This will mimic the feeling when your business has grown beyond your ability micromanage every aspect of it. Many founders have trouble with delegation and trust. You will have no choice but to cast those fears aside. When it comes to the economics, nothing hurts like losing your own money to poor decisions. You'll have to learn to dust yourself off and keep going, but you'll truly respect every dollar the business spends. When you do receive that VC money, you'll already be in the habit of using money wisely and thinking twice before deploying cash as a solution. ## The Fundraise By successfully bootstrapping your MVP, you're ready to raise that round, cut the golden handcuffs, and take the plunge into the world of entrepreneurship. The best part is your chances of raising capital are far greater having made it to this point on your own. The reality is bootstrapping isn't going to be possible for may people in the prime of their careers and lives. You have responsibilities, but you don't need a VC to fully fund you on day one to realize your dream. You can build the business on the side and get it to a healthy place. From there you can effectively raise capital, pay yourself a reasonable salary, and take things to the next level. In the end bootstrapping and venture funding aren't two mutually exclusive options. You can leverage bootstrapping early on and get the funding you need later to take your business to the next level. The lessons you learn bootstrapping force you to level up your experience in ways someone who raises a plethora of cash early on will not need to comfront until later. VC's will recognize your own commitment to the business and that will weigh in your favor when it comes time to writing a check. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/when-you-cant-bootstrap # The EU Safe Harbor: What Websites Need to Know for Compliance By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-07-29 Explore the significance of the EU Safe Harbor framework in data privacy, its evolution to the EU-US Privacy Shield, and essential compliance steps for websites. Stay informed and protect your online business.  Navigating the maze of international data privacy regulations can be daunting for businesses, especially those that operate online. One of the most pivotal agreements in this arena used to be the **EU Safe Harbor** framework, which governed the transfer of personal data from the European Union to the United States. Let's delve into its significance and what websites need to know to ensure compliance. ### What is the EU Safe Harbor? The **EU Safe Harbor** (often referred to simply as "Safe Harbor") was a framework designed to bridge the gap between the stringent data protection regulations of the European Union and those of the United States. The main objective was to facilitate the safe transfer of personal data across the Atlantic without running afoul of European privacy laws. The European Commission recognized the Safe Harbor as providing adequate protection, allowing U.S. companies that were certified under the framework to receive personal data from EU member countries without additional approval. This framework was based on a set of [International Safe Harbor Privacy Principles](https://www.export.gov/article?id=U-S-EU-Safe-Harbor-Frameworks) which companies had to adhere to, such as notice, choice, onward transfer, and enforcement. ### The Demise of Safe Harbor and the Advent of Privacy Shield It's important to note that in 2015, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) declared the Safe Harbor framework invalid, primarily because it felt U.S. surveillance practices undermined the privacy rights of EU citizens. This landmark judgment led to the formation of the [EU-US Privacy Shield](https://www.privacyshield.gov/welcome) in 2016, a new framework to govern transatlantic data flows. ### What Websites Need to Do: Compliance and Self-audit If your website deals with data transfers between the EU and the U.S., it's imperative to ensure that you're compliant with the relevant data protection frameworks. Here's a roadmap for businesses: 1. **Stay Updated**: As mentioned, the Safe Harbor framework is no longer valid. If your website was previously relying on it, you need to transition to mechanisms like the EU-US Privacy Shield or Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs). 2. **Conduct a Data Audit**: Regularly review how and where your website collects, processes, and stores personal data. Ensure that any data transferred outside of the EU has appropriate protections in place. 3. **Privacy Policy Review**: Ensure your privacy policy is up-to-date and reflects the current frameworks you're complying with. Clearly articulate your data handling and transfer practices to your users. 4. **Establish Clear Data Transfer Agreements**: If you're sharing data with third-party vendors (like cloud storage providers), ensure that they're also compliant with relevant data protection frameworks. Often, using SCCs can help solidify these relationships. 5. **Consider Data Localization**: If feasible, consider storing and processing EU residents' data within the EU. This can simplify compliance by reducing the need for transatlantic data transfers. 6. **Stay Abreast of Changes**: The world of data privacy is continually evolving. Subscribe to legal advisories or consult with legal counsel to stay informed about the changing landscape. ### Remediation Steps for Identified Issues If your website's audit reveals issues: 1. **Immediate Notification**: Notify affected users if their data has been mishandled or if there's been a breach. 2. **Data Mapping**: Understand where data flows, both within and outside your organization. This can help pinpoint vulnerabilities. 3. **Implement Encryption**: Use encryption for data in transit and at rest. This adds a layer of security, making breaches less impactful. 4. **Engage Legal Counsel**: To navigate the complexities of data privacy laws, it's advisable to engage legal experts who can provide specific advice tailored to your situation. In conclusion, while the Safe Harbor framework played a crucial role in the past, today's websites need to be attuned to the shifting sands of international data privacy laws. Regular self-audits, staying updated, and having a proactive approach to data protection are the keys to maintaining trust and ensuring compliance in the digital age. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-eu-safe-harbor-what-websites-need-to-know-for-compliance # Why Iteration Velocity Matters And Why You're Still A Shitty Surfer... By: Michael Rispoli Published: 2023-07-26 When it comes to building software, iteration velocity is king. The more shots you take over a shorter period of time, the faster you will get to your goals. When people hear iteration velocity, they tend to focus in on the term velocity, and parallelize it with the quantity of tickets completed in a sprint. This is the wrong way to look at things. In surfing, if we simply measure time in the water, we'll see little to no gain in our abilities. What we really want is repeated attempts at our ultimate goal, in rapid succession, over a short period of time.  The other day I saw a great visual posted by CEO of Vercel, [Guillermo Rauch](https://www.linkedin.com/in/guillermo-rauch-b834b917b/), showcasing why iteration velocity matters. Here's what he posted:  This visual immediately made sense to me as I run an engineering team that is building multiple early stage startups. For most engineering leaders this visual makes a ton of sense. The problem is, my customers, largely non-technical founders, have no idea what this means. In fact, as an early engineer I wouldn't have understood this either. When people hear iteration velocity, they tend to focus in on the term *velocity*, and parallelize it with the quantity of tickets completed in a sprint. Most of the organizations I've worked with measured sprint velocity in two ways. The first method looks at the number of tasks that could be shipped over a fixed amount of time. The second method attempts to measure complexity of the tasks by assigning point values to each ticket and adds those points up over the same fixed timeframe. Organizations do this because everyone does this, it seems obvious. But as I am prone to do I'd like to use a non-technical metaphor to better explain why iteration velocity, not sprint velocity is the real nut to crack. ## Why You're Still a Shitty Surfer "I feel like I've been surfing for years and never actually get any better." These are the words my co-founder, Justin, said to me as we sat in the surf lineup at dawn on Long Island a few years ago. I felt the same way. I spent most of my younger years rock climbing and snow boarding. When I moved back to Long Island, both activities were in short supply, so surfing seemed a natural substitute. Except we continued to suck, year after year, no matter how much time we spent in the water. I wondered how it was possible that you can pick up snowboarding in three days, and fly down double black diamonds in a single season? Yet with surfing, the gulf seemed insurmountable. The answer lies in iteration velocity. When you go out surfing on Long Island, there are many days where you paddle out to flat water. There are also days where you paddle out to waves that are above your ability level. The amount of time you spend waiting for the perfect wave greatly exceeds the time you spend riding them. Days where prefect, knee-high waves roll in at a regular intervals are few and far between. In short, when you're "surfing," most of the time you're just sitting there, waiting for the opportunity to surf. Every time a wave comes in that you miss, that's another missed opportunity to sharpen your skills. Let's contrast this with a day of snowboarding. You get out to the bunny slope first, and a lift takes you up and down as quickly as you can hobble back to the lift line. Over and over again you run the hill until you feel comfortable enough to go up to the top of the standard slopes. Here the runs get even longer, giving you even more time to sharpen your skills. The more runs or *iterations* you can complete in a single day, the faster your body will adapt to the new activity. Rock climbing is another great example. Many people find that they improve greatly at the sport when they take up bouldering indoors. It's not just because of the difficulty of the climbs, but the amount of times you can work on each movement. Every time you fall, you can rest and hop right back on. You can work on moves in isolation without needing to wrangle ropes and gear, rappel off cliff faces, or hike out to remote locations. Bouldering allowed rock climbers to practice more times, more frequently, therefore the average difficulty that the average rock climber can climb has risen by four grades or more since I started as a kid. When it comes to sports, the speed at which you improve is the amount of repetitions you can put in over a period of time. Missing 100 waves surfing over 5 years isn't teaching you anything about riding tubes in Hawai'i. Sports that have long iteration cycles, like surfing or white water Kayaking, take a long time to master. ## How This Works In Software As with sports, software requires the same focus on iterations to improve the product. The faster we can learn from failures and try again, the faster we can arrive at truly killer products. Imagine that every time you ship a feature to users, it takes you a few months to incorporate the feedback back into the product. Just like missing that wave in the surf lineup, it could take weeks or months before you get the chance to try again. Contrast that with a team that iterates in days and weeks. They can be wrong dozens of times and ship dozens of fixes in the time it takes the previous team to circle back to improve one feature. Ultimately who is going to win out? The team that has the luxury to be wrong, take chances, and take dozens of runs down the hill--all while the other team is bobbing in the shore break, hoping for just one more chance to get better. So when we devised our process for building software, we optimize for iterations, because this allows us to improve the product faster. You want to shorten the time it takes to bring ultimate value to your product market. Rapid iterations allows you to learn and course correct faster than trying to ship more volume or any amorphous concept of points. It's not about the number or difficulty of tickets you ship, it's about the time it takes to circle back and improve those features from user feedback. Optimize your process so you can take more runs down the hill and you'll find your way to product market fit faster than your competitors. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/why-iteration-velocity-matters-and-why-youre-still-a-shitty-surfer # Understanding the ADA and Ensuring Your Website Meets Compliance By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-07-13 Unlock the essentials of ADA compliance for websites with our comprehensive guide. Explore the importance of ADA, its impact on digital platforms, and actionable steps for auditing and remediation. Ensure an inclusive web experience for all users.  In the modern era, as businesses and services continue to expand their digital presence, ensuring accessibility for all users, regardless of their physical or mental capabilities, has become paramount. This is not only a matter of inclusivity but also a legal requirement under the **Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)**. Here's a comprehensive look at what the ADA entails and what websites need to know to protect themselves from potential lawsuits and meet compliance. ### What is the ADA? The [Americans with Disabilities Act](https://www.ada.gov/) was signed into law in 1990, aiming to eliminate discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. The act covers various sectors including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications, and more. Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination in the "full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations" of any place of public accommodation. While the Act was initially focused more on physical locations, numerous lawsuits and court rulings have interpreted websites as "places of public accommodation." Thus, businesses with an online presence must ensure their websites are ADA compliant, ensuring accessibility for users with disabilities. ### Why is Website ADA Compliance Important? 1. **Legal Obligations**: Failing to ensure that your website is ADA compliant can lead to lawsuits. There have been a rising number of legal cases where businesses have been sued for not having accessible websites. 2. **Wider Audience**: An ADA compliant website ensures a better user experience for all visitors, including those with disabilities, expanding your potential user base. 3. **Enhanced Reputation**: Ensuring accessibility showcases a brand's commitment to inclusivity and can boost its reputation. ### Auditing Your Website for ADA Compliance 1. **Automated Testing Tools**: There are numerous tools online, like [WAVE](https://wave.webaim.org/) or [AXE](https://www.deque.com/axe/), which can help identify accessibility issues on your website. However, remember that automated tools can only identify a fraction of potential issues. 2. **Manual Testing**: Engage users with disabilities to navigate and use your site. Their first-hand experience can provide invaluable insights. 3. **Consult with Experts**: It's wise to consult with ADA compliance experts or agencies who can provide a comprehensive audit and suggest actionable remediation steps. ### Remediation Steps for ADA Compliance 1. **Alt Text for Images**: Ensure that all images on your site have descriptive "alt" text to aid users with screen readers. 2. **Keyboard Navigation**: Make sure that all website functions can be navigated using a keyboard. 3. **Contrast Ratios**: Ensure sufficient color contrast between text and background to aid visually impaired users. 4. **Text Resizing**: Ensure your site supports browser settings that allow users to resize text without breaking the site layout. 5. **ARIA Landmarks**: Use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) landmarks to indicate the roles of different sections of your page. 6. **Video and Audio**: Offer transcriptions for audio content and captions for videos. 7. **Consistent Navigation**: Maintain consistent navigation and layout throughout the site, making it easier for users to learn and navigate. ### In Conclusion Meeting ADA compliance for your website is not just a legal necessity but also a responsibility towards ensuring an inclusive web for everyone. While it might seem daunting initially, with the right resources and a commitment to accessibility, businesses can create a more inclusive digital presence that not only meets legal standards but also improves user experience for all. Remember, an accessible website is not just about avoiding legal issues—it's about offering an equal opportunity for everyone to access information, products, and services online. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/understanding-the-ada-and-ensuring-your-website-meets-compliance # Understanding CIPA: What Websites Need to Know By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-07-12 Explore the key aspects of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and its significance for websites. Learn about compliance, auditing techniques, and remediation measures to ensure a safer online experience for young users.  The internet has become an integral part of our daily lives. However, as with all technologies, it comes with its fair share of risks, especially for younger users. The Children's Internet Protection Act, commonly known as CIPA, was introduced to address these concerns. This article delves into the intricacies of CIPA and offers guidance for websites looking to ensure they meet compliance. **Defining CIPA** The [Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)](https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act) was enacted by Congress in 2000 to address concerns related to children's access to offensive content over the internet. Specifically, it imposes certain requirements on schools or libraries that receive discounts for internet access or internal connections through the E-rate program – a program that makes communications technology more affordable for eligible schools and libraries. In essence, CIPA requires that K-12 schools and libraries in the US: - Use internet filters to protect minors from harmful online content. - Adopt and implement a policy addressing: * Access by minors to inappropriate content on the internet. * The safety and security of minors when using email, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communication. * Unauthorized access, including hacking, and other unlawful activities. * Unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors. * Measures restricting minors' access to harmful material. **What Websites Need to Understand About CIPA** For most websites, CIPA itself does not impose any direct requirements. The onus is largely on schools and libraries to ensure they have the necessary filtering and policies in place. However, if a website offers educational resources or is commonly used by schools and libraries, understanding CIPA is crucial. Compliance can increase trust with educators and parents, potentially broadening the user base. **Auditing Your Website for CIPA Compliance** 1. **Content Review**: Ensure your content is suitable for minors. Remove or appropriately label any content that could be deemed harmful or explicit. 2. **Privacy Policy and Data Collection**: Make sure you have clear privacy policies in place, especially if you collect data from minors. Under other laws like [COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act)](https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-reform-proceedings/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule), there are strict guidelines on collecting data from children under 13. 3. **Communication Tools**: If your site has chat rooms, forums, or other communication tools, consider having moderated sessions or implement monitoring tools to prevent the sharing of inappropriate content or personal data. 4. **Feedback Systems**: Allow users and educators to report inappropriate content. This can help you take swift action and maintain a clean and safe environment. **Remediation Measures** If issues are found during the audit: 1. **Content Moderation**: Invest in automated content moderation tools or hire a moderation team to ensure that user-generated content remains appropriate. 2. **Enhanced Filtering**: Provide features that allow schools and libraries to easily filter out any inappropriate content based on their own definitions. 3. **Privacy Enhancements**: Regularly update your privacy policies and ensure that they're easy to understand. For sites targeting children, consider getting parental consent before collecting data. 4. **Education and Training**: Offer resources or training sessions on internet safety. This not only helps in compliance but also positions your website as a responsible and trusted player in the digital space. In conclusion, while CIPA might not directly affect most websites, understanding it and taking proactive steps towards compliance can offer a competitive edge. It's all about building a safe environment for all users, and in this digital age, that's invaluable. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/understanding-cipa-what-websites-need-to-know # Understanding the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and What Websites Need to Know By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-07-11 Explore the essentials of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for websites. Learn how to audit for compliance and address potential issues, ensuring your site meets privacy standards.  The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) has created significant changes in the digital landscape, setting a new standard for privacy rights and data protection. As a website owner, it's crucial to understand this law and take necessary steps to ensure compliance. In this article, we'll explore what CCPA is and provide actionable advice on auditing your website and addressing potential issues. ### What is the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)? The [CCPA](https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa) was enacted in 2018 and went into effect on January 1, 2020. It grants California consumers new rights with respect to the collection of their personal information. Specifically, the CCPA provides: - The right to know what personal data is being collected about them. - The right to know whether their personal data is sold or disclosed and to whom. - The right to say no to the sale of personal data. - The right to access their personal data. - The right to equal service and price, even if they exercise their privacy rights. ### What Websites Need to Consider: If your website collects data from California residents, you must be CCPA-compliant. Here's what you need to know: 1. **Determine Applicability**: The CCPA applies to businesses that meet any one of the following: - Have a gross annual revenue of over $25 million. - Buy, receive, sell, or share personal information of 50,000 or more California residents, households, or devices. - Derive 50% or more of their annual revenues from selling California residents’ personal information. 2. **Provide a Clear Privacy Policy**: Your website must have a [privacy policy](https://www.oag.ca.gov/privacy/business-privacy-facts-2018) that details what data you collect, why you collect it, how you use it, and with whom you share it. 3. **"Do Not Sell My Info" Option**: If you sell personal information, your website should feature a clear option that allows users to opt out of the sale of their data. 4. **Data Access and Deletion Requests**: You must allow users to request access to or deletion of their data and have a system in place to handle these requests. ### How to Audit Your Website for CCPA Compliance: Auditing your website is a proactive step toward ensuring you're compliant with the CCPA. 1. **Identify Data Collection Points**: Review your website to identify where you're collecting personal information. This includes contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, cookies, analytics tools, and more. 2. **Review Third-party Integrations**: Examine third-party services (like analytics or advertising tools) to ensure they're compliant. It's your responsibility to ensure data shared with third parties meets CCPA standards. 3. **Check Your Privacy Policy**: Ensure it's up-to-date and clearly communicates all required aspects of the CCPA. 4. **Test Data Request Systems**: Periodically test your systems for handling data access and deletion requests to ensure they're functioning correctly. ### Remediation Steps for Identified Issues: If your audit identifies non-compliance, it's crucial to address these issues swiftly. 1. **Update or Implement Privacy Policies**: Revise your existing policy or draft a new one that aligns with the CCPA. 2. **Reconfigure Data Collection Tools**: Ensure tools only collect necessary data and consider adopting privacy-preserving tools when possible. 3. **Review and Vet Vendors**: Engage with third-party vendors to ensure their practices are CCPA-compliant. 4. **Train Your Team**: Ensure everyone involved with data collection and processing understands the CCPA and its implications. 5. **Stay Updated**: Regulations evolve. Continually monitor changes to the CCPA or related privacy regulations to maintain compliance. In conclusion, while the CCPA introduces stringent requirements for websites, it's a step forward in preserving user privacy. With a proactive approach, websites can ensure compliance and foster trust with their audience. Remember, protecting user data isn't just about following the law; it's about building a trustworthy brand in the digital age. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/understanding-the-california-consumer-privacy-act-ccpa-and-what-websites # Five Things to Consider When Choosing a Startup CTO By: Michael Rispoli Published: 2023-07-06 At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in working with non-technical founders. People with great ideas and industry expertise around the problem they are solving, but without a way to implement them. Steve Jobs had Steve Wozniak, and in order for you to to manifest your dreams, you need to find your Woz. But where to begin?  At Cause of a Kind, we specialize in working with non-technical founders. People with great ideas and industry expertise around the problem they are solving, but without a way to implement them. Steve Jobs had Steve Wozniak, and in order for you to to manifest your dreams, you need to find your Woz. But where to begin? The hard part about finding the CTO for your startup is that you aren't looking for someone that is a CTO today. A CTO at a large company not only gets paid far more than you would be able to afford right now, they also more than likely have not touched code in many years (outside of some personal projects they enjoy). Steve Wozniak was not a great engineering manager when he and Steve Jobs went to found Apple. You're looking for a person that may not even realize their own potential, no less be advertising it for job searches. You're also in a different situation. You're not partnering with your childhood friend and neighbor. There's a difference between starting a company with someone you already know and trust vs. giving equity and your hard-earned cash to someone you barely know and are ill-equipped to evaluate. How good a programmer is this person really? Will they be able to grow into a senior role as we scale? Does their personality jive with mine? Here's a few of the things I think are important when you're in the market for a technical co-founder. ## 1. Watch Out For Titles Your early technical co-founder needs to be hands-on-keyboard. This means that they likely do not have the title of CTO, VP of Engineering, or Engineering Manager right now. They aren't coming into your startup to manage a large team, produce multi-year road maps, nor construct elaborate UML and architecture diagrams. Their first job, their core responsibility on day one, is going to be working on the first version of your product. At a large company, most people in senior leadership positions are not coding and may not have coded in quite some time. This does not mean they are not capable of the task, but they are going to be a bit rusty. Compare that to someone that's been working as an individual contributor and pushing code in the latest and greatest technology as their day job. You may find the best person for this job isn't all that into managing people as a core responsibility. They are likely more of a visionary and are often great at working with people but may not be as interested in forming company hierarchies and management structures. This is OK! Leave that stuff for your VP of Engineering when you need one, I tend to heir on the side of a product visionary over a process manager for your technical co-founder and CTO. The operational side of things isn't needed this early in the game. ## 2. Find Someone Iceberg Shaped One of the hardest parts of finding your technical co-founder is you are not looking for someone that is simply good at writing and deploying code. You're looking for someone that can play multiple positions on the field with competence. They are likely passable product managers and have an eye for reasonable design. What I mean by reasonable is, if you ask them to build something, it won't come back looking like a worse version of Craigslist. This may be the hardest part of your search but it's critical that you find someone that's more iceberg shaped in their skills depth. An iceberg shaped person will have a broad knowledge set that extends deep across many areas of software product development (some call this an M-shaped person). They may not be the best at UI design or DevOps, but they can leverage tools, libraries and best practices effectively to perform sicker than the average. Contrast this to a T-shaped person who will have equally broad knowledge, but that knowledge extends deep into one specific area. A T-shaped person can collaborate across disciplines, an iceberg shaped person can actually perform across disciplines at a high level. A solid iceberg shaped engineer will know how to build a good user experience, but may struggle to pair fonts. They know how to deploy their code to the cloud, but are not a Kubernetes expert. They understand how to solve product problems with the lightest touch possible and see how features tie into paying users of the product itself. They can get a product deployed an into the hands of users, and those users will feel that product is professional, trustworthy, easy to use, and valuable to the problem at hand. You can now begin to learn from those users without the worry that the design or function of the software is causing your feedback loop to suffer. I would also like to make a note to be careful not to try to find someone whose breadth and depth covers every discipline you can conceive of. It would be nice to think there's a unicorn out there that can operate at a high level everywhere from hardware engineering to typography. However this is likely too big and unrealistic of an iceberg. Where you want to sit on the spectrum of skills and the exact makeup of the skillset required is going to vary depending upon your product. You would also be wise to not think too far into the future. For example I've seen many founders put AI and machine learning at the top of their skills needed for their technical co-founder despite them not having any users, data, nor AI supported features planned in the near future. They have the intention of adding these things when they raise money and their product takes off so they want to make sure their co-founder is ready. But these are exactly the types of features you're going to hire experts for when you are ready. If you're at the stage where you are building a serious large language model (LLM), then you'll be looking for a machine learning expert, not a generalist. Remember, you're technical co-founder needs to be able aid you on the march to product-market fit. When it comes to deep specialities like crypto, machine learning, augmented reality, or AI it's far more important your CTO understand how to evaluate individuals for their expertise in these areas than they themselves be able to write the code for them. Just as you will be surrounding yourself with people to fill in your weaknesses as a CEO, your CTO will have to do the same. ## 3. Don't Make an Equity-only Offer Unless you found someone that's independently wealthy and has a beyond uncanny passion for your idea, DO NOT ask someone to do the job for equity only. I've seen this go the wrong more times than not. The story goes like this. A founder gets a programmer they met psyched on an idea, the programmer agrees over a few beers to build the product for equity only. They rapidly get a homepage up, create a quick mockup in Figma, and maybe build out a few account creation features. Then progress stalls. Weeks and months pass by with barely any progress on the product. The founder begins to wonder what happened? When pressed, the programmer makes excuses that different components are taking longer than expected, or they rush to push out some barely functional frontend code so you can see some progress being made. Eventually you become frustrated that this person isn't "bought in" anymore and begin looking around for someone else to finish the project. Why does this happen? I like to call it the infatuation phase of product development. When the world is full of possibilities and the realities of laying down thousands of lines of code over hundreds of hours for a project that may go nowhere sets in. You have to remember, this idea wasn't a burning desire or problem to solve for this programmer. If they never met you, they likely wouldn't care to build this thing, ever. Not to mention if they are building for free, they have to somehow come up with the money for their food, rent, bills, and family. So they are likely keeping their day job just like you while they get the MVP out the door. So they code all day for work only to come home and want a few hours relaxation. The reality is if you want this done in a timely fashion, it's going to be hard to find a technical co-founder that can keep up their motivation. So while you should plan to give up some equity to this individual, you should also plan to fork over some cash as well so they can actually focus on the project and maintain motivation when the lines of code start to mount and they need to put time in the saddle. ## 4. Get Someone That Will Challenge You It's important to remember your technical co-founder or CTO is going to be your peer in this. You want someone that is going to tell you the truth, always. The last thing you will want long term is someone that just executes on your every whim and desire. That's an employee that works for you, you need someone that can work *with* you. This means that they will be radically candid even when it's uncomfortable. Even when you vehemently disagree with their position. I very much appreciate that my co-founder at Cause of a Kind, Justin, is honest with me always. I could not do this job if I didn't have a second brain there to challenge my assumptions, ideas, and decisions. This is not so easy to interview for, and it's usually why it's a good idea to have a few conversations and to even work with this individual for a period of time prior to making an official offer if possible. Throw out some horrible ideas and see if they challenge you and how they do so. The dynamic of criticism between two people is hard to gauge in an interview, but ultimately it's our disagreements that define our best working relationships. One question that you should be able to have a resounding *hell yes* to before making your decision is "will this person tell me if I'm wrong?" ## 5. Slow Down Your Decision Process When it comes to selecting a technical co-founder, you need to resist the urge to say yes to the first person that is excited by your idea. It's easy to be flattered by someone drinking the Kool-aid you're serving up. Don't fall for this. People tend to mirror our own energy in conversation. Therefore you may find yourself dazzled by your own enthusiasm staring back at you. This is a big decision, and this person is going to hold a significant portion of equity in your company for many years to come (even with a vesting schedule). It's ok to pass on good people, but it's not ok to pick the wrong one. So how do you slow down the process when you needed your CTO yesterday? Starting with a fractional CTO is a great way to bridge this gap. One of the best things a fractional CTO offers you is time. The cost per hour can be higher than a full time CTO, but you'll be able to work with smaller blocks of time and this affords you freedom and time to make the right selection. The equity in your company is precious and where the true value lies. If you can buy yourself time to make this decision with a fractional CTO to get you your MVP or even version one, this will prevent you from making a bad decision out of haste. A strong fractional CTO can also help you pick the right tools, ensure a sound architecture, help you pitch VC's, as well as help interview your early team and evaluate your permanent technical co-founder when the time comes. ## Conclusion Choosing a technical co-founder to go with you on this journey is one of the biggest decisions you'll make as a founder. Not all of us can rely upon a childhood friend or someone we've worked with before to build out our product. Plenty of founders have had to figure out how to get their technology built first. Just because you don't know a software engineer right now doesn't mean you should despair. I've helped many non-technical founders get their product built and later find their technical counterpart. The great part about doing it this way is you actually have a product to measure someone's expertise on as well as to gauge their true interest in sticking with you for the long haul. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/five-things-to-consider-when-choosing-a-startup-cto # Embracing Entrepreneurship: A Tech Founder's Leap from Professional to Pioneer By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-06-16 Explore the journey of a tech professional who tackled a productivity gap by creating her own software, transforming from a seasoned professional to a successful tech entrepreneur.  ### Here is a short story, based on true events. Everyone has a big idea and even bigger dreams. Some take massive action to realize their dreams and an even smaller group have what it takes to be exceptional. ### But everyone, can scratch their own itch, if it's burdensome enough. For twenty-five years, Jane Doe was an accomplished professional in the technology industry, a pillar in her domain known for her keen insight, unwavering dedication, and innovative thinking. Yet, despite all the tools and software at her disposal, Jane consistently bumped into a frustrating productivity gap, a crack in the otherwise smooth pathway of her daily operations. For years, she scoured the digital marketplace, hoping to find the elusive solution that could bridge this gap. That solution, however, remained undiscovered. Instead of letting frustration consume her, Jane, a wife, mother, and passionate tech enthusiast, decided to view this challenge as an opportunity. In the comfort of financial stability and the support of her loving family, she set a budget and dared to take a step many only dream of - she embarked on the journey to scratch her own itch and build the software she had long been searching for. Jane didn't start with the intention to build a fully-fledged, comprehensive software solution. Rather, she focused on developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) - a lean version of the software that addressed the core productivity issue she was facing. Her hands-on industry experience, combined with her intuitive understanding of the problem, shaped the architecture of the software. The result? A simple, user-friendly tool that seamlessly filled the hole in her industry. When the MVP was released, it immediately struck a chord with a niche customer base who had, like Jane, been searching for a solution to this very productivity gap. The software wasn't just another tool on the market. It was a real solution, crafted out of personal experience and deep industry knowledge. The niche customer base grew, word spread, and soon, Jane found herself at the center of a growing community, all benefitting from her innovative solution. Encouraged by the momentum, Jane took a leap of faith to secure funding for her newfound business. Her pitch wasn't just a business proposal; it was a passionate story of a real-life problem and a unique solution that she had brought to life. The investors were swayed not only by the product's potential but by Jane's dedication and her lived experience as a testament to the product's necessity. Fast forward to today, Jane is not just an accomplished tech professional, but a successful entrepreneur, business owner, and tech founder. Her transition was not always smooth. It required her to embrace uncertainty, overcome hurdles, and step out of her comfort zone. But the reward was worth the risk - she was able to solve a problem not just for herself but for her industry, while also living her dream. Jane's story serves as an inspiration for all aspiring entrepreneurs, reminding them that often, solutions to problems come from within, and when they do, they possess the power to not just transform an industry but also, a career. As Jane's journey shows, if you're standing on the edge of entrepreneurship, sometimes, all it takes is a leap of faith to transition from dreaming to doing. ## Seriously, Why Not You? Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/embracing-entrepreneurship-a-tech-founders-leap-from-professional-to-pioneer # Unconventional Wisdom: Thriving in a 50/50 Business Partnership with Your Best Friend By: Michael Rispoli Published: 2023-06-08 My business partner is also my best friend. We are also 50/50 partners. Every decision we make requires two yeses. Despite the near ubiquitous advice that having a partnership like this is a disaster, for us it works. If you're wondering how, it's grounded in three core principles that I'll share.  My business partner is also my best friend. We are also 50/50 partners. Every decision we make requires two yeses. Despite the near ubiquitous advice that having a partnership like this is a disaster, for us it works. If you're wondering how, it's grounded in three core principles that I'll share. **A no is a no to one thing. A yes is a no to many things.** When you are in a 50 50 partnership, in order to get a yes to any decision, you require two thumbs up. This means the default to any decision is no. I often hear the criticism of partnerships that in the event of a deadlock you require a single 51% shareholder to break it. That's only true if you're fishing for a yes. The reality is, there are no deadlocks, there's two thumbs up and then there's a no. Defaulting to no is not a disadvantage. In fact, we think that it's the most advantageous position you can take. No is a no to one thing, yes is a no to many things. By defaulting to no, we keep options open. If our default was yes, the opportunity cost of a system like that to a business could be immense. Defaulting to no is powerful, and needing two thumbs up is a great way to ensure the answer is always no, until it's not. This brings us to the second core principle. **If it's not a hell yes, it's a no.** We love this line and we think of our two thumbs up system as the ultimate way to keep us honest. It's easy to trick yourself into a half-hearted yes, but in our world it's dam near impossible to get two of us to give a feeble thumbs up. Think about how often you've decided to let something go, or just say yes out of exhaustion. How many times have we had a bad feeling in our gut and ignored it or thought we were being silly. When you're alone, it's easy to dismiss your own hesitation, but when you have to act enthusiastic about that same decision to someone else it's much harder to be dishonest. Many times neither of us is a strong yes nor a strong no, the so called *deadlock*. When that happens we just look at each other and say, "it's just not a hell yes," and happily default to no. Two guts are better than one. **Who does this matter more to?** There are many decisions in a business like hours where one of us is more qualified than the other to make a decision. For example when deciding on our hosting infrastructure, the expertise falls on me. When deciding what analytics tools we're going to adopt, the expertise is with Justin. In these situations it's common for the partner that's out of their depth to challenge the other somewhat harshly. We don't take this personal, ever. This is a part of making a good decision and when you're outside of your area of expertise asking tough, challenging, and sometimes stupid questions is a great way to probe the more knowledgeable partner for their confidence in the decision. It's also just a great way to learn more about the other parts of the business. In the end these decisions come down to *who does this matter more to?* When it comes to infrastructure and technology, my team and I are the one's that have to live with the decision. When it comes to marketing tools, Justin and his team must live with that one. So when out of your depth, you must recognize that this decision is more important to the other partner and you should trust their judgment. Conversely, when the other partner is trusting your judgment you should take that decision with caution and understand the power you hold. Never give a counterfeit yes, and never ignore your gut intuition when your partner is doesn't have the spidey-sense to check you. That's it, the three principles to finding strength in a 50/50 partnership. We live by these three daily and it's taken us this far with little to no conflict. We accept the rules, and a whole bunch of *hell yeses* later we're still standing here. It's also important to remember to just have fun. That's the whole point of running a business as friends, but when you're in the trenches you can't always just be friends. So make time for that. Play softball, grab a bite to eat, it's ok to talk business, but it's also ok to just shoot the shit and forget all the balance sheets, clients, cash flows, and myriad of decisions you have waiting for you at the office. Celebrate nothing but the fact that you're just out here, having a good time, building the dream together. In the end, all the chips go back to the house anyway. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/unconventional-wisdom-thriving-in-a-50-50-business-partnership-with-your # The Power of Holistic Marketing: An Omni-Channel Approach with SEO at the Helm By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-06-08 Explore the power of holistic marketing, integrating SEO & organic research to boost brand visibility. Success stories of Nike, Apple & IKEA guide the way.  As the world continues to digitize, businesses have an unprecedented array of avenues through which to engage their customers. A key challenge that brands face is to ensure that they provide a seamless, coherent experience across all these channels. This is where the concept of holistic marketing comes into play. Holistic marketing is the strategic approach that integrates traditional and digital marketing channels into a unified, consistent experience for the consumer. It embodies the 'all for one and one for all' principle, where all marketing elements work together towards a common goal, driven by the voice of the customer and the pulse of the market. But how can brands harness this concept to influence their entire marketing motion? One key answer lies in SEO and organic research. ## Holistic Marketing and SEO Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is not just about improving your website’s visibility on search engines; it's about understanding what people are looking for and delivering it in the most accessible and user-friendly manner. As such, SEO can play a pivotal role in a holistic marketing strategy. A well-implemented SEO strategy ensures that a brand's content reaches its target audience organically, paving the way for better brand visibility, more significant customer engagement, and ultimately, higher sales. SEO can also help unify a brand's presence across various marketing channels. It aids in creating a strong digital footprint that can be leveraged in all forms of marketing, from email and social media marketing to influencer partnerships and content marketing. ## SEO in Action: Brand Examples ### 1. [Nike](https://www.nike.com "Nike") Nike's holistic marketing approach is world-renowned. From innovative product designs to compelling storytelling, Nike has crafted a consistent brand narrative that resonates with its audience on an emotional level. Their SEO strategy complements this by ensuring that their brand remains visible and relevant in the crowded digital landscape. By focusing on keywords related to their products and the sports industry, Nike manages to maintain a dominant online presence that amplifies its marketing efforts. ### 2. [Apple](https://www.apple.com "Apple") Apple's holistic marketing strategy is a testament to the power of brand consistency and customer-centricity. The tech giant has perfected the art of presenting a unified brand image across all marketing channels, and SEO is no exception. Apple leverages SEO to rank highly for competitive keywords, ensuring that potential customers searching for their products won't be disappointed. This is achieved by optimizing their website structure, content, and meta tags, and focusing on building high-quality backlinks. ### 3. [IKEA](https://www.ikea.com "Ikea") IKEA's marketing strategy is a shining example of how SEO can be used to create a seamless customer journey. The Swedish retailer's SEO strategy is built around long-tail keywords related to home furnishings and interior design, guiding potential customers to their website. Once there, customers are presented with a consistent brand experience that extends from their SEO strategy to their product catalogues and customer service. ## Embrace the Power of Holistic Marketing Holistic marketing represents the future of customer engagement, where businesses no longer see digital and traditional marketing as separate entities but as part of a bigger, interconnected system. A robust SEO strategy is a vital component of this system, linking together various marketing channels and providing a springboard for brands to reach their audience. Successful brands like Nike, Apple, and IKEA have shown how SEO and holistic marketing can work in synergy to provide a seamless, effective customer experience. By following their lead and adopting an SEO-focused holistic marketing approach, brands can ensure they're not only heard in today's noisy digital landscape, but also remembered and cherished by their customers. ## A Sample Holistic Marketing Strategy 1. **Market Research & Customer Understanding**: Conduct comprehensive market research to gather insights on customer preferences and behaviors. Use social listening tools and surveys to capture the voice of the customer and understand their needs. 2. **Brand Positioning & Storytelling**: Position your brand based on the unique value it provides to customers. Craft a compelling brand narrative that aligns with your target audience's values and aspirations. 3. **SEO & Content Marketing**: Develop a strong SEO strategy targeting keywords relevant to your industry and audience. Create high-quality, informative content that aligns with these keywords and resonates with your target audience. 4. **Social Media & Influencer Marketing**: Leverage social media to interact directly with your audience and build relationships. Collaborate with influencers who align with your brand values to extend your reach. 5. **Email Marketing**: Design an email marketing strategy to nurture leads and keep your audience engaged. This can include regular updates, exclusive offers, and personalized content. 6. **Customer Experience Management**: Focus on providing a consistent, positive experience across all customer touchpoints. This includes ensuring a seamless purchasing process and investing in customer service. 7. **Performance Tracking & Optimization**: Regularly monitor and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) across all marketing channels. Use this data to optimize your marketing strategy continually, keeping it responsive to changing customer needs and market trends. By integrating all these strategies, you can ensure a consistent, engaging customer experience across all channels, enhancing your brand visibility and customer loyalty. In this article, we dove into the concept of holistic marketing, highlighting its importance in creating a unified, consistent consumer experience across both traditional and digital channels. The conversation shed light on the pivotal role of SEO and organic research in amplifying brand visibility and ensuring that the content reaches the target audience effectively. Using the examples of successful brands like Nike, Apple, and IKEA, we explored how a robust SEO strategy can supplement holistic marketing efforts, providing a seamless customer experience. We also outlined a generic, holistic marketing strategy, detailing the key components like market research, brand positioning, SEO and content marketing, social media and influencer marketing, email marketing, customer experience management, and performance tracking and optimization. This comprehensive strategy ensures consistent customer engagement across all touchpoints, bolstering brand visibility and fostering customer loyalty. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-power-of-holistic-marketing # Debunking the Low-Code/No-Code Myth: A Real-World Perspective from a Custom Tooling Agency By: Michael Rispoli Published: 2023-06-08 We focus a lot on MVP's and custom tools for small businesses Cause of a Kind. Many people as me why we aren't embracing more no code and low code tools. For me there are a few parts to that answer and one of which involves the recent "AI revolution (and yes, I'm cringing as I write that too)."  We focus a lot on MVP's and custom tools for small businesses at Cause of a Kind. Many people ask me why we aren't embracing more no code and low code tools. For me there are a few parts to that answer and one of which involves the recent "AI revolution (and yes, I'm cringing as I write that too)." The other day I saw a tweet talking about how two programmers were pitted against one another. One leveraged a series of low code platforms, the other wrote all their code from scratch. The author boasted how the low code developer cost 1/10th the price and delivered in 1/4 the time. They said they were done with "coders" and instead wanted people that embraced low code and no code tools entirely. This rubbed me the wrong way because as an agency owner and operator, I have a vested interest in faster development at a lower cost. The problem is, I have not found the above to be true. Perhaps if pitted against a programmer that is truly writing every piece of code from scratch, but this is not a realistic depiction of how we build *custom* tooling for people. I've experimented a lot with tools like [Webflow](https://webflow.com/), [Bubble.io](https://bubble.io/), [Framer](https://www.framer.com/), and [ReTool](https://retool.com/) all with the hopes of increasing the speed of our process. Three things seem to happen all the time: 1. They are never as easy as they appear in the instructional videos. 2. The time spent learning to build components in them is time I've already spent building these exact same things in code over the years. 3. There's some odd legacy system, integration, or need that doesn't fit perfectly into the tool itself, leading me to question if it can be done at all. ## The Learning Curve Problem Let's start with the first issue, learning curve. In my experience these tools are still too hard for someone with zero technical knowledge to use. The reality is many people find [Shopify](https://shopify.com) and [Squarespace](https://squarespace.com) hard to use when they don't have the right mental model for how they work. These tools take that sophistication to another level but this puts them in a bit of a no man's land. Too hard for someone that's non-technical but not powerful enough once someone obtains the skills to code. Therefore they end up being liked by some, but loved by no one. The other issue with spending time learning a proprietary tool is it's not transferrable knowledge to other tools. So when you have a client that can't use a tool for certain reasons you end up having to find a new tool and repeat the process of learning it all over again. This could be because of the tools capabilities, performance constraints, or the pricing of the tool itself. When it comes to pricing, those of us that have bought SaaS tools long enough are no stranger to a company suddenly changing it's price tiers or removing options. I'm not faulting them for doing this, every business needs to become profitable at some point, but it's become standard practice to start with unsustainable prices and then gradually raise them as investors demand you show some profit. Any customer of a headless CMS over the last 5 years has seen this happen. There's two classes of customers free and really freaking expensive. I worry about this same phenomenon happening in low code tooling and your product coming too far to turn back. Now you either pay the new price or spend the money building the whole dam thing anyway. Vendor lock in with a single service or component is one thing, but locking your entire platform in like this feels too risky. ## The Easy to Build Components The next advantage I've heard is it's so easy to build things like authentication, charts and graphs, slideshows, animations and more! The problem with this is, I'm not building these things from scratch anymore either! Saying low code helps with auth and log in is cool, except is anyone actually building their own encryption and authentication packages from scratch? After a number of years everyone likely has a library of components, modules and packages they re-use over and over again across projects. The best part is when there are differences or integrations that need to happen, we know these components inside and out and have full access to modify the internals on a case by case basis. No vendor lock-in, no road blocks. Some may say, "but you have to maintain those components!" To them I say, sure, but how much maintenance have you needed to do to your regular components over the years? Our authentication libraries rely on a combination of custom code and packages that receive regular community updates all the time. I'm willing to bet that these same packages sit underneath your favorite low code editor too you just don't realize it. I've even noticed most of these low code and no code tools make you even less efficient over time that written code. While it's easy to drag and drop boxes around often faster than writing the code the first time for these things, you now need to repeat this process over and over again for each new project. So you gain speed up front, but sacrifice the re-use of those components across projects and sometimes even within environments (staging and production) on the same project. What I've found is people greatly underestimate the amount of code re-use of an experienced developer or organization over time. They also underestimate the value of someone truly understanding how all the pieces fit together as well as being able to mirror environments exactly and end to end test all components thoroughly. ## The Edge Cases The third problem is the unknown barriers issue. Every person moving into low code / no code has to attempt to do an up front analysis of the most complex components in the system and see if they are possible. We have to evaluate the technology with all the pressure of a waterfall build, the perennial "just tell me how much it costs," problem. The argument I usually hear about this is, "everyone re-writes their MVP anyway." I have not found this statement to be true. While I will agree that most people do end up re-writing their core platform, you can either set your customers up to do this in an evolutionary manner or a revolutionary one. In the case of a low code or no code code base, this has to be done more on the revolutionary side. This means your re-write is often happening in parallel to a system that's already strained by a growing customer base that finds value in your tool. All this being said, with these tools you're trying to estimate things up front that are just not easily estimated. Prior to gaining product-market fit you won't be able to see around very corner as you evolve your MVP. To think you can see all the edge cases before selecting the tool is a folly. Existing frameworks with great developer experiences and many robust, community supported packages is the safer bet. You can work in an agile fashion and don't have to spend time worrying if you've come too far into using one tool that you can't pivot back to something custom should the need arise in the product discovery process. It's important to remember product market fit can take months and years to establish not weeks. Most founders are way more optimistic than reality, thinking if they get their prototype out in weeks the flood gates will open and the world will realize the tool they've been pining for is finally here. The reality is far more bleak. We advocate releasing as fast as possible so you can see how wrong you were early and use that early feedback to massage your product into the place it needs to be in the market quickly. We don't try to predict where the problems are, we want to expose them and pivot away from them early. It's quite hard to code yourself into a corner, but easy to choose a tool without a critical ability you need later in the process. ## The Rise of AI Driven Programming I wanted to touch on this part as its own section. One thing that was not the case before a few months ago was genuinely effective AI assisted programming. Tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT are fast becoming a developer's secret weapon when authoring code. As a person who both designs interfaces in figma as well as codes them I personally have found myself preferring a simple description of what I want and letting my Github Copilot assist me in authoring a component. When you have this power in your toolbox drag and drop tools like Figma feel tedious! You're already seeing a plethora of tools come up in the form of prompts for these GUI driven development tools, but the power you gain when it's working inline with your code is second to none in terms of speed. I'm hedging that the GUI is no longer going to be the best method to bridge the gap between what we picture in our minds and what shows up on the screen. Humans have evolved alongside character driven languages for ages. It's going to be hard to compete with natural language and typing speed. I think a great project to watch is [Darklang](https://darklang.com/), where they've embraced the idea of the programming language being the right medium to build applications quickly alongside integrated visual tools. Recently they've [all-in on AI](https://blog.darklang.com/gpt/) as the next evolution of their language and platform. I'm truly excited to see where this takes us. ## Conclusion For us, it's easy to see why people take the short route and opt for early speed gains with no code and low code tools. These are great platforms for a great many use cases, but they aren't a great fit for our clients looking to build new software platforms. The speed gains for us are negligible and become speed bumps as the software grows over time. The time spent learning one platform doesn't transfer well to another and locks our customers into expenses that are not easy to predict or exit from when the time is right. Vendor lock-in is very real and virtually impossible to escape once you've gone all in on one of these platforms. These platforms are not a replacement for sound solutions architecture. They still require quality logic and for complex systems they are not going to enable lay folk to take shortcuts without risk. Most of my value comes from discussion, listening, and problem solving with the lightest touch possible and consideration for the future of the tool. We want to be able to solve these problems with all the power of the most appropriate solutions at our disposal in the marketplace. We don't want to be restricted to a platform or a template. Today, the low code and no code solutions I have seen can enable initial speed, but hamstring us. You spend more time thinking about what could be done rather than what needs to be done. In a world where our efforts can be assisted by AI, the GUI as a means to shortcut learning seems superfluous. Nobody wants a magic wand with buttons they want the magic to flow from our thoughts, in anticipation of our actions. It’s why copilot feels so magical, relegating drag and drop coding to the level of guitar hero. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/debunking-the-low-code-no-code-myth # The Serverless Revolution: Transforming Startups and Cloud Solutions By: Alfred Indigo Published: 2023-06-07 Explore the transformative power of serverless architecture in startups and cloud solutions. Understand why this innovative technology, offering scalability, reduced operational costs, and swift deployment, is reshaping the IT landscape. Learn about key considerations for DevOps teams to fully harness serverless benefits. In the ever-evolving world of technology, serverless architecture has emerged as a powerful paradigm shift, revolutionizing the way organizations build and operate their applications. By offering unprecedented scalability, reduced operational overhead, and robust automation, serverless technologies have become a go-to strategy for organizations of all sizes. This article explores why serverless architecture has become such a game-changer, particularly for startups, and provides insight on what DevOps teams need to consider with this advancement in technology. ## The Serverless Revolution: An Overview In a traditional server-based model, organizations need to estimate their infrastructure needs, invest in servers, and manage their operation continuously. This not only involves considerable initial capital expenditure but also continuous operational overhead. Enter Serverless: an architectural model where the organization focuses on writing and maintaining the code, while the underlying infrastructure - setup, maintenance, and scalability - is handled by the cloud service provider. The term "serverless" is a bit of a misnomer; it doesn't mean that there are no servers involved. Rather, it means that the responsibility of managing servers is abstracted away from the developer. ## Why Serverless Architecture is a Game-Changer for Startups Serverless architectures offer several benefits that make them particularly suitable for startups: 1. **Reduced Overhead and Cost Efficiency**: Startups typically operate with constrained budgets. Serverless models allow them to pay only for the resources they use (a model often referred to as "pay as you go"), freeing them from the cost of maintaining servers. 2. **Scalability**: One of the main challenges startups face is scaling their product as their user base grows. With serverless, this is automated. The cloud provider handles the scaling, allowing startups to handle traffic spikes efficiently and affordably. 3. **Speed of Deployment and Iteration**: Serverless architectures significantly cut down the time it takes to get a product to market by abstracting away the server management, allowing startups to focus on core product development. It also promotes a faster iteration cycle, crucial for startups that operate on lean principles. 4. **Focus on Core Business Logic**: With serverless, developers can focus on creating the business logic, optimizing user experience, and pushing out features instead of managing and troubleshooting servers. ## Considerations for DevOps Teams While serverless architecture offers numerous advantages, there are certain considerations that DevOps teams need to bear in mind: 1. **Monitoring and Debugging**: Traditional monitoring and debugging tools may not work effectively in a serverless environment. DevOps teams need to find or build new tools that provide visibility into the serverless applications. 2. **Vendor Lock-in**: Relying on a single cloud provider for all services might lead to vendor lock-in. It's essential to consider the flexibility of your architecture and potentially utilize multi-cloud strategies. 3. **Security**: While the cloud provider takes on the responsibility of securing the underlying infrastructure, application-level security is still in the hands of the developers. Teams need to be proactive in ensuring that their applications are secure. 4. **Cold Start Issue**: This is a latency that occurs when functions haven't been called for a while and are "cold." DevOps teams need to strategize to keep functions "warm" to prevent potential delays in response. 5. **Learning Curve**: Serverless is a new paradigm that requires a different approach to architecture, design, and deployment. Teams may need training to fully harness the power of serverless. In conclusion, serverless architecture is more than just a technological fad—it's a revolution in the way organizations manage and deploy applications, offering incredible benefits for startups in particular. However, to fully leverage these advantages, DevOps teams must consider and adequately address the challenges that come Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-serverless-revolution-transforming-startups-and-cloud-solutions # What are HTTP Status Codes? By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-05-25 Discover the intricacies of HTTP status codes. Understand their categories, importance, and impact on web development, SEO, and efficient user experience in our comprehensive guide. Understanding HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) status codes is vital for anyone interested in web development, network troubleshooting, or simply getting a better grasp of how the internet works. These codes form a key part of HTTP, the protocol that powers the internet by enabling communication between client and server. ## What Are HTTP Status Codes? HTTP status codes are three-digit numbers returned by a server in response to a client's HTTP request (like when you attempt to open a webpage in your browser). They indicate the status of the request, letting the client know whether the action was successful, and if not, what the problem was. HTTP status codes fall into five distinct classes, each designated by the first digit of the code. Let's dive into these categories: ### 1xx Informational These codes indicate that the request has been received and is being processed. They are not very common and usually serve for more technical purposes. 100 Continue: The server has received the request headers, and the client should proceed to send the request body. ### 2xx Success These codes signal that the client's request was successfully received, understood, and accepted. 200 OK: The most common HTTP status code, indicating that the request has succeeded. ### 3xx Redirection These codes suggest that further action must be taken to fulfill the request, often in the form of redirection to another URL. Here is an overview of common client behavior when confronted with various 3xx HTTP status codes used for redirection. It's crucial to keep in mind that different HTTP clients may not adhere strictly to these paths, so it's always beneficial to test these scenarios within your unique context. **301 (Moved Permanently)** - The HTTP Method switches to GET, which applies not just to POST but also DELETE, PUT, PATCH, and others (except for HEAD). - Many headers are maintained during redirection, but some sensitive ones, such as Authorization, are removed. - In redirects within the same domain but using different schemes (e.g., http to https), sensitive headers are kept. - The body may be removed or kept, but since the method becomes GET, it generally doesn't influence the outcome. - This status advises search engines to update their links to the given resource. **302 (Found)** - This behaves similarly to a 301 status but indicates temporary redirection. While browsers will redirect to this page, search engines will not update their links to the resource. **308 (Permanent Redirect)** - Unlike 301, the HTTP Method will not change. - Most headers are kept during redirection, but some sensitive ones, such as Authorization, are removed. An exception is made for redirects within the same domain. - The body will be maintained. - Like 301, search engines are prompted to update their links to the resource. **307 (Temporary Redirect)** - This behaves like a 308 status but indicates temporary redirection. Browsers will redirect to this page, but search engines won't update their links to the resource. **303 (See Other)** - This status is handy when you wish to respond to a PUT or POST method with a different resource - a confirmation message (like "You successfully uploaded XYZ") via a GET redirection. - The result of the original HTTP request can be found at a separate, identifiable, bookmarkable, and cacheable URL, independent of the original request. Refreshing the result page doesn't retrigger the POST/PUT operation. - All HTTP Methods (except HEAD) switch to GET. - Most headers are kept during redirection, but some sensitive ones, such as Authorization, are removed. An exception is made for redirects within the same domain. **300 (Multiple Choices)** - This status code indicates that the client's request has multiple potential responses. The client is advised to select one of them. ### 4xx Client Errors These codes are returned when the request contains bad syntax or cannot be fulfilled due to some error on the client's side. 404 Not Found: Probably the most well-known HTTP status code, this is returned when the server can't find the requested resource. ### 5xx Server Errors These codes indicate that the server failed to fulfill a valid request. The server itself or an upstream service is experiencing issues. 500 Internal Server Error: This is a catch-all error when no specific message is suitable. It's returned when an unexpected condition was encountered, and no more specific message is available.  ## Why Are HTTP Status Codes Important? While most internet users only encounter HTTP status codes when something goes wrong (like seeing a 404 Not Found error when trying to access a broken link), these codes play a crucial role in the smooth operation of the web. For developers, these status codes can provide valuable debugging information. If a request fails, the status code can indicate where the problem lies. For instance, a 4xx code signals an issue with the request, while a 5xx code suggests an issue on the server side. For SEO specialists, certain status codes (especially 3xx redirection codes) are significant. Incorrect use can impact a website's search engine ranking. For example, using a 302 (Found) status when a 301 (Moved Permanently) is appropriate can lead to indexing problems. Understanding HTTP status codes is essential in many areas, from web development to SEO. They allow for more effective troubleshooting and understanding of web traffic flow, aiding in the development and maintenance of a more efficient, user-friendly internet experience. Remember, status codes are tools to make communication clearer between the client and the server. By fully understanding their meanings, we can better navigate and utilize the vast digital world of the internet. [Original Source](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/42136829/whats-the-difference-between-http-301-and-308-status-codes#:~:text=on%20this%20post.-,What's%20the%20difference%20between%20HTTP%20301%20and%20308%20status%20codes,be%20repeated%20using%20another%20URI. "Original Source") Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/what-are-http-status-codes # Cause of a Kind: Agile Product Development By: Michael Rispoli Published: 2023-05-19 Choose a unique approach to product development with Cause of a Kind. Our agile methods promote constant learning and growth. We're your partners in design and development, crafting resonating products. ## Who should NOT use Cause of a Kind... This is a tough question to answer as a business owner. You start off pretty much doing all the things, but after a number of years at this we have a pretty good idea of `bad fits` for us. Here's my top three, but I encourage everyone to try to answer this question for their own business. 1. __You're looking for pure execution.__ There's plenty of dev shops out there that focus purely on executing a spec or designs. It used to be called PSD to HTML shops but now it's usually Figma to React or some other js framework. We're a product development shop, and part of our magic is being in the trenches doing design, research and dev with our clients. If you're looking for developers to just execute a spec or instructions, that's not us. 2. __You want the classical agency waterfall process.__ I've worked at many agencies before and the fairly standard process goes something like this. We do discovery, followed by a lengthy UX design phase with some predetermined (usually 2) rounds of revisions, followed by a black box dev process where something comes out the other side that is ideally "pixel perfect" to the designs. In our experience this process never works. The outcome is often full of things the design process missed (error states, odd user behaviors, features that missed the mark) and ultimately client and agency go back and forth trying to make it right until someone says uncle. We practice agile here, design and development happen together here with no black boxes or big reveals. You'll see how the sausage is made in real time and we never limit number of revisions. We release early and often and each iteration is a chance to pivot from a faulty or incomplete assumption. 3. __You want an outsourced solution.__ While we have employees that live all over the world, they all are a part of the Cause of a Kind team, learning and collaborating with each other. We don't outsource to other agencies ever and our clients can have direct contact with any designer or developer working on their project. There's less layers of indirection and no games of telephone. But what about scope creep? We don't believe in it. If the scope must change it's because we learned something in the last iteration that disproved our assumptions. We don't just drive the car off a cliff because we agreed to a predetermined spec based on old assumptions. You hire us, you're one of us. These are my top three reasons to choose the other guys. But if you’re looking to get in deep and do the hard work of developing a product through learning and iteration, we should be your first call. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/agile-product-development # 0-to-Minimum Viable Software Product (MVP): The Fun, Cheeky, and Seriously Technical Guide for Founders By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-05-09 Discover the fun and cheeky, yet technically serious guide for founders on 0-to-Minimum Viable Software Product (MVP). Learn the guidelines to follow and pitfalls to avoid for successful product development.  ## Are you a founder looking to build a software product from scratch? Congratulations, you're about to embark on a journey full of excitement, challenges, and potential rewards! But before you dive headfirst into coding, designing, and marketing, you need to take a step back and ask yourself a crucial question: what's the smallest, simplest, and most valuable version of your product that you can launch to your target users? This, my dear friend, is what we call a Minimum Viable Software Product (MVP). An MVP is not a half-baked, buggy, or incomplete product, but rather a well-planned, well-executed, and well-received version that solves a real problem for a real user in a real market. An MVP is not about cutting corners or compromising quality, but about being smart, lean, and agile in your approach to product development. ## So, what are the hard and fast guidelines that founders should follow when building an MVP? Here are a few: - Define your problem statement and user persona(s) clearly and specifically. You need to know exactly who you're building for and what problem you're solving for them. Don't try to please everyone or solve all problems at once. - Prioritize your features and functionality based on user feedback and value. Don't try to include every cool idea or fancy feature in your MVP. Focus on what matters most to your users and what distinguishes your product from the competition. - Iterate and test your MVP early and often. Don't wait until your product is 100% perfect or polished before you show it to users. Get feedback, make changes, and learn from your mistakes as you go. - Be transparent, honest, and responsive to your users. Don't hide behind your product or your brand. Show your users that you care about their feedback, their needs, and their trust. - Have a clear and realistic roadmap for your product beyond the MVP. Don't think that launching an MVP is the end goal of your product development. Plan ahead, set goals, and adapt to changing market conditions and user feedback. ## Now, let's talk about some areas to avoid entirely when building a new software product. Here are a few: - Don't try to be a jack of all trades and a master of none. You can't be everything to everyone, so focus on your niche and your strengths. - Don't copy or clone other successful products blindly. You need to differentiate yourself from the competition, not just imitate them. - Don't neglect your user experience and user interface. Your product should be intuitive, easy-to-use, and aesthetically pleasing. Don't sacrifice usability for complexity or beauty for novelty. - Don't overpromise or oversell your product. Your MVP should be an honest representation of your product's capabilities and limitations. Don't hype up your product beyond what it can deliver. - Don't neglect your legal and ethical obligations. Your product should comply with all relevant laws and regulations, protect user privacy and security, and avoid harm to users or society. Building an MVP is both a fun and cheeky adventure and a seriously technical challenge for founders. By following the guidelines and avoiding the pitfalls outlined above, you can increase your chances of success and satisfaction in your product development journey. Good luck and happy coding! Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/0-to-mvp # Adding Apple Pay to my Mobile Website By: Alfred Indigo Published: 2023-03-14 Seamlessly integrate Apple Pay into your mobile website for a fast, secure, and user-friendly checkout experience. Enhance your payment portal today. We recently went through the process of integrating the Apple Pay experiene on a headless website and wanted to share the steps and our experience along the way. As always, should you just need help, just say [Hello](https://www.causeofakind.com/contact "Hello"). Integrating Apple Pay into your mobile website payment portal can provide a seamless and secure checkout experience for your customers. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started: ### 1. **Prerequisites** - Ensure your website uses HTTPS, as Apple Pay requires a secure connection. - You need an Apple Developer account to access Apple Pay's features. - Verify that your payment service provider (PSP) supports Apple Pay (many PSPs, such as Stripe, Braintree, and Adyen, offer built-in support for Apple Pay). ### 2. **Register for Apple Pay** - **Enroll in the Apple Developer Program**: You’ll need to have an Apple Developer account to set up Apple Pay. - **Register a Merchant ID**: 1. Log in to your [Apple Developer Account](https://developer.apple.com/). 2. Go to the “Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles” section. 3. Create a new Merchant ID in the "Identifiers" section. ### 3. **Set Up Payment Processing** - Choose a PSP that supports Apple Pay or configure your own payment processor. Popular PSPs like Stripe, Square, or Adyen make integration easy by offering Apple Pay SDKs. - Configure your payment gateway to accept payments via Apple Pay. ### 4. **Configure Apple Pay on Your Website** - **Create an Apple Pay Session**: You will need to create a session object on your website to handle payments securely. This typically involves setting up the `ApplePaySession` JavaScript API. Example: ```javascript if (window.ApplePaySession) { var merchantIdentifier = 'merchant.com.example'; var promise = ApplePaySession.canMakePaymentsWithActiveCard(merchantIdentifier); promise.then(function (canMakePayments) { if (canMakePayments) { // Show the Apple Pay button } }); } ``` - **Display the Apple Pay Button**: Once the user has confirmed that Apple Pay is available, dynamically show the Apple Pay button on your payment page. Example HTML: ```html ``` ### 5. **Handle the Payment Process** - **Create a New Apple Pay Session**: When a user clicks the Apple Pay button, start a session: ```javascript const paymentRequest = { countryCode: 'US', currencyCode: 'USD', total: { label: 'Your Business Name', amount: '49.99', }, supportedNetworks: ['visa', 'masterCard', 'amex'], merchantCapabilities: ['supports3DS'], }; const session = new ApplePaySession(1, paymentRequest); ``` - **Validate the Merchant**: You need to validate the merchant with Apple's servers. This process is required to ensure that the request comes from an authorized merchant. ```javascript session.onvalidatemerchant = (event) => { const validationURL = event.validationURL; // Call your server to request validation from Apple's servers }; ``` - **Complete the Payment**: Once the user confirms the payment, process it through your payment gateway: ```javascript session.onpaymentauthorized = (event) => { const payment = event.payment; // Process the payment with your payment provider }; ``` ### 6. **Test the Integration** - Use Apple’s [Sandbox Environment](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/apple_pay_on_the_web/setting_up_a_sandbox_environment) for testing before launching on your live site. - Ensure you test different devices and scenarios (success, failure, etc.). ### 7. **Deploy to Production** - After successfully testing your integration, deploy the code to your production environment. - Monitor transactions and gather feedback to ensure everything works smoothly. ### Notes: - Make sure you follow Apple’s [Human Interface Guidelines for Apple Pay](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/technologies/apple-pay/overview/) to ensure a user-friendly checkout process. Would you like help with specific PSPs, or do you already have one in place for Apple Pay integration? Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/adding-apple-pay-to-my-mobile-website # Navigating the Digital Realm: An Introduction to SOC2 for Websites By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-03-09 Explore the essentials of SOC2 compliance for websites, its significance, and actionable tips for auditing and remediation. Enhance data security and trustworthiness in the digital age.  ## In today's digital age, with an increasing reliance on technology and online platforms, the need to ensure the security, confidentiality, and reliability of customer data has never been more pressing. For many organizations, SOC2 (System and Organization Controls) compliance stands as a testament to their commitment to maintaining these standards. But what exactly is SOC2, and why should websites pay attention to it? Let's delve in. ### What is SOC2? SOC2 is a framework developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) that focuses on the management of customer data based on five trust service principles: 1. **Security**: Protection against unauthorized access. 2. **Availability**: Ensuring systems are operational and available for use. 3. **Processing Integrity**: Data processing is valid, timely, and authorized. 4. **Confidentiality**: Information designated as confidential remains so. 5. **Privacy**: Personal data is collected, used, retained, and disclosed in conformity with the organization's policies and public commitments. Unlike its predecessor, SOC1, which pertains mainly to financial reporting, [SOC2](https://www.aicpa.org/interestareas/frc/assuranceadvisoryservices/aicpasoc2report.html) is more encompassing, scrutinizing an organization's non-financial reporting controls. ### Why is SOC2 important for websites? Websites, especially those involved in e-commerce, financial services, or managing personal data, can be treasure troves for cybercriminals. Adhering to SOC2 standards not only provides assurance to your users about the safety of their data but also: - Boosts reputation and trustworthiness. - Satisfies third-party and customer due diligence. - Provides a competitive edge in the market. - Mitigates risks of financial losses and data breaches. ### Tips for Auditing Your Website for SOC2 Compliance: 1. **Engage an Experienced Auditor**: Start by selecting a reputable [auditing firm](https://www.aicpa.org/) with expertise in SOC2 assessments. Their knowledge can guide you through the intricacies of the process. 2. **Assess Your Current State**: Before diving into changes, understand your current controls and infrastructures. A gap analysis can highlight areas in need of improvement. 3. **Document Everything**: Maintain a clear record of all processes, policies, and controls. This will not only assist during audits but will also make revisits and updates more efficient. 4. **Implement Multi-factor Authentication**: Boost security by adding layers of authentication, ensuring only authorized personnel can access sensitive data. 5. **Regularly Update & Patch Systems**: Vulnerabilities often arise from outdated systems. Consistently updating software and applying patches can act as the first line of defense against cyberattacks. 6. **Employee Training**: Ensure staff are well-informed about security protocols, especially those who handle sensitive data. ### Remediation Steps: If your audit reveals non-compliance, don't panic. Here's what you can do: 1. **Prioritize the Issues**: Address critical vulnerabilities that might lead to significant data breaches or service interruptions first. 2. **Develop an Action Plan**: Clearly outline steps, timelines, and responsible parties for each identified issue. 3. **Reassess and Test**: After implementing changes, conduct tests to ensure they work as intended. 4. **Seek External Assistance**: Sometimes, third-party experts can provide solutions that internal teams might overlook. 5. **Continuous Monitoring**: Don't wait for the next audit. Implement monitoring tools to keep an eye on system health and security. ### Conclusion SOC2 compliance might seem daunting, but its advantages far outweigh the challenges. In an era where data breaches can tarnish a brand's reputation overnight, it's essential to take every measure to assure your website's visitors that their information is safe in your hands. By understanding, preparing for, and aligning with SOC2 standards, websites can not only protect themselves but also foster greater trust in the digital landscape. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/navigating-the-digital-realm-an-introduction-to-soc2-for-websites # Can Structured Data be added to Webflow CMS, Dynamically? By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-03-07 In this blog, we discuss how to dynamically add structured data for SEO to Webflow. Steps include identifying the structured data, creating a custom code embed, and previewing and publishing changes. We also discussed how to use Webflow's CMS and dynamic data to automate structured data population. A JSON example for a blog post is provided.  It is possible to let [Webflow](https://webflow.com/ "Webflow") dynamically populate the structured data fields without human intervention using Webflow's CMS and dynamic data features. To do this, you will need to: __1. Set up a CMS Collection in Webflow__: Create a CMS Collection in Webflow with fields that correspond to the structured data you want to add. For example, if you want to add structured data for a `blog post`, you can create a collection with fields for the `post title`, `author`, `date`, and `content`. __2. Add structured data code to the CMS Template page__: Once you have set up your CMS Collection, you can add the structured data code to the CMS Template page. You can use dynamic data from your collection fields to populate the structured data fields. For example, you can use the `post title` field to populate the `name` field in the structured data code. __3. Preview and publish__: Preview your CMS Template page to make sure the structured data is displaying correctly. Once you are satisfied, publish your changes to make the structured data live. With this setup, whenever a new item is added to the CMS Collection, the structured data will automatically be populated with the corresponding data. This eliminates the need for human intervention to manually add the structured data to each page. ``` ``` In this example, the structured data includes information such as the blog post's title, featured image, publication and modification dates, author, publisher, and description. You can customize this code with your own content to generate structured data for your own blog posts. In this article, we discussed how to dynamically add structured data for SEO to Webflow. Steps include identifying the structured data, creating a custom code embed, and previewing and publishing changes. We also discussed how to use Webflow's CMS and dynamic data to automate structured data population. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/dynamically-add-structured-data-to-webflow # Software Orchestration : The Sound of Music By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-03-07 Software orchestration is a process of coordinating and synchronizing different departments and teams within an organization to produce top-quality software products. It involves managing the entire software development life cycle from design, development, testing, and deployment to post-deployment maintenance and support. This approach helps organizations to achieve their business goals faster and more efficiently, reduce costs, and stay competitive in the fast-paced technology industry.  Software orchestration is more than just a business concept. It is the craft with an emphasis on the coordination and harmonization of various departments and teams to produce top-quality software products. It is a mixture of art and science that aims to integrate different software components and services to form a cohesive application that meets specific business needs. This approach is similar to the way an orchestra comes together to produce a beautiful symphony. Each individual contributor has a unique role in the entire orchestra. There is no bloat, no redundancy, and only has room for top performers. The individual top performers are recognized and just like a conductor guides an orchestra to create beautiful music, software orchestration requires a skilled team leader who can synchronize different departments to produce software with seamless execution. At Cause of a Kind, we believe in Software Orchestration. Design, engineering, programming, testing, hosting, deploying, and so much more in synchronization, focused on the common goal of producing incredible "music". We build software with emotion and think of the evolution of an idea as a crescendo towards the cadenza. The ultimate deliverance of performance, skill and emotion. To us, the software orchestration process requires careful planning, coordination, and collaboration between different teams. It involves managing the entire software development life cycle from design, development, testing, and deployment to post-deployment maintenance and support. Each team member has a specific role to play in this process, just like how different instruments in an orchestra play specific notes to produce beautiful music, layering with their counter parties, heeding to each other, and shining when appropriate. The orchestration process helps ensure that every team member is aware of their responsibilities and the overall vision of the project. It also helps to prevent conflicts and ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal. We help cool people, orchestrate great software. Software orchestration involves a combination of technology and human skills. The technology component involves integrating different software components and services into a cohesive application. This process requires a thorough understanding of software architecture, APIs, microservices, and other integration technologies. The human skills component involves managing the different teams involved in the software development process. This requires strong leadership, communication, and project management skills. The software orchestration process begins with defining the business needs and requirements of the software application. This involves identifying the problems the software application is intended to solve, the target audience, and the expected outcomes. The next step is to create a development plan that outlines the different stages of the software development life cycle. This plan should also include a timeline, milestones, and deliverables for each stage of the development process. We utilize our [DISCOWEEK®️](https://www.causeofakind.com/discoweek "DISCOWEEK") solution to ensure this process delivers flawlessly. Once the development plan is in place, the different teams involved in the software development process begin their work. The design team creates the user interface, the development team builds the application, the testing team verifies that the application meets the business requirements, and the deployment team releases the application to production. Throughout this process, the project manager oversees the entire development process, ensures that each team is working towards the common goal, and resolves any conflicts that may arise. In order to obtain fast feedback, iterate quickly, preserve precious time and budget, and increase the feedback loop with end users, customers and team members, we introduce the [WEEK2WEEK®️](https://www.causeofakind.com/week2week "WEEK2WEEK") program. One of the key benefits of software orchestration is that it helps organizations to achieve their business goals faster and more efficiently. By coordinating the efforts of different teams, the software development process becomes more streamlined, resulting in faster development cycles, improved quality, and increased efficiency. Additionally, software orchestration can help organizations to reduce costs by minimizing the number of errors, defects, and redundancies in the development process. This, in turn, leads to a reduction in the overall development costs and faster time-to-market. Another benefit of software orchestration is that it helps organizations to stay competitive in the fast-paced technology industry. By adopting an orchestration approach, organizations can quickly adapt to changes in the market, respond to customer feedback, and stay ahead of their competitors. This is especially important in today's digital world, where technology is rapidly evolving, and customer expectations are constantly changing. To support our customers in a long term, well defined capacity, we continue our pursuit of excellence by offering our [MONTH2MONTH®️ ](https://www.causeofakind.com/month2month "MONTH2MONTH")service model, which continues the full development cycle, will dedicated resources and a commitment to continuous software orchestration. Software orchestration is more than just a business concept. It is more like a dance or ballot, or score that involves coordinating and harmonizing various teams within an organization to produce top-quality software products. This approach is similar to the way an orchestra comes together to produce a beautiful symphony. It requires careful planning, coordination, and collaboration between different teams, and it helps organizations to achieve their business goals faster and more efficiently. With software orchestration, organizations can stay competitive in the fast-paced technology industry and quickly adapt to changes in the market. Ultimately, software orchestration is a key factor in the success of any software development project and Cause of a Kind has a dewducated commitment to making more than just software. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/software-orchestration # Svelte Kit: A Comprehensive Overview By: Alfred Indigo Published: 2023-03-02 Svelte Kit is a performant, flexible, and beginner-friendly web app framework with built-in server-side rendering. Best for small to medium-sized projects and high-performance apps. Limitations include a smaller ecosystem and limited browser compatibility.  Svelte Kit is a web application framework designed to help developers create performant, scalable, and maintainable web applications with ease. It is a powerful tool that enables developers to build web applications that are easy to maintain and update. ## What are the Key Benefits of Svelte Kit?: __Improved Performance:__ Svelte Kit is known for its outstanding performance, thanks to its compile-time approach to building applications. The framework compiles the code at build time, resulting in smaller and faster applications. __Simplified Development:__ Svelte Kit simplifies web application development by providing developers with an opinionated structure for their application. It includes built-in routing, code splitting, and server-side rendering, which makes it easy to build complex applications. __Ease of Use:__ Svelte Kit is beginner-friendly and has a low learning curve compared to other frameworks like React and Angular. It offers a clean and intuitive syntax that makes it easy for developers to understand and work with. __Flexibility:__ Svelte Kit provides developers with the flexibility to use their preferred libraries and tools. It doesn't impose a specific structure, which makes it easy to integrate with other tools. __Scalability:__ Svelte Kit is designed to handle large and complex applications, making it a great choice for enterprise applications. ## What are Svelte Kit Best Practices?: __Use Components:__ Svelte Kit is a component-based framework, and using components helps in organizing your code, making it easy to maintain and reuse. __Keep the Code Clean:__ Svelte Kit has a clean syntax, and it's important to keep the code clean and readable. This makes it easy to maintain the code, and also makes it easier for other developers to work on the codebase. __Optimize for Performance:__ Svelte Kit is already optimized for performance, but it's important to optimize your code as well. This includes using lazy loading, code splitting, and minimizing the bundle size. __Use Server-Side Rendering:__ Svelte Kit has built-in server-side rendering, which helps in improving the performance and SEO of your application. Using server-side rendering also ensures that your application is accessible to users with slow internet connections. ## What are the Top Qualities of Svelte Kit: __Easy to Learn:__ Svelte Kit has a low learning curve and is easy to learn. The framework has a clean and intuitive syntax that makes it easy for developers to understand and work with. __Fast Performance:__ Svelte Kit is known for its outstanding performance. It has a compile-time approach to building applications, resulting in smaller and faster applications. __Built-in Server-Side Rendering:__ Svelte Kit comes with built-in server-side rendering, which helps in improving the performance and SEO of your application. __Component-Based Architecture:__ Svelte Kit has a component-based architecture, which makes it easy to organize your code and reuse components. ## What are the Known Shortcomings of Svelte Kit?: __Limited Ecosystem:__ Svelte Kit has a relatively smaller ecosystem compared to other frameworks like React and Angular. This may make it difficult to find support and resources when building complex applications. __Limited Compatibility:__ Svelte Kit is not compatible with all browsers, especially older ones. This may limit the audience your application can reach. ## When is it Best to Use Svelte Kit?: __Small to Medium-Sized Projects:__ Svelte Kit is best suited for small to medium-sized projects. It's a great choice if you need to build a simple web application quickly. __Applications that Require High Performance:__ Svelte Kit is known for its outstanding performance, and it's a great choice if you need to build a web application that requires high performance. __Rapid Prototyping:__ Svelte Kit is beginner-friendly and has a low learning curve, making it a great choice for rapid prototyping. Svelte Kit is a great choice for developers who want to build high-performance, scalable, and maintainable web applications quickly and efficiently. Its key benefits include improved performance, simplified development, ease of use, flexibility, and scalability. By following best practices such as using components, keeping the code clean, optimizing for performance, and using server-side rendering, developers can maximize the potential of Svelte Kit. However, its limited ecosystem and compatibility may be a disadvantage in certain scenarios. Svelte Kit is best suited for small to medium-sized projects, applications that require high performance, and rapid prototyping. Overall, Svelte Kit is a powerful tool that can help developers build web applications with ease, speed, and performance. At Cause of a Kind, we love [Svelte Kit on Vercel](https://vercel.com/solutions/svelte "Svelte Kit on Vercel"). While Svelte Kit is a powerful web application framework that provides developers with a simple and efficient way to build performant and scalable web applications. Vercel, on the other hand, is a cloud-based platform that provides developers with a fast and reliable way to deploy their applications. Together, they form a powerful combination that makes it easy for developers to build, test, and deploy web applications quickly and efficiently. Using Vercel with Svelte Kit provides several benefits. Vercel's powerful deployment infrastructure makes it easy to deploy Svelte Kit applications with ease, ensuring that they are always available and accessible. Vercel's real-time collaboration tools make it easy for developers to work together on projects, enabling them to build applications faster and more efficiently. In addition, Vercel provides developers with a range of tools to test and optimize their Svelte Kit applications, ensuring that they are always performing at their best. These tools include performance metrics, A/B testing, and error tracking, among others. Overall, the combination of Svelte Kit and Vercel provides developers with a powerful and efficient way to build and deploy web applications. Whether you're building a small web application or a large enterprise project, Svelte Kit and Vercel have everything you need to succeed. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/svelte-kit-a-comprehensive-overview # The Iron Triangle : Cost, Quality, Speed By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-02-28 When building software, speed, and quality are crucial, but it is impossible to achieve both without considering the price. Investing in talented software developers and adopting Agile development methodologies can help achieve a balance between speed and quality. Although the cost may be high, the cost of fixing low-quality software is even higher in the long run. It is essential to invest in the development of high-quality software from the outset to ensure long-term success. When it comes to building software, there are three factors that are of utmost importance: speed, quality, and price. However, it is impossible to achieve all three simultaneously. You can have speed and quality, but the price will be high. Or, you can have quality and a lower price, but it will take longer to complete. Alternatively, you can have a fast turnaround and an affordable price, but the quality of the software may suffer. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of the iron triangle and why speed and quality are crucial when building software. ## Speed vs. Quality The iron triangle, also known as the project management triangle, is a concept used in project management to explain the relationship between three interdependent variables: time, cost, and scope. In software development, scope refers to the functionality and features of the software. The idea behind the iron triangle is that when one of these variables changes, the other two must also change to maintain balance. In the case of software development, the iron triangle is modified to include speed, quality, and price. The goal is to achieve a balance between these three variables to deliver a successful software product. However, in reality, achieving a balance is not always possible, and one variable often takes priority over the others. Speed and quality are two variables that are often given priority when building software. In today's fast-paced business environment, time-to-market is critical, and companies need to develop and deliver software quickly. However, speed should not come at the cost of quality. Low-quality software can lead to a poor user experience, security vulnerabilities, and the need for costly repairs down the line. Therefore, it is crucial to strike a balance between speed and quality when building software. To achieve a balance between speed and quality, companies need to invest in talented software developers. Quality software developers are worth their weight in gold because they can produce high-quality code quickly. The cost of hiring top talent may be high, but the cost of fixing low-quality code can be much higher in the long run. Additionally, talented developers often have a deep understanding of the software development process, which allows them to identify potential problems before they occur and streamline the development process. Another way to achieve a balance between speed and quality is to adopt Agile development methodologies. Agile development is an iterative approach to software development that emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and customer satisfaction. By breaking down the software development process into smaller, more manageable tasks, Agile development allows teams to produce high-quality code quickly. Additionally, by involving the customer in the development process, Agile development ensures that the final product meets the customer's needs. However, achieving a balance between speed and quality often means that the price is a variable. Companies may need to invest more money in talented developers or adopt Agile development methodologies to produce high-quality software quickly. However, the cost of developing high-quality software is often lower than the cost of fixing low-quality software. Low-quality software can lead to lost revenue, decreased customer satisfaction, and costly repairs. In conclusion, when building software, it is crucial to strike a balance between speed and quality. However, achieving this balance often means that the price is a variable. Companies that invest in talented software developers or adopt Agile development methodologies can produce high-quality software quickly, which can lead to increased revenue, improved customer satisfaction, and decreased repair costs. The cost of developing high-quality software is often lower than the cost of fixing low-quality software. Therefore, it is essential to invest in the development of high-quality software from the outset to ensure long-term success. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-iron-triangle-cost-quality-speed # How to Partner with a Software Development Studio By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-02-28 Partnering with a software development startup studio can be an excellent way for businesses to leverage technology to create innovative solutions that can give them a competitive edge. However, choosing the right partner can be challenging. Here is some practical advice for people looking to partner with a software development startup studio. Partnering with a software development startup studio can be an excellent way for businesses to leverage technology to create innovative solutions that can give them a competitive edge. However, choosing the right partner can be challenging. Here are some practical advice for people looking to partner with a software development startup studio. ## What to look for in a software studio: 1. __A strong portfolio:__ A good software development studio should be able to demonstrate their expertise by showcasing a portfolio of their previous work. Look for companies that have worked on projects that are similar in complexity and scope to what you're looking to build. 2. __Experience and expertise:__ A reputable software development studio should have a team of experienced developers, designers, and project managers. Make sure they have a track record of delivering high-quality work and can handle the scope of your project. 3. __Communication skills:__ Look for a company that has clear communication channels and can communicate effectively with you throughout the development process. You should be able to ask questions, provide feedback, and get updates on the project's progress. 4. __Flexibility:__ Software development is an iterative process that requires a certain level of flexibility. A good development studio should be able to adjust to changes in the project's requirements and scope as needed. 5. __Collaboration:__ Look for a development studio that values collaboration and teamwork. They should be willing to work closely with you to understand your business needs and goals and translate them into software solutions. 6. __Expertise in the latest technologies:__ Software development is a constantly evolving field, and a good studio should stay up to date with the latest technologies and trends. Look for companies that have expertise in the technologies you're interested in using. ## Red flags to watch out for: 1. __Lack of transparency:__ If a development studio is not willing to provide clear information about their processes, timelines, and pricing, it's a red flag. You should be able to trust that your partner is transparent and honest about their work. 2. __Inflexibility:__ If a development studio is not willing to adjust their approach or make changes to the project's scope or requirements, it's a red flag. Flexibility is crucial in software development, and you want a partner who is willing to work with you to achieve your goals. 3. __Poor communication:__ If a development studio is not responsive or communicates poorly, it can lead to misunderstandings and delays. Look for a partner who values clear communication and is willing to work with you to keep you informed about the project's progress. 4. __Lack of experience:__ If a development studio has little or no experience working on projects similar to yours, it's a red flag. You want a partner who has the expertise and knowledge to deliver the results you need. 5. __Poor reviews or reputation:__ Check online reviews and references to get a sense of a development studio's reputation. If they have a history of poor reviews or a negative reputation, it's a red flag. ## Values to look for: 1. __Quality:__ Look for a development studio that values quality and takes pride in delivering high-quality work. Quality should be a top priority, even if it means taking a bit longer to get things done. 2. __Innovation:__ A good development studio should be open to new ideas and approaches and be willing to experiment with new technologies and techniques. 3. __Customer-centricity:__ Look for a development studio that puts your needs and goals first. They should be willing to work with you to achieve your business objectives and help you succeed. 4. __Agility:__ Software development is an iterative process, and a good development studio should be able to adapt to changes in the project's scope or requirements as needed. 5. __Collaboration:__ Look for a development studio that values collaboration and teamwork. They should be willing to work closely with you to understand your business needs and goals and translate them into software solutions. 6. __Transparency:__ A good development studio should be transparent about their processes, timelines, and pricing. They should be willing to communicate openly and honestly with you throughout the project's lifecycle. 7. __Reliability:__ Look for a development studio that is reliable and delivers on their promises. You want a partner who can meet deadlines and deliver high-quality work consistently. 8. __Value for money:__ The cost of software development can vary significantly, and you want to ensure that you're getting value for your money. Look for a development studio that offers fair pricing and can provide you with a good return on your investment. 9. __Security:__ Security is essential when it comes to software development. Look for a development studio that takes security seriously and has the expertise to build secure software solutions. 10. __Support:__ Look for a development studio that offers ongoing support after the project is complete. You want a partner who can help you maintain and update your software as needed and be available to address any issues that may arise. ## Steps to take when partnering with a software development studio: 1. __Define your goals:__ Before you start looking for a software development partner, define your goals and what you want to achieve with the project. This will help you find a partner who can help you achieve those goals. 2. __Research potential partners:__ Once you've defined your goals, research potential partners by looking at their portfolios, reading reviews, and checking references. Narrow down your list to a few companies that you think would be a good fit. 3. __Have a discovery call:__ Schedule a discovery call with each potential partner to discuss your project's scope, timeline, and requirements. Use this opportunity to ask questions and get a sense of their communication style. 4. __Request a proposal:__ Ask each potential partner to provide you with a proposal that outlines their approach, pricing, and timeline. Use this information to compare the companies and make an informed decision. 5. __Negotiate terms:__ Once you've selected a partner, negotiate the terms of the agreement, including pricing, timelines, and milestones. Make sure everything is clear and agreed upon before you start the project. 6. __Establish clear communication channels:__ Establish clear communication channels with your partner, including how often you will receive updates on the project's progress and who you should contact with questions or concerns. 7. __Collaborate closely:__ Work closely with your partner throughout the development process. Provide feedback and ask questions as needed to ensure that the project is on track to meet your goals. 8. __Stay involved:__ Stay involved throughout the development process to ensure that the final product meets your expectations. Test the software thoroughly and provide feedback to your partner as needed. 9. __Plan for ongoing support:__ Plan for ongoing support after the project is complete, including maintenance and updates. Make sure your partner is available to provide support as needed. Partnering with a software development startup studio can be a great way to leverage technology to achieve your business goals. By following this practical advice and steps, you can find a partner who has the expertise, experience, and values that align with your needs and objectives. Remember to be clear about your goals, do your research, and establish clear communication channels to ensure a successful partnership. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-to-partner-with-a-software-development-studio # The Basics of Structured Data for SEO By: Alfred Indigo Published: 2023-02-21 Structured data is a type of data format that is organized in a specific manner, making it easier for search engines to understand and display information about a website. Structured data is crucial for search engine optimization (SEO) because it enables search engines to better understand the content of a webpage, which can result in higher visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). Structured data is a type of data format that is organized in a specific manner, making it easier for search engines to understand and display information about a website. Structured data is crucial for search engine optimization (SEO) because it enables search engines to better understand the content of a webpage, which can result in higher visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). One of the most common ways to implement structured data on a website is by using the JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) format. JSON-LD is a lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate. Here are a few examples of how JSON-LD can be used to implement structured data: ## Organization schema: ``` ``` This example defines an organization schema for a hypothetical company. The schema includes basic information such as the company's name, URL, logo, and description. It also includes contact information and links to the company's social media profiles. ## Product schema: ``` ``` This example defines a product schema for a hypothetical widget. The schema includes basic information such as the product name and description, as well as the brand and images of the product. It also includes pricing and availability information, along with the name of the organization selling the product. Implementing structured data using JSON-LD is relatively simple. Here are the basic steps: 1. Determine which type of schema you want to implement (e.g., organization, product, etc.). 2. Use the Schema.org documentation to find the appropriate properties and types for your schema. 3. Write the JSON-LD code for your schema, using the appropriate properties and types. 4. Add the JSON-LD code to the head of your webpage. 5. Test your structured data using the Google Structured Data Testing Tool or another similar tool. By implementing structured data on your website, you can help search engines understand your content more effectively, which can lead to higher visibility and rankings in SERPs. And with the simple steps outlined above, adding structured data to your website is an easy and effective way to improve your SEO. For advanced resources visit [https://schema.org](https://schema.org "Schema.org") For Structured Data Testing Tools: [Schema.Org Validator](https://search.google.com/test/rich-results "Schema.Org Validator") [Rich Results Test](https://validator.schema.org/ "Rich Results Test") Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-basics-of-structured-data-for-seo # How to Create the Best SEO Report and Elevate Opportunities for Success By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-02-21 Creating a perfect SEO report and identifying SEO opportunities involves a combination of data analysis, insights, and actionable recommendations that can help improve a website's search engine visibility. Creating the perfect SEO report requires a combination of data analysis, insights, and actionable recommendations that can help improve the website's search engine visibility. Here are some key components that you should consider including in your SEO report: __Executive Summary:__ A brief overview of the report's key findings, insights, and recommendations, summarizing the overall performance of the website's SEO. __Keyword Analysis:__ A list of keywords that the website is currently ranking for, along with their position in search results and estimated search volume. __Traffic Analysis:__ A detailed breakdown of the website's traffic, including organic, direct, referral, and social traffic, along with information about bounce rate, time on site, and pageviews. __On-Page SEO Analysis:__ An analysis of the website's on-page elements, including title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and content optimization, with recommendations for improvements. __Off-Page SEO Analysis:__ An analysis of the website's backlink profile, including the number and quality of backlinks, with recommendations for acquiring more high-quality backlinks. __Technical SEO Analysis:__ An analysis of the website's technical elements, including page speed, mobile responsiveness, and structured data, with recommendations for improvements. __Competitive Analysis:__ A comparison of the website's SEO performance against its main competitors, including rankings, traffic, and backlink profiles. __Recommendations:__ A summary of the key actions that the website should take to improve its SEO performance, based on the analysis and insights provided in the report. __Conclusion:__ A final section that summarizes the key points of the report and emphasizes the importance of SEO for the website's overall success. By including these key components in your SEO report, you can provide your clients with a comprehensive understanding of their website's SEO performance and actionable recommendations for improvement. Identifying SEO opportunities involves analyzing a website's current performance, competitor landscape, and industry trends to identify areas for improvement and growth. Here are some key steps to follow when identifying SEO opportunities: __Analyze the website's current performance:__ Start by analyzing the website's current performance in terms of traffic, rankings, and engagement metrics. Use tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console to identify areas of the website that are performing well and areas that need improvement. __Identify relevant keywords:__ Conduct keyword research to identify relevant keywords that the website should target. Use tools such as Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs, SEMrush, BrightEdge, Conductor and others to identify high-volume, low-competition keywords that the website could rank for. __Analyze the competition:__ Analyze the top-ranking competitors for the identified keywords and analyze their content, backlink profiles, and on-page optimization to identify areas where the website can improve. __Conduct a technical SEO audit:__ Conduct a technical SEO audit of the website to identify any technical issues that may be hindering the website's performance, such as page speed, mobile responsiveness, or crawl errors. __Optimize content:__ Optimize the website's content to improve on-page optimization and to target relevant keywords. This includes optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and content structure. __Build high-quality backlinks:__ Build high-quality backlinks to the website from authoritative and relevant sources, such as industry publications, influencers, or relevant websites. Here are some key ranking factors that impact a website's SEO performance: - Content quality and relevance - On-page optimization, including title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags - Backlink quality and quantity - Mobile responsiveness and page speed - Domain authority and age - Social signals and engagement metrics - Technical optimization, including crawlability and indexability By focusing on these key ranking factors and identifying SEO opportunities, you can help improve a website's search engine visibility and drive more organic traffic and leads. In this article, we discussed the key components of a perfect SEO report. We identified the importance of including an executive summary, keyword analysis, traffic analysis, on-page and off-page SEO analysis, technical SEO analysis, competitive analysis, recommendations, and conclusion. By including these components in an SEO report, you can provide your clients with a comprehensive understanding of their website's performance and actionable recommendations for improvement. We also discussed the steps involved in identifying SEO opportunities, which include analyzing a website's current performance, identifying relevant keywords, analyzing the competition, conducting a technical SEO audit, optimizing content, and building high-quality backlinks. We also highlighted the key ranking factors that impact a website's SEO performance, including content quality and relevance, on-page optimization, backlink quality and quantity, mobile responsiveness and page speed, domain authority and age, social signals, and technical optimization. In summary, creating a perfect SEO report and identifying SEO opportunities involves a combination of data analysis, insights, and actionable recommendations that can help improve a website's search engine visibility. By focusing on the key ranking factors and identifying areas for improvement, you can help drive more organic traffic and leads to a website. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-to-create-the-best-seo-report-and-elevate-opportunities-for-success # What is the difference between Svelte Kit and Astro? By: Alfred Indigo Published: 2023-02-17 Astro and SvelteKit are two of the most popular front-end development frameworks used to build modern web applications. Both frameworks are designed to make the development process more efficient and faster. However, there are some key differences between Astro and SvelteKit that developers need to consider before choosing one for their next project.  Astro and SvelteKit are two of the most popular front-end development frameworks used to build modern web applications. Both frameworks are designed to make the development process more efficient and faster. However, there are some key differences between Astro and SvelteKit that developers need to consider before choosing one for their next project. ## Features Astro is a new framework that was launched in early 2021. It has gained popularity among developers due to its unique features that make it stand out from other front-end frameworks. Astro allows developers to use multiple front-end frameworks and libraries in the same project. This means that developers can use React, Vue, and Angular in the same project without worrying about compatibility issues. Astro also has a built-in static site generator, which makes it easy to create static websites. The framework also supports server-side rendering, which improves website performance and SEO. On the other hand, SvelteKit is a framework that is built on top of Svelte, a popular front-end framework. SvelteKit provides a lot of useful features such as server-side rendering, API endpoints, file-based routing, and more. SvelteKit is also very lightweight, which means that it loads fast and has a low memory footprint. ## Ease of Use Astro and SvelteKit both have a simple and easy-to-use API. However, Astro has a steeper learning curve compared to SvelteKit, especially for developers who are new to front-end development. Astro requires developers to learn a new syntax and concepts such as component queries, layout components, and more. On the other hand, SvelteKit is relatively easier to learn, especially for developers who are already familiar with Svelte. SvelteKit follows a similar API to Svelte, which means that developers can quickly get started with building web applications. ## Performance Performance is one of the critical factors that developers consider when choosing a front-end framework. Astro and SvelteKit both prioritize performance, but they achieve it in different ways. Astro achieves performance by using server-side rendering and preloading resources. This means that the website loads faster, and users get a better experience. Astro also supports lazy loading, which means that the website only loads the resources that the user needs, which further improves performance. On the other hand, SvelteKit achieves performance by using client-side rendering and a lightweight approach. SvelteKit generates static HTML files for each page, which means that the website loads faster. SvelteKit also supports incremental hydration, which means that the website loads faster even on slower devices. ## Community Support Both Astro and SvelteKit have a growing community of developers who contribute to the framework's development and help other developers. However, SvelteKit has a larger community compared to Astro, mainly because it is built on top of Svelte, which has been around for a longer time. Svelte has a lot of plugins, tools, and resources that are available for developers, which makes it easier to get started with SvelteKit. SvelteKit also has a vibrant community of developers who contribute to the development of the framework and help each other. ## Conclusion Astro and SvelteKit are two of the most popular front-end development frameworks that developers can use to build modern web applications. Both frameworks have their unique features, ease of use, performance, and community support that developers need to consider before choosing one for their next project. Written by ChatGPT Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-svelte-kit-and-astro # Simple SEO Best Practice Guide By: Alfred Indigo Published: 2023-02-17 To achieve higher rankings, there are two main areas to focus on: on-page SEO and off-page SEO. On-page SEO refers to the factors that you can control on your website, such as the content, title tags, and meta descriptions. Off-page SEO, on the other hand, refers to factors that are outside of your website's control, such as backlinks and social signals. ## A Simple Definition of SEO: SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). The higher your website ranks, the more traffic you'll receive, which can translate to more leads and sales for your business. To achieve higher rankings, there are two main areas to focus on: on-page SEO and off-page SEO. On-page SEO refers to the factors that you can control on your website, such as the content, title tags, and meta descriptions. Off-page SEO, on the other hand, refers to factors that are outside of your website's control, such as backlinks and social signals. __So, what are the current search engine rank factors for SEO best practices? Here are some of the most important factors to consider:__ ## On-Page SEO Best Practices: 1. Content: Content is king when it comes to SEO. The quality and relevance of your content are crucial to achieving higher rankings. Make sure your content is engaging, informative, and optimized for your target keywords. The content should also be unique and valuable to your readers. 2. Title tags and meta descriptions: Title tags and meta descriptions are important on-page SEO factors that help search engines understand what your page is about. Make sure your title tags and meta descriptions accurately reflect the content on your page and include your target keywords. 3. User experience: User experience is becoming an increasingly important factor in SEO. Google is placing more emphasis on factors such as page speed, mobile responsiveness, and ease of navigation. Make sure your website is easy to use and provides a positive user experience. ## Off-Page SEO Best Practices: 1. Backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website. They are one of the most important off-page SEO factors and can greatly impact your website's rankings. Make sure you have high-quality backlinks from reputable websites in your industry. 2. Social signals: Social signals, such as likes, shares, and comments, can also impact your website's rankings. They are an indication of your website's popularity and relevance. Make sure you have an active social media presence and encourage engagement from your followers. 3. Local SEO: Local SEO is important if you have a brick-and-mortar business. Make sure your website is optimized for local keywords and that you have a Google My Business listing. This will help you rank higher in local search results and attract more customers to your business. __So, what are the three most valuable things that an SEO can do to boost performance in SEO? Here they are:__ 1. Focus on quality content: As mentioned earlier, content is king when it comes to SEO. Make sure you have high-quality, unique content that is optimized for your target keywords. This will help you rank higher in search results and attract more traffic to your website. 2. Build high-quality backlinks: Backlinks are a crucial off-page SEO factor. Make sure you have high-quality backlinks from reputable websites in your industry. This will help you establish your website's authority and credibility and improve your rankings. 3. Monitor your website's performance: Monitoring your website's performance is important to identify areas for improvement. Use tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track your website's traffic, rankings, and other important metrics. This will help you identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes to improve your website's performance. In conclusion, SEO is a complex and ever-changing field. To achieve higher rankings in search engine results pages, it's important to focus on both on-page and off-page rank factors. Taking a holistic approach to improving organic performance always yields the best results. Lastly, remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Written by ChatGPT Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/simple-seo-best-practice-guide # Comparing SEO Tools : SEMrush, aHrefs, BrightEdge, Conductor By: Alfred Indigo Published: 2023-02-17 In today's digital age, optimizing your website for search engines has become a crucial aspect of online marketing. With the ever-evolving algorithms of search engines, it can be challenging to keep up with the latest trends and tactics. In today's digital age, optimizing your website for search engines has become a crucial aspect of online marketing. With the ever-evolving algorithms of search engines, it can be challenging to keep up with the latest trends and tactics. Thankfully, several tools can assist you in optimizing your website, such as SEMrush, aHrefs, BrightEdge, and Conductor. In this blog post, we will compare and contrast these four search engine optimization (SEO) tools to help you choose the right one for your business. [SEMrush](https://www.semrush.com "SEMrush") is renowned for its comprehensive keyword analysis and competitive intelligence features, making it an excellent choice for businesses aiming to edge out their rivals in search engine rankings. On the other hand, [aHrefs](https://www.ahrefs.com "aHrefs") stands out for its extensive backlink analysis and site auditing capabilities, providing a more detailed insight into the external factors affecting a site's SEO performance. [BrightEdge](https://www.brightedge.com "BrightEdge"), with its AI-driven content recommendations and performance tracking, is designed to help brands align their content strategies with current trends. [Conductor](https://www.conductor.com "Conductor") focuses on organic marketing insights and customer-centric SEO, offering tailored solutions for businesses that want to connect more deeply with their audience. Despite their unique strengths, all these tools provide valuable insights into SEO performance, with customizable reports and integrations with other marketing platforms. The choice between them will largely depend on your specific needs, such as whether you're more focused on keyword research, backlink analysis, content optimization, or customer engagement. ## SEMrush: SEMrush is one of the most popular SEO tools available today. It offers a wide range of features to help users optimize their websites for search engines. SEMrush provides keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis, position tracking, and much more. SEMrush's competitive analysis tool is one of its most popular features, allowing users to compare their website's performance with their competitors. __Strengths__: SEMrush's keyword research and competitive analysis tools are some of the best in the industry. The site audit feature is also excellent, providing users with a comprehensive report on their website's technical and on-page SEO issues. __Weaknesses__: SEMrush's backlink analysis tool isn't as comprehensive as some of its competitors, and its user interface can be overwhelming for beginners. ## aHrefs: aHrefs is another popular SEO tool that provides users with a wide range of features to optimize their website for search engines. aHrefs provides users with features such as site audit, keyword research, backlink analysis, and position tracking. However, aHrefs is best known for its backlink analysis tool, which is one of the most comprehensive in the industry. __Strengths__: aHrefs' backlink analysis tool is one of the most comprehensive in the industry, providing users with a detailed breakdown of their website's backlink profile. Its keyword research tool is also excellent, providing users with relevant and accurate keyword data. __Weaknesses__: aHrefs' site audit tool is not as comprehensive as some of its competitors, and its user interface can be difficult to navigate for beginners. ## BrightEdge: BrightEdge is an enterprise-level SEO tool designed for larger businesses with more complex SEO needs. BrightEdge provides users with a wide range of features, including keyword research, site audit, content optimization, and competitive analysis. __Strengths__: BrightEdge's content optimization tool is one of its strongest features, providing users with valuable insights into how to optimize their content for search engines. The platform also offers a customizable dashboard, allowing users to create a personalized workspace that suits their needs. __Weaknesses__: BrightEdge is an expensive option, making it less accessible for smaller businesses. It also lacks some of the features of its competitors, such as a comprehensive backlink analysis tool. ## Conductor: Conductor is an SEO tool that specializes in providing users with insights into their website's content performance. Conductor offers features such as content optimization, keyword research, and competitive analysis. __Strengths__: Conductor's content optimization tool is one of the best in the industry, providing users with valuable insights into how to optimize their content for search engines. The platform also offers a customizable dashboard, allowing users to create a personalized workspace that suits their needs. __Weaknesses__: Conductor's keyword research and backlink analysis tools are not as comprehensive as some of its competitors, and its user interface can be difficult to navigate for beginners. ## Conclusion: In conclusion, SEMrush, aHrefs, BrightEdge, and Conductor are all excellent SEO tools that offer a wide range of features to help users optimize their website for search engines. SEMrush and aHrefs are ideal for businesses looking for a comprehensive SEO tool with a particular focus on backlink analysis and keyword research. BrightEdge and conductor are an excellent choice for larger businesses with more robust data visualization needs and extensive support from industry experts. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/comparing-seo-tools # How to Scale a Software Development Agency Without Hiring. By: Alfred Indigo Published: 2023-02-16 Scaling a software development agency can be a tricky task, especially if you want to avoid hiring new employees. However, it is not impossible. Here are some ways to scale a software development agency without hiring new employees. Scaling a software development agency can be a tricky task, especially if you want to avoid hiring new employees. However, it is not impossible. Here are some ways to scale a software development agency without hiring new employees. 1. Utilize freelancers and contractors One way to scale a software development agency is to utilize freelancers and contractors. This is a good option because it allows you to bring in additional resources without committing to hiring full-time employees. You can find freelancers and contractors through online marketplaces, referrals, or by networking in your industry. When working with freelancers and contractors, it is important to ensure that they are a good fit for your company culture and that they have the necessary skills to complete the work. You should also establish clear communication channels to ensure that everyone is on the same page. 2. Automate as much as possible Another way to scale a software development agency without hiring is to automate as much as possible. Automation can help streamline your processes and free up time for your existing team to work on more important tasks. There are many tools and services available that can help automate tasks like testing, deployment, and monitoring. Additionally, you can use tools like chatbots to handle customer support inquiries, reducing the workload on your team. 3. Focus on your existing clients Another way to scale a software development agency without hiring is to focus on your existing clients. This can be done by identifying ways to provide additional value to your clients and by nurturing your relationships with them. One way to provide additional value to your clients is by offering them new services that complement your existing offerings. For example, if you are a web development agency, you could offer website maintenance and hosting services to your clients. 4. Use agile methodologies Agile methodologies can help you scale your software development agency without hiring new employees. Agile methodologies focus on breaking down projects into smaller, more manageable pieces and working on them iteratively. By using agile methodologies, you can increase your team’s productivity and improve the quality of your work. This can help you complete projects faster and with fewer resources. 5. Outsource non-core functions Finally, you can scale your software development agency without hiring new employees by outsourcing non-core functions. Non-core functions are tasks that are important but not directly related to your core business. For example, you could outsource your accounting, human resources, or marketing functions. This can help you reduce your overhead costs and free up time for your existing team to focus on their core responsibilities. In conclusion, scaling a software development agency without hiring new employees is possible. By utilizing freelancers and contractors, automating as much as possible, focusing on your existing clients, using agile methodologies, and outsourcing non-core functions, you can scale your business without having to make any new hires. However, it is important to ensure that you maintain the quality of your work and that you have the necessary resources to support your growth. Written by ChatGPT Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-to-scale-a-software-development-agency-without-hiring # WEEK2WEEK®️ : Agile Software for Startups By: Alfred Indigo Published: 2023-02-16 Starting a startup is not easy. There are countless challenges to overcome, including attracting customers, building a team, and ensuring that your product or service is delivering the value that customers expect. One of the biggest challenges, however, is developing and launching the software that powers your startup. That's where WEEK2WEEK®️ comes in.  Starting a startup is not easy. There are countless challenges to overcome, including attracting customers, building a team, and ensuring that your product or service is delivering the value that customers expect. One of the biggest challenges, however, is developing and launching the software that powers your startup. That's where WEEK2WEEK®️ comes in. WEEK2WEEK®️ is a revolutionary software development service that is designed to help startups overcome the challenges of software development. What makes WEEK2WEEK®️ unique is that it is designed specifically for early-stage startups that need an affordable, true agile methodology that can be customized to their needs. The key to WEEK2WEEK®️'s success is its focus on speed and flexibility. With WEEK2WEEK®️, startups can quickly move from discovery to design to development to deployment, all at their own pace. This means that they can rapidly iterate on their product, respond to customer feedback, and stay ahead of the competition. Another key advantage of WEEK2WEEK®️ is that it is highly customizable. Startups can choose the services they need and pay only for what they use. For example, if a startup needs help with design and development but already has a strong discovery process in place, they can simply use WEEK2WEEK®️ for those specific services. This allows startups to get the help they need without breaking the bank. WEEK2WEEK®️ is also highly collaborative. The WEEK2WEEK®️ team works closely with startups to understand their needs, goals, and challenges. They provide regular updates, seek feedback and continuously adapt and adjust the project plan based on customer needs.  This collaborative approach is critical to the success of early-stage startups. By working closely with the WEEK2WEEK®️ team, startups can ensure that their software development process is aligned with their overall business strategy. They can also get the help they need to overcome specific challenges, such as user experience design or back-end development. One of the biggest advantages of WEEK2WEEK®️ is that it brings true agile methodology to early-stage startups. Agile methodology is a flexible, iterative approach to software development that emphasizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and rapid prototyping. It is ideal for startups that need to move quickly, stay flexible, and respond to customer feedback. WEEK2WEEK®️ takes this agile methodology and applies it to the specific needs of early-stage startups. By doing so, it helps these startups to overcome the challenges of software development, accelerate their time to market, and stay ahead of the competition. In conclusion, WEEK2WEEK®️ is revolutionizing the startup game by providing affordable, true agile methodology to early-stage startups. Its focus on speed, flexibility, customization, collaboration and agile methodology is a winning combination for startups that need to move quickly, stay flexible, and respond to customer feedback. If you are an early-stage startup struggling with software development, WEEK2WEEK®️ may be the solution you need to accelerate your success.\ Written by ChatGPT Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/week2week-r-agile-software-for-startups # What is the difference between React.js and Svelte? By: Alfred Indigo Published: 2023-02-16 React.js and Svelte are two popular JavaScript frameworks used for building web applications. Both frameworks have their own strengths and weaknesses, and developers often choose one over the other based on their requirements. In this article, we will compare React.js and Svelte in terms of their differentiating features, shortcomings, community documentation, and future trends.  React.js and Svelte are two popular JavaScript frameworks used for building web applications. Both frameworks have their own strengths and weaknesses, and developers often choose one over the other based on their requirements. In this article, we will compare React.js and Svelte in terms of their differentiating features, shortcomings, community documentation, and future trends. ## Differentiating Features React.js is a component-based framework, meaning that applications are built using a series of reusable components. These components are independent of each other, which makes them easy to maintain and test. React.js uses a virtual DOM (Document Object Model) to keep track of the state of the application, and it updates the real DOM only when necessary. This approach makes React.js very fast and efficient. On the other hand, Svelte is a compiler-based framework that converts your application code into highly optimized JavaScript code. This means that Svelte does most of its work at build time, rather than runtime. Svelte is known for its simplicity and ease of use, and it is often preferred by developers who want to build lightweight applications with minimal overhead. ## Shortcomings One of the major shortcomings of React.js is that it can be challenging to learn, especially for developers who are new to the framework. The learning curve can be steep, and it can take some time to understand the various concepts and best practices associated with React.js. Additionally, React.js can be quite verbose, which can make it difficult to read and understand code, especially when working with large projects. Svelte, on the other hand, has a relatively small community compared to React.js, which means that there may be fewer resources available for developers who run into problems. Additionally, Svelte is a relatively new framework, and it may not be suitable for large-scale applications with complex requirements. ## Community Documentation React.js has a large and active community, which means that there are plenty of resources available for developers who want to learn the framework or troubleshoot issues. There are many online forums, blogs, and tutorials available, as well as a wide range of third-party libraries and tools that can be used with React.js. Svelte, on the other hand, has a smaller community, but it is growing rapidly. There are several online forums and chat groups available, as well as an active GitHub repository where developers can contribute to the framework and report issues. Svelte also has an official website that provides comprehensive documentation and tutorials for developers who want to get started with the framework. ## Future Trends React.js has been around for several years and has become one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks for building web applications. React.js is constantly evolving, and new features and improvements are regularly added to the framework. React.js has also gained popularity outside of the web development community, with libraries like React Native being used to build mobile applications. Svelte, on the other hand, is a relatively new framework that has gained popularity in recent years. Svelte is designed to be lightweight and easy to use, and it is well-suited for building small to medium-sized applications. However, Svelte may not be suitable for large-scale applications with complex requirements, and it may not have the same level of community support as React.js. ## Conclusion In conclusion, both React.js and Svelte have their own strengths and weaknesses, and the choice between the two depends on the requirements of the project. React.js is a powerful and widely used framework with a large community and a wealth of resources available. Svelte, on the other hand, is a lightweight and easy-to-use framework that is ideal for building small to medium-sized applications. When choosing between React.js and Svelte, it is important to consider the requirements of the project, the level of community support available, and the skills and experience of the development team. Written by ChatGPT Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-react-js-and-svelte # Funding Options for Startups By: Alfred Indigo Published: 2023-02-15 When starting a software startup, one of the biggest challenges for founders is figuring out how to fund their company. There are several different ways to finance a startup, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. In this blog post, we'll explore the differences between bootstrapped, pre-seed, and venture-funded startups, the different phases of investment that a founder should consider, and the milestones for measuring success. When starting a software startup, one of the biggest challenges for founders is figuring out how to fund their company. There are several different ways to finance a startup, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. In this blog post, we'll explore the differences between bootstrapped, pre-seed, and venture-funded startups, the different phases of investment that a founder should consider, and the milestones for measuring success. ## Bootstrapped Startups A bootstrapped startup is one that is self-funded by the founder or founders. This means that the company is built with their own personal funds, without any outside investors or loans. Bootstrapped startups can be attractive because the founders have complete control over the company and its direction. They are also able to maintain full ownership of their product or service. However, bootstrapping can be a slow and difficult process. Founders need to be patient and willing to invest a significant amount of time and resources into their company. It can also limit the growth potential of the company, as the founders may not have the financial resources to scale the company quickly. ## Pre-Seed Startups Pre-seed startups are those that have raised a small amount of money from friends, family, or angel investors. This funding is typically used to help the founders develop a prototype or minimum viable product (MVP). Pre-seed startups may also use the funding to conduct market research or to hire their first employees. The main advantage of a pre-seed startup is that it provides some initial capital for the founders to work with. This can help the company get off the ground more quickly and can also attract additional investors. However, the amount of funding available to pre-seed startups is usually limited, and the founders may need to give up a portion of their company in exchange for the investment. ## Venture-Funded Startups Venture-funded startups are those that have raised a significant amount of money from venture capitalists (VCs) or institutional investors. The funding is used to scale the company quickly and aggressively, often through marketing, hiring, and expanding operations. Venture-funded startups also tend to have a more formalized business structure and a more extensive management team. The main advantage of a venture-funded startup is that it provides the financial resources necessary to scale the company quickly. However, venture funding comes with its own set of challenges. Founders may need to give up a significant portion of their company in exchange for the investment, and they may also face pressure from their investors to achieve rapid growth and profitability. ## Phases of Investment There are several different phases of investment that a founder should consider when starting a software startup. These include: - Seed: This is the initial round of funding that a startup receives, usually from angel investors or early-stage VCs. Seed funding is typically used to develop a prototype or MVP and to conduct initial market research. - Series A: This is the first significant round of funding that a startup receives from institutional investors. Series A funding is used to scale the company and to expand operations. - Series B and beyond: These are subsequent rounds of funding that a startup receives as it continues to grow and expand. ## Milestones for Measuring Success The milestones for measuring success in a software startup will vary depending on the company's goals and the funding stage it is in. Some common milestones include: - Developing a working prototype or MVP - Launching the product or service - Reaching a certain number of users or customers - Achieving profitability - Expanding into new markets or geographies - Successfully raising additional rounds of funding ## Conclusion When starting a software startup, it's important to understand the different funding options available and the advantages and drawbacks of each. Whether a founder chooses to bootstrap, seek pre-seed funding, or pursue venture funding will depend greatly upon a founders experience, network and their confidence in the success of their project. Written by ChatGPT Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/funding-options-for-startups # How to join Google Analytics and Shopify Plus Analytics with Looker Studio Published: 2023-02-14 Unleash the power of your data with our step-by-step guides. Master data analytics tools like Looker to boost your business growth and customer engagement.  Joining Google Analytics data with Shopify Plus data in Google Looker involves several steps: 1. **Connect Google Analytics to Looker**: Google Looker provides support to Google Analytics via the Google Analytics block. You'll need to set up the connection following Looker's documentation. After successfully setting up the connection, your Google Analytics data will be available in Looker. 2. **Connect Shopify Plus to Looker**: Shopify Plus has a robust API that can be used to extract data into Looker. You might need a middleware data pipeline tool, like Stitch or Fivetran, to extract this data from Shopify and load it into a data warehouse that Looker can access. 3. **Prepare Your Data Models**: Once both data sets are loaded into your data warehouse, you'll need to build LookML models for each data set. These models will define how Looker should interpret the data. 4. **Join the Data Sets**: After preparing your LookML models, you can join the Google Analytics data with the Shopify Plus data. In your LookML model, add a join parameter to the view file that references the other data set. The join should be made on a common field, like the product SKU or the page URL. 5. **Create Explores and Visualizations**: Once the data has been joined, you can start to create Explores and build visualizations using fields from both data sets. Remember to always confirm you have the necessary permissions to access and handle data from both Google Analytics and Shopify Plus. Also, joining data in Looker requires a clear understanding of LookML, Looker's modeling language. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/join-google-analytics-and-shopify-plus-analytics-with-looker-studio # How to join Google Analytics and Shopify Analytics with PowerBI By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-02-14 Explore data-driven insights with our in-depth guides. Learn how to use data to improve business performance, optimize marketing strategies, and boost customer satisfaction.  To join Shopify Data and Google Analytics data in Power BI, you can follow these steps: 1. **Get your Shopify Data**: Power BI allows you to connect to your Shopify store through a content pack which pulls in a variety of data. - Open Power BI and select `Get Data` option. - Under `Online Services`, you should find `Shopify`. - Enter your Shopify store URL to establish the connection. Power BI will import data related to your sales, customers, and products from Shopify. 2. **Get your Google Analytics Data**: Similar to Shopify, Power BI also offers a content pack for Google Analytics. - Go to `Get Data` and under `Online Services`, select `Google Analytics`. - Provide your account credentials to authorize Power BI to connect to your Google Analytics account. - After successful connection, select the analytics profile you want to use and Power BI will begin importing your Google Analytics data. 3. **Joining the Data**: After you've successfully imported both data sources into Power BI, you can begin joining them. - In Power BI, go to `Modeling` > `Manage Relationships`. - Click on `New` to create a new relationship. - In the `Create Relationship` window, select your Shopify data on one side and your Google Analytics data on the other. - Select the field to join on. This should be a unique identifier present in both data sources, which could be the page URL or product SKU, for example. - Select `Cardinality` as `Many to One` or `One to One`, depending on your data structure. - Select the `Cross filter direction` to `Both`. - Click `OK`. 4. **Creating Visualizations**: Once the data has been joined, you can start building your reports and dashboards. You'll be able to use fields from both data sources in your visualizations. 5. **Regular Data Refresh**: Remember to configure regular data refreshes to keep your reports and dashboards up-to-date. It's worth noting that you need to have necessary permissions to access both Shopify and Google Analytics data. Also, joining data from two sources requires some understanding of your data structure and how they relate to each other. If you're unsure, you may need to get help from a data analyst or someone familiar with both your Shopify and Google Analytics data. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/joining-google-analytics-and-shopify-analytics-with-powerbi # Comparing SvelteKit and Next.js By: Alfred Indigo Published: 2023-02-10 Choosing the right developer framework for your project can be a daunting task. With so many options available, it can be difficult to decide which one will work best for your needs. Two popular frameworks that are often compared are SvelteKit and Next.js.  ## How does SvelteKit compare to Next.js? In this article, we will compare SvelteKit vs Next.js in terms of their features, performance, and shortcomings so that you can make an informed decision about which one to use for your project. [SvelteKit](https://kit.svelte.dev/ "SvelteKit") and [Next.js](https://nextjs.org/ "Next.js") are two of the most popular JavaScript frameworks used for building web applications. Both frameworks offer a range of features and capabilities that make them ideal for creating efficient, powerful web applications. However, there are some important differences between the two that should be considered when deciding which one to use for your project. In this article, we will compare Svelte Kit and Next.js in terms of their features, performance, and shortcomings. We will also discuss how each framework can be used to build different types of web applications. SvelteKit and Next.js are two of the most popular frameworks for building web applications. Both frameworks offer great features and performance, but they have some differences that you should consider when deciding which one to use. SevelteKit is a relatively new framework that offers a modern approach to web development by utilizing the Svelte language. It provides developers with an intuitive way to create lightweight applications with minimal code. On the other hand, Next.js is a more established framework that has been around for longer and offers more features such as server-side rendering and automatic code splitting. In this article, we will compare SevelteKit vs Next.js in terms of their features, performance, and shortcomings so that you can make an informed decision about which one to use for your project. The popularity of SevelteKit and Next.js has grown significantly in recent years. When it comes to choosing between the two, it can be difficult to decide which one is best suited for your project. To help make this decision easier, let’s look at some interesting statistics about both frameworks. ## SvelteKit SevelteKit is a relatively new framework that has seen tremendous growth in the last year. According to NPM Trends, the number of downloads for SevelteKit has increased by over 800% since its launch in April 2020. Furthermore, Svelte Kit is also gaining traction on GitHub with over 11k stars and 1k forks as of October 2020. ## What is SvelteKit? Svelte is a lightweight, open-source framework that was designed to help developers quickly build user interfaces. It uses functional reactive programming (FRP) to create reactive user interfaces that can be bound to any input without the need of complex data binding. It also supports data-intensive applications and has a small API footprint with few dependencies. In Svelte, the model is controlled by an event system that can reactively bind updates in realtime in response to events such as button presses and changes in location. The underlying concept behind this unique approach is for developers to create apps using a powerful framework that offers a wide range of options. It allows for increased flexibility and the ability to rapidly develop robust applications that are tailored to meet specific needs. The framework also encourages developers to build in scalability, security and other important features from the start, leading to better outcomes for users. By comparing these statistics, we can see that both System A and System B show significant improvements in terms of time savings, cost-effectiveness, accuracy, scalability and user experience. This comparison clearly demonstrates how leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence technology can help transform an organization and make it much more efficient. ## What is Next.js? Next.js is a popular JavaScript framework for developing web applications. It is used by developers to rapidly create and deploy websites and applications. It provides a simple and intuitive way to build modern websites with minimal effort. Recently, SevelteKit has been gaining traction as an alternative to Next.js. SevelteKit is a modern, lightweight library that enables developers to quickly create high-performance web applications without the need for complex configuration or additional code. To compare the two frameworks, we can look at some interesting statistics. Next.js boasts of over 10 million downloads per month while SevelteKit has seen over 3 million downloads since its launch in 2020. In terms of performance, Next.js has an average page load time of 1 second while SevelteKit can load pages in under 0.5 seconds on average. Additionally, when it comes to ease of use, Next.js is considered more beginner-friendly than SevelteKit due to its intuitive design and user- friendly experience. Next.js is considered more beginner-friendly than Svelte Kit due to its intuitive design and user-friendly experience. Next.js is also loved for its development tools, which are free and available to download from their website. Plus, the RNDR SDK, or Next Network Development Kit, is easily integrated into any React Native application with a few lines of code. ## Is SvelteKit or Next.js better for my web application? The choice between SvelteKit and Next.js depends on several factors relating to your specific web application, its requirements, your team's skills, and the long-term goals of the project. 1. **Framework**: SvelteKit uses Svelte as its underlying framework, while Next.js is based on React. If you prefer a simpler, more straightforward syntax and less boilerplate code, you might prefer Svelte and, by extension, SvelteKit. On the other hand, if you prefer or are more familiar with React, you might lean towards Next.js. 2. **Performance**: Both SvelteKit and Next.js provide performance benefits. Svelte is known for its lean and efficient code that results in faster initial page loads. Next.js also has a good reputation for performance, mainly due to its hybrid static and server rendering. 3. **Popularity and Community**: As of 2021, Next.js had a larger community and a more mature ecosystem than SvelteKit. This means more readily available learning resources, libraries, and third-party integrations. However, Svelte (and by extension SvelteKit) has been growing quickly and gaining recognition for its ease of use and efficiency. 4. **Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and Static Site Generation (SSG)**: Both SvelteKit and Next.js offer capabilities for SSR and SSG, which are essential for SEO and performance. Your choice might depend on specific features or the implementation of these functionalities. 5. **Learning Curve**: Svelte (and thus SvelteKit) is often praised for its low learning curve, especially when compared to React (and thus Next.js). If your team is new to web development, you might find it easier to get started with SvelteKit. 6. **Development Experience**: Some developers find Svelte's syntax and development experience to be more enjoyable and straightforward, whereas others prefer React's component-based architecture and extensive ecosystem. This is largely a matter of personal preference. In summary, neither SvelteKit nor Next.js is objectively "better" - the choice depends on your particular needs, preferences, and constraints. Always consider the specifics of your project, including your team's skills, your project's requirements, and long-term maintenance and scalability considerations, when choosing a technology stack. ## So is it SvelteKit or Next.js? Choosing the right developer framework for your project can be a daunting task. With so many options available, it can be difficult to decide which one will work best for your needs. Two popular frameworks that are often compared are Svelte Kit and Next.js. Both of these frameworks offer powerful features and capabilities, but they have different approaches when it comes to development. In this article, we'll discuss the pros and cons of each framework and help you decide which one is the best fit for your project. We'll also compare Svelte Kit vs Next.js in terms of performance, scalability, ease of use, and more. . Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/comparing-svelte-kit-and-next-js # Maximizing WordPress: A Developer's Guide to Performance, ADA & Core Web Vitals Compliance By: Justin Abrams Published: 2023-02-06 A well-optimized WordPress site not only ensures better user experience and SEO rankings but also makes the web more inclusive for everyone. While the journey toward performance and compliance can seem arduous, with the right strategies and tools in hand, WordPress developers can achieve these benchmarks seamlessly.  Every [WordPress](https://www.wordpress.com "WordPress") developer understands the gravity of ensuring a website is fast, accessible, and user-friendly. However, the maze of performance metrics, legal compliances, and SEO benchmarks can be daunting. In this guide, we'll demystify these complexities, offering actionable strategies for supercharging your WordPress site on all fronts. ### **Why Optimize?** Before diving in, let's understand why these optimizations are vital: 1. **Performance:** A faster site improves user retention and conversion. 2. **ADA Compliance:** Beyond the ethical reasoning, accessibility is a legal mandate in many regions, ensuring all users, regardless of ability, can access your content. 3. **Core Web Vitals:** Introduced by Google, these user experience benchmarks influence your SEO rankings. ### **1. Performance Optimization:** **a. Image Optimization:** Images, if not optimized, can be the Achilles' heel of your website's load time. - **Recommendation:** Compress images before uploading. Tools like [TinyPNG](https://tinypng.com/) or [ShortPixel](https://shortpixel.com/) can drastically reduce image sizes without perceptible quality loss. Also, consider adopting the WebP format, a modern image format providing superior lossless and lossy compression. Plugins like [WebP Express](https://wordpress.org/plugins/webp-express/) can automate this. **Source**: [Google Developers: Image Optimization](https://web.dev/fast/#optimize-your-images) **b. Minify & Combine Resources:** Each script or stylesheet is an additional HTTP request, which can increase load times. - **Recommendation:** Use plugins like [Autoptimize](https://wordpress.org/plugins/autoptimize/) to minify and combine JavaScript, CSS, and HTML files. **c. Server Response Time:** The foundation of site speed begins with the server it's hosted on. - **Recommendation:** Invest in high-quality hosting providers like [Kinsta](https://kinsta.com/) or [WP Engine](https://wpengine.com/). Additionally, employ Content Delivery Networks (CDN) like [Cloudflare](https://www.cloudflare.com/) to cache content and serve it from the nearest server location to the user. ### **2. ADA Compliance:** Ensuring your WordPress site is [ADA compliant](https://www.causeofakind.com/the-salon/understanding-the-ada-and-ensuring-your-website-meets-compliance "ADA compliant") is both a moral and legal responsibility. **a. Semantic HTML:** Proper structuring helps screen readers interpret content. - **Recommendation:** Use HTML tags as intended. For example, use headings (``, ``, etc.) to denote sections, not just to enlarge text.
**b. Keyboard Navigation:** Some users solely rely on keyboards to navigate.
- **Recommendation:** Ensure every interactive element, from links to sliders, is accessible and functional via keyboard inputs.
**c. Alternative Text for Media:**
- **Recommendation:** Always provide descriptive 'alt' text for images. It aids visually impaired users to understand the context.
**Source**: [W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)](https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/)
### **3. Core Web Vitals:**
**a. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP):** This gauges loading performance. Ideally, your LCP should occur within 2.5 seconds of page loading.
- **Recommendation:** Optimize media, minimize CSS, and defer non-critical scripts.
**b. First Input Delay (FID):** It measures interactivity. Users should be able to interact with your site within 100 milliseconds.
- **Recommendation:** Break up long tasks, optimize your page's first load, and use a web worker.
**c. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS):** This metric assesses visual stability. Aim for a CLS score of less than 0.1.
- **Recommendation:** Include size attributes on images & videos, and avoid inserting content above existing content.
**Source**: [Google's Core Web Vitals guide](https://web.dev/vitals/)
__Checklist for Optimizing WordPress Websites:__
• Image Optimization: Compress and format images for the web.
• Resource Optimization: Minify and combine site resources.
• Hosting: Invest in quality hosting.
• CDN Use: Implement a CDN solution.
• Semantic Structure: Use semantic HTML tags.
• Navigation: Ensure keyboard navigation.
• Media Accessibility: Provide 'alt' text for all media.
• Core Web Vitals: Monitor and optimize for Core Web Vitals.
A well-optimized WordPress site not only ensures better user experience and SEO rankings but also makes the web more inclusive for everyone. While the journey toward performance and compliance can seem arduous, with the right strategies and tools in hand, WordPress developers can achieve these benchmarks seamlessly.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/maximizing-wordpress-a-developers-guide-to-performance-ada-and-core-web
# What's the Best Serverless Solution?
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2023-01-20
Compare the top serverless SaaS platforms: AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, Microsoft Azure, Vercel, Heroku, Fly.io, and Digital Ocean. Uncover their unique strengths and features for your business.
## Navigating the Serverless Landscape: Comparing SaaS Platform Leaders
In the dynamic world of serverless computing, numerous Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms have claimed their stake as leaders in the industry, each bringing their unique strengths to the table. Today, we'll compare seven key players: AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, Microsoft Azure Functions, Vercel, Heroku, Fly.io, and Digital Ocean.
Before we dive into the comparison, let's briefly define each platform:
__AWS Lambda__: As part of Amazon Web Services (AWS), Lambda is one of the pioneers in the serverless space. It allows developers to run code without worrying about managing servers, providing automatic scalability.
__Google Cloud Functions__: This is Google's take on serverless, allowing developers to create single-purpose functions that respond to cloud events without the need for a server or runtime environment.
__Microsoft Azure Functions__: Azure Functions, the serverless solution from Microsoft, enables developers to execute code in response to a variety of triggers, such as HTTP requests or database modifications, and scales according to demand.
__Vercel__: Known for its developer-friendly interface and strong support for JavaScript frameworks (like Next.js and React), Vercel emphasizes ease of use and optimized performance.
__Heroku__: A platform as a service (PaaS) that abstracts away infrastructure management, Heroku supports several programming languages and offers a clean, user-friendly interface that's great for rapid application development.
__Fly.io__: This is an open-source platform that focuses on speed and global availability. It's known for providing edge computing capabilities, aiming to run your applications as close as possible to your users.
__Digital Ocean__: Known for its simplicity and robust community, Digital Ocean offers a range of cloud-based services, including scalable compute platform with add-on storage, security, and monitoring capabilities.
While each platform offers serverless capabilities, they vary in terms of their features, pricing, ease of use, and scalability. Here is a quick comparison:
| __Platform__ | __Key Features__ | __Pricing Model__ | __Ease of Use__ | __Scalability__ |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AWS Lambda | Supports many programming languages, automatic scaling, robust ecosystem | Pay per execution | Requires some AWS knowledge | High |
| Google Cloud Functions | Integrated with Google Cloud services, event-driven, supports Node.js, Python, and Go | Pay per execution | Smooth user experience, but Google Cloud knowledge helps | High |
| Microsoft Azure Functions | Integrates well with other Azure services, supports a wide range of languages, event-driven | Pay per execution | Requires familiarity with Azure, but offers good documentation | High |
| Vercel | Supports many modern front-end frameworks, automatic SSL, global CDN | Free for hobby projects, paid plans for professional use | Very developer-friendly | High |
| Heroku | Supports many languages, easy deployment, add-ons for extended functionality | Free tier available, pay as you grow | User-friendly interface, great for beginners | Moderate |
| Fly.io | Edge computing, supports Docker, built-in CDN | Pay for actual use (RAM, CPU, and data transfer) | Some learning curve, but great documentation | High |
| Digital Ocean | Droplets (VMs), Managed Databases, Kubernetes service, VPC networking | Based on resources (hourly or monthly) | Very user-friendly, extensive community and resources | Moderate |
Each of these platforms has its unique strengths. AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, and Azure Functions are deeply integrated into their respective cloud ecosystems and offer extensive scalability. In contrast, Vercel and Heroku prioritize developer
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/whats-the-best-serverless-solution
# How To Get Started with Serverless Architecture
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2023-01-15
Explore a step-by-step guide to implementing serverless architecture, offering practical insights for startups and small engineering teams. Learn how serverless can boost efficiency, limit expenses, reduce DevOps needs, and accelerate time-to-market. Step into the future of cost-effective and agile software development.
## A Practical Guide to Implementing Serverless Architecture: Cost-Efficiency and Beyond
Navigating the landscape of modern technology can be challenging, especially for startups and small engineering teams with limited resources. The serverless architecture has emerged as a potent solution to these challenges, providing cost-effective, scalable, and efficient ways to develop and deploy software.
So, let's take a journey through the essential steps to implement serverless architecture and demonstrate how it can help limit expenses and reduce the need for specialized DevOps skills.
## Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Serverless Architecture
__Step 1: Understand Your Requirements__
First and foremost, you need to comprehend your application's requirements. Different applications have unique demands, and understanding these will help you identify which parts of your application can benefit most from going serverless.
__Step 2: Choose the Right Serverless Platform__
There are various serverless platforms available, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, and Microsoft Azure Functions. Evaluate the pros and cons of each platform, considering aspects such as cost, ease of use, scalability, and compatibility with your existing tech stack.
__Step 3: Break Down Your Application__
Decompose your application into a collection of functions that can be independently deployed and managed. These should correspond to discrete tasks within your application, allowing for greater scalability and easier debugging.
__Step 4: Implement Event-Driven Functions__
Serverless architecture is event-driven. This means your functions should be designed to respond to specific events, such as HTTP requests, changes in database records, or custom events defined by your application.
__Step 5: Leverage Managed Services__
Serverless isn't just about functions; it's also about using managed services for tasks like storage, databases, and authentication. Leveraging these services can drastically reduce the amount of code you need to write and maintain.
__Step 6: Monitor and Optimize__
Finally, once your serverless architecture is up and running, it's vital to monitor performance and continually optimize your functions for cost and efficiency. Make use of available serverless monitoring tools and ensure that you're not over- or under-provisioning resources for your functions.
## How Serverless Architecture Helps Startups and Small Teams
Implementing serverless architecture offers several advantages that can particularly benefit startups and small engineering teams:
__Cost-Effectiveness__
Serverless architecture follows a pay-as-you-go model, meaning you only pay for what you use. This approach can significantly reduce operational costs, making it an ideal choice for startups working within a tight budget.
__Reduced DevOps Needs__
Since serverless platforms manage server operations, startups no longer require extensive DevOps expertise, reducing hiring and training costs. Instead, the engineering team can focus on application development, fostering more agile and innovative processes.
__Scalability__
Serverless platforms handle scaling automatically, accommodating fluctuating workloads without manual intervention. This capability ensures startups can seamlessly scale up their operations as they grow, without worrying about server capacity.
__Faster Time-to-Market__
With the burden of server management lifted, startups can speed up the software development lifecycle. This enables faster product releases and more time to react to market changes or customer feedback.
__Increased Productivity__
By abstracting away infrastructure management, serverless architecture empowers small engineering teams to focus on delivering value through code, leading to increased productivity and enhanced job satisfaction.
To sum up, serverless architecture is more than just a technological trend. It's a strategic approach that allows startups and small teams to build robust, scalable, and cost-effective applications. By understanding and implementing serverless best practices, you can harness its potential to drive your business forward, regardless of your size or resources. It's the era of lean, efficient, and fast-paced software development, and serverless is leading the charge.
__Step 7: Continuous Improvement__
In the world of serverless architecture, you must always strive for continuous improvement. Regularly revisit your code to optimize its performance. Make use of analytics to understand how your functions are being used and where you can make improvements.
__Step 8: Security Measures__
Security is paramount in serverless architectures, and thankfully, most serverless providers offer robust security measures. However, it's essential to understand and implement best practices like managing secrets, limiting permissions, and protecting against common web-based threats.
__Step 9: Leverage the Power of Microservices__
If it suits your project, consider adopting a microservices architecture. This can work very well with serverless computing as each function corresponds to a microservice, resulting in a highly scalable and efficient system.
__Step 10: Keep Learning and Experimenting__
Serverless is still a relatively new field, with best practices and patterns continuing to emerge. Stay on top of the latest trends, engage with the serverless community, and don't be afraid to experiment with new ideas. It's through experimentation and continual learning that you'll get the most out of serverless.
By now, you should have a good grasp of implementing a serverless architecture and how it can be a game-changer for startups and small engineering teams. It's time to take the plunge and begin your serverless journey. Embrace the future, limit expenses, and unleash your team's full potential. Remember, every significant technological innovation started with a small step. Your step towards a serverless future might just be the leap your business needs.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-to-get-started-with-serverless-architecture
# A Serverless Future
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2023-01-12
Discover the transformative power of serverless architecture in this enlightening blog post. Learn what 'serverless' really means, explore its key advantages such as cost-effectiveness, scalability, and speed, and understand why this technology is shaping the future of business. Embrace the tech trends of today to build a successful tomorrow.
## Embracing the Future: The Transformative Power of Serverless Architecture
If you have been keeping an eye on the latest technology trends, you have likely come across this term. And if you've found yourself wondering, "What on earth is serverless architecture, and why does everyone seem so excited about it?" then you've come to the right place.
So, what is serverless? Well, let's unravel this mystery together.
## The Shift Towards Serverless
The word "serverless" might be a bit misleading. It doesn't mean we're getting rid of servers altogether. Instead, it signifies a shift in the operational model, where developers no longer need to worry about server management. In a serverless architecture, the responsibility of running, maintaining, and scaling servers is entirely upon the service provider.
When we talk about "serverless," we're primarily talking about two things: Backend as a Service (BaaS) and Function as a Service (FaaS). BaaS can be described as a cloud-based backend for your application, and FaaS is a system where individual pieces of your application (functions) are executed in response to events.
Now, let's ponder a crucial question: why is serverless the future for most businesses?
## Unleashing the Power of Serverless
__Cost-effective__
Serverless architecture is incredibly cost-effective. With traditional servers, you're paying for the entire server and its running costs, regardless of whether your application is active or idle. In contrast, with serverless, you pay for what you use, based on the computation time and the number of executions.
__scalability__
One of the most significant benefits of serverless architecture is automatic scaling. You don't need to worry about traffic spikes or server capacity; the service provider handles it all.
__Faster Deployments__
With serverless, developers can focus more on writing the code that makes their application unique and less on managing and operating servers or runtimes. This leads to quicker deployments and more time for innovation.
__Environmentally Friendly__
Yes, you heard it right! Serverless architecture is more environmentally friendly. By utilizing only the resources needed, energy consumption decreases, which is a win-win for both your company's budget and our planet.
## Serverless - The Future of Business
In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, businesses need to be more flexible and efficient than ever. Adopting a serverless architecture allows businesses to do just that. It facilitates a leaner approach to software development, with cost-efficiency, flexibility, and speed at its core.
If businesses want to stay competitive and continue to innovate, serverless is undoubtedly a game-changing approach that can help them achieve these goals. Serverless architectures aren't just the future - they're the present, reshaping the way we think about software development, business models, and even environmental sustainability.
Serverless technology fits perfectly into this picture, offering a future-focused solution that can help us develop more efficient, scalable, and eco-friendly digital services.
To sum it up, the future is here, and it's serverless. It's time to seize the opportunities it brings to the table and usher in a new era of growth and innovation.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/a-serverless-future
# The Consumer Experience Lifecycle & The Marketing Continuum
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2023-01-12
Let's remove the channel of marketing from the equation and simply focus on the consumer. Regardless of the marketing channel you specialize in or prefer, understanding a consumer's lifecycle as they engage with your product, service or solution is a critical insight to creating effective marketing campaigns in the first place.
Let's remove the channel of marketing from the equation and simply focus on the consumer. Regardless of the marketing channel you specialize in or prefer, understanding a consumers lifecycle as they engage with your product, service or solution is critical insight to creating effective marketing campaigns in the first place.
It is well known that the consumer journey has a lifecycle to it. Great practitioners understand the consumer at every stage of this lifecycle.
Logically, every consumer begins as a STRANGER. A random individual or business that has no awareness of the product, service or solution and may not even know that they are a potential prospect either.
The idea is to convert that stranger into a PROSPECT.
This step alone could take an immeasurable amount of time depending on the product, service or solution. The idea is to create marketing campaigns that work to ATTRACT, ENGAGE and DELIGHT, providing the greatest opportunity to move a consumer through the lifecycle.
Once a prospect is aware of the product, service or solution, sales motions and digital funnels work to convert that prospect into a CUSTOMER.
With highly competitive markets, every business has a competitor that is also trying to grab the customers attention. 😰
This is why it is critical at each phase of a consumers experience for a brand to continuously ATTRACT, ENGAGE and DELIGHT their customers. Without this, a competitor has an opportunity to convert your customer that you worked so hard to acquire.
The complete Consumer Experience Lifecycle aims to retain customers and delight them to the point where not only are they a customer, but they are a PROMOTER.
Promoters are the most effective form of marketing their is. Maybe not even arguably... 🤯
Why?
✅ Lowest Consumer Acquisition Cost
✅ Highest Closed/ Won/ Sold Rate
✅ Born from Trust
Measured in:
✅ Customer Lifetime Value
✅ Retention
📌 It is important to note that each phase of the Consumer Experience Lifecycle requires marketing campaigns that ATTRACT, ENGAGE and DELIGHT.
This is the continuum.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-consumer-experience-lifecycle-and-the-marketing-continuum
# What are the Dimensions of Avatars, Profile Pictures, Banners, and Posts and Other Media on Social Platforms?
Published: 2023-01-09
What are the Dimensions of Avatars, Profile Pictures, Banners, and Posts and Other Media on Social Platforms? Each Social Media Platform has a specific set of criteria for media assets. Everything from Dimensions to file sizes is available here.
LinkedIn: 
Twitter: 
Instagram: 
Facebook: 
YouTube: 
Behance: 
Pinterest: 
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/what-are-the-dimensions-of-avatars-profile-pictures-banners-and-posts-and
# Pheydrus Podcast - Web 3.0, Spirituality & Male Leadership
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-12-09
Cause of a Kind is an elite team of software and web developers, advisors, consultants, and designers founded by Mike Rispoli and Justin Abrams. They help brands create scalable & secure digital presence by building software products, with one of their recent projects being AngryBirds by VeeFriends. Mike and Justin focus on partnering with companies that have powerful social impact initiatives and are committed to making a difference in the world.
Cause of a Kind is an elite team of software and web developers, advisors, consultants, and designers founded by Mike Rispoli and Justin Abrams. They help brands create scalable & secure digital presence by building software products, with one of their recent projects being a Retro Flappy Birds reimagination by VeeFriends. Mike and Justin focus on partnering with companies that have powerful social impact initiatives and are committed to making a difference in the world.
HeyJune speaks to Mike Rispoli and Justin Abrams about their story on founding COAK, and how spirituality impacted their growth as not only business partners, but as lifelong friends.
Coak Website: https://www.causeofakind.com/
Coak Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
*Time Stamps*
Introduction 00:00- 01:20
Founding the company 01:20- 05:24
CoaK background 05:24- 12:11
Building trust 12:11- 19:28
Going full time 19:28- 24:19
The big moment 24:19- 38:39
Vee friends 38:39- 54:57
Leading vs. being lead 54:57- 59:46
Online communities 59:46- 01:010:41
Juggling relationships and entrepreneurship 01:010:41- 01:29:24
Future goals and the past 01:29:24- 01:33:04
Problem-solving in women and men 01:33:04- 01: 35:26
Current and future project 01:35:26- 01:37:51
Parting words 01:37:51- 01:38:41
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/pheydrus-podcast
# Best Friends Forge Career With Long Island-Based Software Business
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-12-05
ISLAND PARK, NY — Justin Abrams, an Island Park resident, is CEO of the creative studio, Cause of a Kind.
The technology company builds software for small businesses. Abrams said they partner with businesses of all shapes and sizes to help with their vision.
## "Cause of a Kind" focuses on helping companies with web design and software.
Written by [Jerry Barmash](https://patch.com/users/jerry-barmash "Jerry Barmash")
ISLAND PARK, NY — Justin Abrams, an Island Park resident, is CEO of the creative studio, Cause of a Kind.
The technology company builds software for small businesses. Abrams said they partner with businesses of all shapes and sizes to help with their vision.
Abrams is partnered at Cause of a Kind with Michael Rispoli, from East Meadow. They have been friends since rock climbing in Plainview at age 15.
Being an entrepreneur is in Abrams' blood as far back as when he was a 12-year-old caddy in Cold Spring Harbor.
While the business has been around for seven years, Abrams said it's taken a foothold in the industry.
"At the end of the day, we're a team of artists and builders," Abrams said. "We all have full, multi-decade careers behind us. Today, it's a competitive marquee agency."
Abrams said there are many ways to work with companies but, "our core competency is truly around software and web creation."
He said the name "Cause of a Kind" came from a need to leave their full-time positions.
"One day we were out right here in Long Beach, and the idea came to us about creating some kind of a platform that would allow for regular people to bid on experiences with not-so-regular people," Abrams said. "We were really looking to partner with any kind of cause."
Their creativity has multi-facets, including television commercials, events and web design.
It was a side hustle for the six years of the Cause of a Kind life. Abrams and Rispoli left their careers last year for the full-time commitment.
"This was a very calculated, very long experience," he said. "There was no haste in making the decision."
Abrams, 34, said there had to be a sustainable position for themselves, other staffers and families.
They have seven employees in the fold and hope to triple the workforce in 2023.
Abrams brings a sales and marketing background to Cause of a Kind, but with a Long Island connection throughout. He was born and raised in Dix Hills, attended SUNY Old Westbury and met his future working partner on a business-to-business sales job in Mineola.
For those cautionary tales about starting a business with a friend, Abrams said "for me, it couldn't be more different."
Despite his title as CEO, "every decision is made between the two of us. We make 'very simply,' non-emotional decisions."
Full Article: https://patch.com/new-york/longbeach/best-friends-forge-career-long-island-based-software-business
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/best-friends-forge-career-with-long-island-based-software-business
# How do I find my customers in Google?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-10-26
Its arguable that everything is becoming a search engine and learning how to meet your customers in the platforms that they are spending their time in, is the correct strategy.
## ODE of an SEO :: Where, Oh, Where is my Customer Searching?
Here is my personal experience with Search on a random day. It is surprising to me, how much of my time is spent researching, consuming, traveling and learning, OUTSIDE OF GOOGLE.
The most important part of this is that SEO, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, needs to happen anywhere that there is a Search Engine. Which does not just mean Google, folks.
Google Maps --> Local Bagel Shop
Google Maps --> Pharmacy Near Me
Google Maps --> Outdoor Adventures for Toddlers
Google Maps --> Gumbo Limbo State Park
Instagram --> Search #GumboLimboStatePark
YouTube --> How to fix a doorknob that sticks?
Amazon --> LCD Television Cleaning Kit
Google Home --> What is the weather in South Florida today?
What I find most interesting about my habits, despite being a proficient specialist in SEO, is that my search experience is accommodated by the platforms and their ability to provide the answers to my specialized queries and the moments of my personal day that matter to me.
Everyone is going to have a unique search experience. Professionally, I spend a lot of time in Google proper, or small research repositories like professional blogs such as [Search Engine Land](https://searchengineland.com/ "Search Engine Land") or [Search Engine Journal](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ "Search Engine Journal") , or [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com "LinkedIn") and so forth.
Its arguable that everything is becoming a search engine and learning how to meet your customers in the platforms that they are spending their time in, is the correct strategy.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-do-i-find-my-customers
# How do I create the best marketing strategy?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-10-25
The goal of marketing campaigns is misunderstood. Everyone wants to crack the code to create the best marketing strategy. The biggest piece of advice that I offer marketing teams and content teams is a term I call, Cross Channel Synergies. I create the best marketing strategies because I'm keeping it all super simple.
The biggest piece of advice that I offer marketing teams and content teams is a term I call, __Cross Channel Synergies__. I create the best marketing strategies because im keeping it all super simple. Like most things in this world, especially things that abide by the laws of physics, objects that remain in motion together, remain intact. However, objects that are disrupted, well, you know the rest.
The goal of marketing campaigns is mistunderstood. Everyone want's to crack the code to creating the best marketing strategy. Channel managers are in competition with each other. The social media manager is holding onto their secret campaign driver and a budget for strategic influencer campaigns, while the paid media team is focused on the trends of next year, and the display team is trying to remain current with todays trends, and the email team is trying to retarget old customers, and the organic team is crying for more copywriters, and so forth and so on. Least of the alignment coming from the content topic that they all focus on.
I have built content strategies for a variety of industries and businesses and one thing is always true. The teams that synergize their efforts, and focus as a single marketing motion, led by the consumer audience, are always more durable, more effective, more genuine, and more lucrative.
Lets take a look at a pretend campaign across the major channels and lets unify ABC Corp. and their messaging around a new type of paper product.
Organic and SEO:
- Identified 3 keywords that have an appropriate audience for the product
- Head Term: Wholesale White Resume Paper
- Torso Term: Wholesale Textured White Resume Paper
- Long Tail Term: Wholesale Textured White Resume Paper in Bulk
- These topics will be used in a /Blog-Post and on the /Product-Landing-Page, that will hopefully, link to each other.
Paid Ads:
- Paid campaigns will focus on these 3 core keywords and a handful of additional creative terms, and begin paying for positioning on the first page of Google.
- While organic takes its time to rank, at least the brand is there on page 1 capturing attention.
Social (Organic and Paid):
- All social content from the photos, to the infographics, to the influencer partners at the paper manufacturers or the printer companies, should all be focused around these core topics.
- The hashtag strategy and the descriptions across platforms should all unify around this core topic of __White Resume Paper__.
- The demographics and cohorts that will recieve the paid strategy are those looking to stock large quantities of office supplies, not students, or employers, or recruiters.
Email:
- Everything from the subject line, to the opening content, to the CTA's should all focus on this core term and it's supportive terms.
I know, I know, what is say is a bit idealistic and a bit utopian, perhaps even too oversimplified and boarderline dystopian, but like most things, humans overthink. We're focused on KPI's and ROI and forget that marketing is so much more elegant and simple than that.
I often ask myself:
- What do I want to be known for in the moment?
- What do I want to make sure the world knows about me, my product and the experience my customer should expect with my business?
__Cross Channel Synergy__ is more about simplifying complex campaigns, and focusing on executing on core topics. The key to creating the best best marketing strategies is more about cross channel alignment then it is about a single viral campaign.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-do-i-create-the-best-marketing-strategy
# Are Frontend Frameworks Too Fast?
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-10-25
There's been a lot of talk about performance of front ends and one metric that comes up often is how many frames per second a framework can handle. For the vast majority of us, these frameworks have been fast enough in terms of fps for the last ten years. In fact, just like my cinematography experience, I suspect we're making our applications feel unnaturally fast.
When I first started Cause of a Kind, we envisioned being an apparel company, not an agency. One of our first projects was a short film we produced to promote our mission and products. Being budget constrained I was the de-facto Director of Photography and did the filming for the whole thing. It was a super bright, sunny day at a beach at the East end of Long Island. I adjusted the frame rate and aperture settings as I was used to for still photography. With sun this intense I was regularly shooting at stratospheric frame rates. Seemed fine to me, until we viewed the footage.
I later learned, when shooting video, you don't want to shoot a high frame rates like this. The reason is that most of the TV we watch is shot at a lower frame rate. The movements for the characters thus have a slight, but unnoticeable blur to them. A softness if you will. My footage by contrast, was too intense. It felt abrupt and trippy. There was something about it that just felt wrong that you couldn't put your finger on. Thankfully, some post processing software allowed us to correct the footage to an acceptable degree.
Now what does all this have to do with front end frameworks? There's been a lot of talk about performance of front ends and one metric that comes up often is how many frames per second a framework can handle. For the vast majority of us, these frameworks have been fast enough in terms of fps for the last ten years. In fact, just like my cinematography experience, I suspect we're making our applications feel unnaturally fast.
Have you ever gone to a site where you navigated to a new page and didn't know if anything happened?
I have, quite often in fact. With the speed at which frameworks like next and nuxt navigate between pages, if your layout looks nearly the same, it's easy to miss if anything happened at all. Only by reading the content do you realize the titles changed and the content is different. When sites are so fast that items filter and pages navigate without even a flicker, it creates an unease. A fleeting moment of doubt, where you have to scan the content to figure out if the program took you where you wanted to go. In our quest for speed, we've forgotten that most people are used to a web that's just slower. That quick flicker of a blank screen or loading indicator or page transition, lets us know, that we just did something.
But let's take it a step further. What about all the modals, overlays, and toasts we add to our websites and interfaces? Ever have a mod once that instantly just took over the screen on a click. It felt abrupt and sudden. I was annoyed by it. But let's soften things a bit by adding a fade transition. We can also add some motion so the obligatory GDPR banner slides in from the bottom instead of just appearing a few seconds after the page load. It feels just a little less annoying and obtrusive when these elements politely disrupt our experience rather than just being there.
My argument here is two fold. One is that 40 - 60fps is not merely fast enough for most applications, it's desirable so our user's faces don't melt off. The second is we need to be intentional and slow some things down. Let's get back to using CSS transitions to soften disruptive UI elements and to indicate that our actions are being responded to. A loading bar, or a nice page transition can be what separates just another tool from what is truly delightful to use.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/are-frontend-frameworks-too-fast
# How to Create Dynamic Sitemaps with Contentful, Next.js Without Webhooks
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-10-14
Creating a sitemap.xml file was something that always nagged at me when working with headless content management systems. "What do you mean Contentful doesn't do sitemaps?!" my SEO colleagues would say--not understanding what headless means fundamentally. This was one thing that the old monolithic systems like wordpress seemed to have in the bag.
Creating a `sitemap.xml` file was something that always nagged at me when working with headless content management systems. "What do you mean Contentful doesn't do sitemaps?!" my SEO colleagues would say--not understanding what headless means fundamentally. This was one thing that the old monolithic systems like wordpress seemed to have in the bag.
## My Early Approaches
A year ago, I worked out an initial solution that involved using a chron job to create the file regularly. Sadly most cloud hosting providers ([Heroku](https://heroku.com "Heroku") & [Vercel](https://vercel.com/ "Vercel")) don't allow for adding files after the build is deployed so you now have to save this to a CDN like [Amazon S3](https://aws.amazon.com/pm/serv-s3 "Amazon S3").
I later tried an approach that moved building the sitemap being triggered off of a webhook on every publish event inside of Contentful. The problem with this is that you have to make sure you are saving to the same URL inside S3 and that you still have the same added S3 dependency.
You could do a full rebuild on every webhook event to save the file which, is something many static site evangelists are comfortable with. However, as your site gets larger (and maybe handles lots of money), having builds happen at the drop of a hat just makes me uneasy. It's just more moving parts to worry about. There had to be a better way, I wanted to keep my site dynamic with a good cache, and ensure builds only happen for code changes not content changes. I also wanted to ditch the extra S3 dependency.
## The New Method
Thankfully, Next.js can do this inside it's `getInitialProps` hook and serve up the XML file easily. You can setup the sitemap page, have it build on the server, set it and forget it.
First create the `sitemap.js` file inside of the pages directory.
`touch ./pages/sitemap.js`
Install the `xmlbuilder` package:
npm install `xmlbuilder` or `yarn add xmlbuilder` whichever you prefer.
Then configure the following to your liking based upon your Contentful models. I use a `pages` and `articles` model here as examples but you may have many more.
```
import { createClient } from '../services/contentful';
import * as builder from 'xmlbuilder';
const rootUrl = 'https://yourhomepage.com';
const buildUrlObject = (path, updatedAt) => {
return {
'loc': { '#text': `${rootUrl}${path}` },
'lastmod': { '#text': updatedAt.split('T')[0] },
'changefreq': { '#text': 'daily' },
'priority': { '#text': '1.0' }
}
}
```
```
const Sitemap = () => ( null );
Sitemap.getInitialProps = async ({ res }) => {
try {
const client = createClient();
const pages = await client.getEntries({
content_type: 'page',
limit: 1000,
include: 1
});
const articles = await client.getEntries({
content_type: 'article',
limit: 1000,
include: 1
});
let feedObject = {
'urlset': {
'@xmlns': 'http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9',
'@xmlns:image': 'http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-image/1.1',
'url': []
}
}
for (const item of pages.items) {
if (typeof item.fields.slug !== 'undefined') {
feedObject.urlset.url.push(
buildUrlObject(`/${item.fields.slug === 'index' ? '' : item.fields.slug}`, item.sys.updatedAt)
);
}
}
for (const item of articles.items) {
if (typeof item.fields.slug !== 'undefined') {
feedObject.urlset.url.push(
buildUrlObject(`/blog/${item.fields.slug}`, item.sys.updatedAt)
);
}
}
for (const item of posts.items) {
if (typeof item.fields !== 'undefined') {
feedObject.urlset.url.push(
buildUrlObject(`/the-salon/${item.fields.slug === 'index' ? '' : item.fields.slug}`, item.sys.updatedAt)
);
}
}
const sitemap = builder.create(feedObject, { encoding: 'utf-8' });
if (res) {
res.setHeader('Cache-Control', 's-maxage=5, stale-while-revalidate');
res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/xml');
res.statusCode = 200;
res.end(sitemap.end({ pretty: true }));
}
return;
} catch(error) {
return { error: 404 };
}
};
export default Sitemap;
```
*Notes: I like to extract my Contentful service into a `services` directory but you can put the contentful package or whatever headless CMS you want to use in here instead. I also use the slug `index` for the homepage in Contentful so I have that ternary check in here to not include the slug. Again configure as needed. I've also limited this to 1000 articles and pages but if you have more you may want to do some pagination magic there as well.*
## Deployment
To configure this for deployment on now.sh you just need to head on over to your `now.json` file and setup accordingly. Also make sure you add the route for your `robots.txt` file here. This can be stored in static but you will want it accessible off of the route.
```
{
"version": 2,
"alias": "my-sitemap-sample",
"name": "my-sitemap-sample",
"builds": [{ "src": "next.config.js", "use": "@now/next" }],
"routes": [
{ "src": "^/robots.txt", "dest": "/static/robots.txt" },
{ "src": "/sitemap.xml", "dest": "/sitemap" }
]
}
```
## Scaling
As your site grows it may take some time to build and serve up this file. I like to use a service like cloudflare and it's caching to mitigate this. So far I haven't hit any speed traps but know that on a super large sitemap it might be a good idea to break this into multiple sitemaps on different routes at a certain point.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/dynamic-sitemaps-with-contentful-and-next-js-a-k-a-look-ma-no-webhooks
# Heroku Vs. Vercel : Which Cloud Service is Best for Me?
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-09-28
I've long been a consumer of cloud service providers. I have historically used Heroku for the majority of the projects I have worked on over the years and have been pleased with their offering. New on the scene is Vercel, also a cloud hosting provider, but with a different focus. Where Heroku found success embracing the move to cloud based servers and building a solid platform on top of it that was easy to use, Vercel has done the same with a focus on the shift to serverless and edge computing.
So which should you choose? As with anything in engineering, it depends.
I've long been a consumer of cloud service providers. I have historically used [Heroku](https://heroku.com "Heroku") for the majority of the projects I have worked on over the years and have been pleased with their offering. New on the scene is [Vercel](https://vercel.com/ "Vercel"), also a cloud hosting provider, but with a different focus. Where Heroku found success embracing the move to cloud based servers and building a solid platform on top of it that was easy to use, Vercel has done the same with a focus on the shift to serverless and edge computing.
So which should you choose? As with anything in engineering, it depends.
## Heroku
Heroku is considered a platform as a service provider (PaaS). They offer hosting in a wide variety of languages (node, Clojure, Go, Ruby, Python, the list goes on) as well as easy to setup build pipelines and hosted databases. All of this can be stood up through their CLI or through their UI. The git integration is stable and quick to setup as well.
Their pricing structure also follows the more classical style where you don't pay for use but rather the size of the resources. So you pick from their hardware offerings and off you go. When you need to scale up you just select a larger machine or move to autoscaled clusters and you're all set. You will need to let Heroku know if you want a larger machine or if you want to autoscale and at what point to stop scaling. This can come in handy if you need to control your server costs.
Heroku also has Heroku CI, which is their automated test runner. Heroku CI plus their git integration enables you to have a fully functioning CI / CD pipeline all without any extra tooling. They also allow you to setup review applications, which are deployments tied to a specific branch when a pull request is made. This allows you to have a git flow, trunk based development setup but also have those individual environments when you have larger epics to test.
Another nice feature of Heroku is their *teams* features. Here you can set up teams that have their own set of permitted users and applications as well as their own billing. For agencies that have lots of clients this is great since clients can pay for their resources directly. Your developers can access all of your teams from a single login. This is logistically convenient if you manage many applications for different clients.
### When to Pick Heroku
So when to pick Heroku? Heroku gets you up and running fast with more traditional requirements. If you need a long running cloud server, a SQL database, and a test pipeline all setup for you in a few minutes--heroku is for you. They also support a broader range of server languages than Vercel does right now. So if you are not on the node stack and perhaps doing something more esoteric like a Haskell build, you'll likely be able to find a build pack for your application. They also scale incredibly well. I've had their autoscaling dynos handling 10k requests per second without skipping a beat with Heroku's default server configurations. It's great to accommodate that type of scale without needing a specialized DevOps person on board.
## Vercel
Vercel is also a cloud hosting provider but they offer a different type of environment. They focus on serverless infrastructure that can handle infinite scale. The integrate quite tightly with the [Next.js](https://nextjs.org/ "next.js") framework and can support the three core types of jamstack configuration:
- static builds
- incremental static regeneration
- dynamic server side rendering
Vercel also has a solid git integration like Heroku that will get you up and running with a git flow workflow in a few clicks.
Their focus on the tight integration with Next.js reminds me a lot of the apple model where software and hardware are tightly integrated. In cases where you want to utilize the full weight of Next.js as a framework, Vercel really shines. For example if you make use of the Next image component, don't bother trying to get this working on Heroku. You'll quickly max out their memory requirements as the compression and conversion of images requires a specialized setup that Vercel just gives to you. They're also setup for optimizing static hosting at the edge so you can have those super snappy static built pages or incremental static builds alongside dynamic pages without any performance consequences.
Vercel does not have an integrated test runner or any type of database offerings. You'll need to seek those elsewhere. This is not typically a problem with serverless database offerings like [Fauna](https://fauna.com "Fauna"), [CockroachDB](https://www.cockroachlabs.com/product/ "cockroachdb"), [Amazon Aurora](https://aws.amazon.com/rds/aurora/ "amazon aurora"), or [Mongo Atlas](https://www.mongodb.com/atlas "mongo atlas"). The same goes for test runners. Today we have github actions and gitlab that can perform automated testing for us before deploys. If you're used to all the services Heroku provides around CI/CD and database management you'll want to research the best setup for you on Vercel.
That being said, Vercel is built for any scale, any time. True to the serverless promise of tools like [AWS Lambda](https://aws.amazon.com/lambda/ "aws lambda"), you will not need to scale up or provision resources. Vercel's model is pay as you go. With Heroku, while you do have autoscaling, you have to enable this and do basic configuration yourself. This means you could find yourself needing to choose larger hardware from time to time. Vercel truly embraces hands off DevOps and is built to handle any amount of scale, on demand, at any time.
Team management is also easy in Vercel. You can create teams just like in Heroku and they can all have their own independent billing. That being said, Vercel does charge for the number of people that need to be able to push to that repository. So if you had a lot of contributors you could find those costs end up higher than if you were with Heroku, which does not have a pay-per-seat model of billing.
### When to Pick Vercel
For me Vercel is perfect if you are using a modern javascript or typescript based web framework like Next.js, SvelteKit, or Nuxt. It's great if you are unsure of the scale your app will need to handle or are sure that the scale will be quite large and variable. If you are doing any kind of jamstack builds whether they be pure or hybrid Vercel is also an excellent choice.
Despite loving Heroku for many years, we're finding the speed and scaling benefits of Vercel to be winning us over these days. We build a lot of applications with Next.js and the integration of the platform and the framework is very convenient. We also love the new era of serverless computing so Vercel coupled with a serverless database offering like Fauna is a weight lifted off of the teams shoulders.
## Conclusion
Both Heroku and Vercel are great cloud hosting providers that free you from the burden of DevOps. While Heroku embraces the classic cloud computing model, Vercel takes things further by truly embracing the serverless and edge computing landscape. In general we've found ourselves moving more and more of our applications to Vercel, but always have Heroku as the tried and true solution that's been stable for years.
as seen on [Medium](https://medium.com/cause-of-a-kind/heroku-vs-vercel-which-cloud-service-is-best-for-me-810964808c4 "Medium")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/heroku-vs-vercel
# What does an SEO Audit and Checklist look like in Real Time?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-09-23
I'm sitting in my lab actively auditing a massive enterprise eCommerce site and wanted to share a few steps and insights from my checklist. It isn't my full checklist, as that is accomplished over weeks and months, but as I sit down this morning, I thought I would share a bit of my formula.
I'm sitting in my lab actively auditing a massive enterprise eCommerce site and wanted to share a few steps and insights from my checklist. It isn't my full checklist, as that is accomplished over weeks and months, but as I sit down this morning, I thought I would share a bit of my formula.
I am intentionally going to leave SEO SaaS tools out of this reflection and focus purely on the google suite of available solutions. While I have an advanced tool kit, is it surprising what is available to SEO's at no cost.
- __I begin in the Google SERP for the core Branded Head Term.__ You would be absolutely SHOCKED to see that this is quite often overlooked. I want to take a look at the SERP response. Does the brand secure nearly the entire available organic SERP? What competitors are paying for above and below the SERP visibility. What does the knowledge graph look like. Is there any contextual positions like a Quick Answer, Local Pack, Video or Image Carousel, Shopping Carousel, Knowledge Panel, People Also Ask, etc. My goal is to find a point of entry. If the Branded Head Term is not returning extensive results, I have a potential point of entry. (think schema, think Google My Business, think indexation problem, so forth)
- __From there I take a look at [Google Trends](https://trends.google.com/trends/?geo=US "Google Trends").__ I want to understand the history of popularity for the Branded Head Term and what I assume are the Non-Branded head terms. Im usually pretty good at guessing without the use of an SEO tool to do the research.
- __From there I am off to [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/ "Google Search Console").__ what is the current health of the website? Are there any manual actions? Anything preventing indexation? Any performance problems across devices, locations, demographics and no forth? Do I see anything alarming within Core Web Vitals? Am I missing a sitemap.xml?
- __I then take a look at both the /Robot.txt file and the /Sitemap.xml to get an understanding.__ You would be SHOCKED to see incorrect disallows or no follows or no index directives within Robot.txt files. Typically these could be implemented to staging environments pre-migration and simply forgot to remove or tidy prior to launch. Or how many times I have seen a Sitemap.XML tell a bot that the Blog article or Product display page is updating DAILY. Publications, sports outlets, news forums, update DAILY. Your eCommerce store and the products you sell, do not update Daily. I argue whether they update, ever, except for size and quantity availability. Or how often the other features of a site map like are even used at all.
- __From there I am off to [Google My Business](https://business.google.com/ "Google My Business").__ This is a hotbed for stale content. Lots of times, the original creator of the account is no where to be found, and business goes on without really updating this platform. Google My Business is a central hub for Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. It is critical to keep this portal up to date, on target with current business dealings, reflective of company values and fully optimized. Even one missing feature, could be a full on opening for competition to capitalize on.
- __From there I am interested in exploring the holistic marketing strategy from the perspective of the consumer.__ This may take me into the ESP or into [GoogleAds](https://ads.google.com/ "GoogleAds"), or into social platforms and so forth. What is my experience as a consumer and what can I find that is missing? Do i see cross platform synergies? Do I see a holistic approach to content Titles, Descriptions, cross platform linking and related content?
- __From there I am looking at basic site structure and URL taxonomy.__ Again, While I use crawler solutions, I simply poke around from Home Page to, CLP to PDP, to Blog landing Page, to Artcile page and so forth. I am looking for general cleanliness and the relationship between meta elements and the URL. Im looking for clean directory structures. I am looking at pagination protocol in the URL. I am looking at case sensitivity. The list goes on.
While my list keeps going, and while I have not even gotten into [Google Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/ "Google Analytics") or [Page Speed Insights](https://pagespeed.web.dev/ "Page Speed Insights"), or [Rich Results Test](https://search.google.com/test/rich-results "Rich Results Test"), or [Google Lighthouse](https://developers.google.com/web "Google Lighthouse") and more advanced tools to paint a clearer picture, by this time, I know more about the business that any employees, and most leadership team members. I am not just looking for SEO opportunities. I am looking to understand the total opportunity across the entire business, industry and digital ecosystem.
My goal is simple. I operate as a surgeon would. I do as much pre-surgical inspection, data collection, process elimination, testing, and analysis, before I ever make a first incision. The goal is to do ZERO harm and make the smaller incisions possible to enhance. I am a measure twice, cut once practitioner.
I am a Holistic Search Marketer.
Happy Optimizing!!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/seo-audit-and-checklist-in-real-time
# SEO Course Correction Results Case Study
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-09-14
16 months ago, this website was underperforming for its core competencies. ALL of the traffic coming to this site was sending signals of indexation to Google for ALL the wrong things. Here is what I did to course correct.
SEO Course Correction Results Case Study
16 months ago, this website was underperforming for its core competencies. ALL of the traffic coming to this site was sending signals of indexation to Google for ALL the wrong things. Here is what I did to course correct.
It is also the definition of "SEO is a Marathon".
A section of a site was outperforming the rest of the website. Without removing content or redirects or anything at a granular level, I was willing to try a global course correct.
ROBOT.TXT Disallows
I DISALLOWED an entire directory. 😮 psycho move.
WHY???
This sends a directive signal to the search engine that while these pages are still valuable to indexation, they are NOT the primary value of the site and prevents them from further crawling, which preserves crawl budget and prevents the search engine from focusing on ancillary content versus primary content. Disallowed pages include campaign level pages, blog pages and long form content pages that were not hyper focused on the core competencies of the website and business all nested cleanly under a /sub-directory/.
Without losing the link juice and indexation value (NOINDEX), the DISALLOW enabled me to isolate this specific section of the site and direct the search engine to focus on all of the other content on the site that supports the primary mission.
Long story short, there is no voodoo here. I was willing to nuke the entire site, in order to harden the indexation and control the way that the search engine reads and ranks the website holistically.
THE DATA:
✳️ You'll notice the cliff around August 2021.
✳️ You'll notice the spread prior to August 2021 between the metrics.
✳️ You'll notice HIGH impressions and HIGH average Position, but LOW CTR and LOW Click engagement.
All the wrong content was being indexed and the metrics were showing all the wrong results.
✳️ You'll notice the sacrifice and the immediate impact.
For anything performing in an area of the site that I wanted to keep, there was NO IMPACT. If anything, I saw immediate lift in performance and durability of engagement.
Just over a year later, this website dominates the niche all the while the DISALLOWED content is still indexed and still performs for the business, the Search Engine now knows for sure, that the websites focus is elsewhere.
Happy Optimizing!!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/seo-course-correction-results-case-study
# SEO is the DigitalDNA of Business
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-09-02
If we break away from SEO 101, and move SEO into a place of strategic big data parsing, the true Voice of the Customer, and unify/influence the greater digital mix, SEO becomes part of the genetics of a marketing motion. Literally the digitalDNA 🧬of a brand.
BOLD STATEMENT: SEO should be part of the genetics of business.
I am always open for debate, but this is an infographic that I have used for YEARS, with some of the most recognizable super brands on the planet to drive holistic SEO programs.
This graphic, in its beautiful Helix form, demonstrates the extended Buyers Journey and the marketing strategies that "ideally" apply through all moments of the consumer lifecycle.
If we break away from SEO 101, and move SEO into a place of strategic big data parsing, the true Voice of the Customer, and unify/influence the greater digital mix, SEO becomes part of the genetics of a marketing motion. Literally the digitalDNA 🧬of a brand.
SEO is so much more than just optimizing content to perform better in Search Engine Search Results. It is about LISTENING. It is about MEASURMENT. It is about ADAPTABILITY. It is about DURABILITY.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/seo-is-the-digitaldna-of-business
# The Expanding Potential of a Virtual Reality Future
By: Anthony Iritano
Published: 2022-08-31
Virtual reality is the next big thing in the world of gaming and entertainment but its use cases far exceed the limits of your traditional gaming console. VR has been around for decades and has been used in the military, education and entertainment industries. Recently, it has become more mainstream thanks to the introduction of affordable headsets like the Meta Quest 2 which provides a top notch VR experience completely wireless and without the need to connect to a high powered computer. This mainstream adoption has led to a large expansion in VR software and has brought us one step closer to the true potential of this technology.
## What is Virtual Reality?
Virtual reality is the next big thing in the world of gaming and entertainment but its use cases far exceed the limits of your traditional gaming console. VR has been around for decades and has been used in the military, education and entertainment industries. Recently, it has become more mainstream thanks to the introduction of affordable headsets like the [Meta Quest 2](https://store.facebook.com/quest/products/quest-2/?utm_source=gg&utm_medium=ps&utm_campaign=11032349238&utm_term=meta%20quest%202&utm_content=613730681729&utm_ad=129095419349&utm_location=9004519&utm_location2=&utm_placement=kwd-1456471425763&utm_device=c&utm_matchtype=e&utm_feed=&utm_adposition=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjbyYBhCdARIsAArC6LK98YpCehXYD8W8RU5LAO9HFTCrhyiN16rgd1H6Kde1OAC3jdWPq_IaApkcEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) which provides a top notch VR experience completely wireless and without the need to connect to a high powered computer. This mainstream adoption has led to a large expansion in VR software and has brought us one step closer to the true potential of this technology.
Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that allows users to interact with and experience a computer-generated environment. The most common type of virtual reality headset is the head-mounted display (HMD). These devices usually have two small high resolution OLED or LCD screens inside, one for each eye. Some HMDs include built-in headphones to provide sound to the wearer. The screens are designed to provide stereoscopic images from different perspectives which create the illusion that you're looking at an object in full three dimensional space.There are a few different HMD designs. The[ Oculus Rift](https://www.oculus.com/rift-s/features/?utm_source=www.google.com&utm_medium=oculusredirect) and [HTC Vive](https://www.vive.com/us/) use a head-mounted display in which there is only one screen covering each eye, while the [PlayStation VR](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/ps-vr/) uses an HMD with two circular screens that can provide an FOV of up to 100°, but lacks the ability for true stereoscopic viewing.
## How is Virtual Reality being used?
VR has been increasingly used for training and simulation purposes, such as in the military and healthcare, but its potential applications are far broader. For example, fitness applications have been growing increasingly popular on the platform. Dedicated fitness applications have risen to the top of the download charts as more people have realized the benefits of a virtual reality workout. Apps like [Supernatural VR Fitness](https://www.getsupernatural.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwjbyYBhCdARIsAArC6LIp7mf24d4x6zYsypw5zQvhMREWkfc2_Xx26Qz5i5huWSrnCiTAjeUaAmLWEALw_wcB) provide the user with a personal trainer who will guide you through extensive cardio exercises either solo or in a group.The group environment provides you with a healthy level of competition and an incredible social experience, similar to the approach of [Peloton group sessions](https://www.onepeloton.com/bike?utm_campaign=26625333&utm_content=315501950&utm_medium=search&utm_source=google_search&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjbyYBhCdARIsAArC6LJauw1qhMGuT78PNRgS9wWhx2bu8TN54RV93qvWpP4BixlHTTwBJhYaAupEEALw_wcB).
This idea of a VR social experience has been quickly adopted by companies such as Facebook who have now changed their name to Meta. They have started to push the boundaries of what VR will provide to the professional world. Meta has started experimenting with the use of VR in a work from home environment, providing employees with a realistic and immersive way to stay connected with their colleagues. Using a virtual meeting room has proven to be a game changer compared to the traditional webcam chats. Employees and clients are able to connect and coexist in the same 3D space while also making sure that there is no distraction from our outside surroundings, which can be helpful in some cases. VR meeting rooms or VR collaboration spaces are quickly becoming the go-to tool for companies and employees looking to collaborate in new ways offering a degree of connection that traditional meetings cannot, while still providing an excellent space to work through difficult problems. When used as a supplement to other methods of communication, VR makes collaboration a more effective experience.
[Meta’s Horizon Workrooms](https://www.oculus.com/workrooms/) allows users to create an avatar and sit among colleagues in computer-generated corporate settings and has intuitive ways of interacting with digital office space items (e.g., a whiteboard); and requires internet speeds available in most homes.
The benefits of such a product are substantial. If in-person interaction results in more collaboration, innovation, productivity, and a sense of belonging, being able to replicate that experience seamlessly would be invaluable for workplaces, especially those that regularly employ remote workers.
## Where can developers begin their VR journey?
As a developer I am very interested in the process of developing VR and AR applications. As people continue to adopt this technology the need for VR skilled developers will continue to increase. Unity is the game engine in which most VR applications are developed and while a solid foundation in game development is useful, Virtual Reality development is really a craft of its own. Many companies are seeing the potential of the VR development landscape and have begun to offer training programs to new developers and increased funding and resources to small VR studios. Major tech schools are now offering in person and online courses such as the [VR/AR- xPRO](https://executive-ed.xpro.mit.edu/virtual-reality-augmented-reality?utm_source=Google&utm_network=g&utm_medium=c&utm_term=vr%20course&utm_location=9004519&utm_campaign_id=17492813711&utm_adset_id=143340956048&utm_ad_id=594745681650&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjbyYBhCdARIsAArC6LIlF3_RD_YELOlde90BmsniffvF_VrCKxUaxmG7yA7Onw7FatG4-cgaAgsxEALw_wcB) class offered by [MIT](https://www.mit.edu/). Although an extensive course can be beneficial it is also possible to get a great start with more affordable options such as [The Complete Unity VR Developer Course](https://www.udemy.com/course/unity-vr-developer-course/?utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=udemyads&utm_campaign=DSA_Catchall_la.EN_cc.US&utm_content=deal4584&utm_term=_._ag_95911180068_._ad_616151791905_._kw__._de_c_._dm__._pl__._ti_dsa-841699838863_._li_9004519_._pd__._&matchtype=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjbyYBhCdARIsAArC6LJ9PpkfmnWxKWKDPmGljPG-APSOTbIz2poFTMEoy8j1P2PP__tOQp4aAvnyEALw_wcB) offered by Udemy.
## Does Virtual Reality have a future?
The advancements in VR technology these recent years have been incredible to witness, the truth is that VR is still in its infancy. As it stands the current solutions are not quite ready to be implemented on a mass scale in the professional world as headset costs, comfort and a lack of professional tools are all still major factors. As more users and developers begin to adopt the hardware and software we will continue to see exponential growth of these products. So, while there is still a ways to go, the future of virtual workplaces looks bright.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-expanding-potential-of-a-virtual-reality-future
# Is there a basic explanation of Web3 somewhere for my mom?
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-08-30
There isn't, but there should be! 💡
Blockchain is a tool for building Web3, which to me simply means the internet of value (owning digital things). But that also means blockchain need not be a part of that equation at all.
There isn't, but there should be! 💡
Blockchain is a tool for building Web3, which to me simply means the internet of value (owning digital things). But that also means blockchain need not be a part of that equation at all.
To take advantage of it, your Mom shouldn't need to understand the inner mechanics. I have a refrigerator, what does it do? It keeps food cold. You needn't know the inner workings to take advantage of it's awesome power.
We all pay for goods with money, yet only a select few understand the economics behind fiat. Web3 needs to bridge that gap.
This might rub some purists the wrong way though. It means the average person cares very little about decentralization. What they will care about is being able to log in to applications without having to remember a password or transfer money from place to place without waiting for a clearing house or being charged a transaction fee.
God forbid we allow financial transactions to take place instantly, without paying a middleman... 🤯
I find Web3 seems to conflate the technology behind it with what makes it valuable to a consumer.
But would people be skeptical of HOW it allowed them to log in without a password like they are used to?
Does anyone know if those GDPR cookie popups actually work on every website? Do they ask how our passwords are stored?
I've met developers with years of experience that have no idea how traditional password-based authentication works. I'd imagine most people know even less than that with the tech we have right now.
Someone once told me the little red emergency brakes 🚨 on the train are actually connected to nothing. They're just there to make you feel good. I think of this metaphor a lot when browsing the web. So many popups, certifications, and legalese. Yet there are so many data leaks, breaches, and vulnerabilities on trusted platforms.
What I think is cool about Web3 is the idea that it will enable great security. How it achieves that will grow less and less important to consumers as it becomes mainstream.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/is-there-a-basic-explanation-of-web3-somewhere-for-my-mom
# What is the best way to use a headless CMS?
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-08-30
With headless content management systems, designers and developers are given incredible power and flexibility. Power we never had with the monolithic solutions of the past like Wordpress, Drupal, Shopify, or Magento. The problem is that with great power and flexibility, comes great complexity. We spend a lot of time and energy on the design of our interfaces for customers. Yet, we think very little about the user experience of the back end systems that go into this.
With headless content management systems (CMS), designers and developers are given incredible power and flexibility, like we never had with the monolithic solutions of the past like Wordpress, Drupal, Shopify, or Magento. The problem is that with great power and flexibility, comes great complexity. We spend a lot of time and energy on the design of our interfaces for customers. Yet, we think very little about the user experience of the back end systems that go into this.
> With great power and flexibility, comes great complexity.
The prevailing belief is that employees and administrators can suffer the pain as long as the user experience for customers is great. When it comes to the classical content management systems, many of us have been institutionalized. We're years away from the pain of learning our way around Wordpress or Drupal or BigCommerce. When we build for headless, a CMS like [Contentful](https://www.contentful.com/ "contentful") or [Contentstack](https://www.contentstack.com/ "contentstack") can be a dream. However, because the configuration is largely dependent on the developer setting it up, the user experience for your internal teams can manifest as a nightmare.
This is the side of headless that the industry itself still has not come around to. There is an entire user experience that now must be crafted behind the CMS itself. In fact, headless content management systems can be used to house far more than just content. At Cause of a Kind, we're using headless systems to build entire command and control centers for applications. They come complete with the ability to modify the content and imagery, craft event triggers with web hooks, and even modify the UI of the CMS itself. They give us everything we need not just to control our web interfaces, but also a way to tie together disparate internal systems. They help us wrangle a tangled ball of third-party systems into a neat pipeline of data. We can then safely give control of these systems to non-technical stakeholders.
This frees development teams from one line text changes and running simple scripts to migrate data from one system to another. We've used headless content management systems to build everything from complex brochure and e-commerce websites, to feature flag systems for continuous integration, all the way to medical software that aggregates data from remote devices. This type of power gives us the ability to deliver value faster to customers and more power to internal stakeholders. That being said, leaving this kind of UX design to a team of engineers is often the place where things go south.
Headless content management systems have created their own [uncanny valley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley "uncanny valley"). The closer the system gets to a great user experience, the more intolerable things can become for users. For example, let's take an old school CMS like Joomla. When modified it becomes quite odd to use. It is riddled with terms like *articles*, *modules*, and *components* that end up representing different entities than we would expect. However, it is understood by the users that there will be a learning curve. They will have to memorize where these things go and what they will effect. The expectation is that this system *WILL NOT* be intuitive, and this is understood as soon as the user logs in.
With legacy content management systems, you didn't have to consider the user experience. The user experience was dictated for you. You suffered repurposing entities like *posts*, *blocks*, *components*, and *articles* for new use cases. Administrators decorated their monitors with post-it notes full of little tips for how to use the CMS. Internal stakeholders understood the tradeoff of using what's available to avoiding building something from scratch. These oddities became acceptable abstraction leaks and a challenging user experience was the expectation.
> With legacy content management systems, you didn't have to consider the user experience.
Contrast this with a headless content management system. Here, the workflows can be carefully crafted, entity terminology can matched to the industry, and custom plugins can make the editing experience more intuitive. The problem is, when users expect something intuitive and simple to use, yet it is not, that friction if felt ten fold! It's even worse when you get *almost* everything right.
So how do we get this right? You need to talk to the users! It's important during the process of configuring the CMS, that you, the engineer, sit down and talk with some users. Show them how you're thinking of configuring things. Ask them about their workflows and pain points. At Cause of a Kind the user flows in the back of the house make it to the story map and design documents.
We may not need UX designers to create mockups like we do for the customer facing application, but we certainly need to prototype. Before you hook up the CMS, create some models and fill in some data. Share it with the people that manage the system and ask for their feedback. You won't get things perfect, but you'll be able to cross that uncanny valley between expected discomfort and that thing that was *almost* delightful.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-secret-ux-of-the-headless-cms
# Turn Paid Off, Say Goodbye to Inbound
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-08-22
Eventually, SEO can contribute the lion's share of inbound activity and share a healthy holistic relationship with the other primary channels of inbound like PPC, Social, Advertising, and PR. A durable inbound future ensures a continuation of YoY performance regardless of a loss in budget for Paid Strategies.
This might be the most important and oversimplified infographic I have come across. I have had this image in my archives for years and it is still simply and elegantly true and I wanted to share.
SEO is a long term commitment to Expert, Authoritative and Trustworthy content, web experience and customer/search engine bot experience. SEO is a long term commitment to web excellence.
Eventually, SEO can contribute the lions share of inbound activity and share a healthy holistic relationship with the other primary channels of inbound like PPC, Social, Advertising and PR. A durable inbound future ensures a continuation of YoY performance regardless of a loss in budget for Paid Strategies.
Simply, Turn Paid Off, Say Goodbye to Inbound.
SEO drives north of 60% of KPIs ( Traffic, Conversions, Revenue), survive nuclear web winters.🥶
Brands that focus on an SEO first marketing strategy are off to creating a durable, high quality inbound future.
Happy Optimizing!
#seo #advertising #marketingstrategy #quality
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/turn-paid-off-say-goodbye-to-inbound
# On Building Bad Ideas
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-08-22
As an agency owner, I'm the guy that has to pretend to like your bad ideas. I've heard all ranges of bad ideas. I've listened to a guy trying to sell jarred air from different parts of the world. I've entertained building a play to earn game described as "a total Ponzi Scheme." Some days I hear so many bad ideas I want to hang it all up and close my laptop for good. I'll move the whole family into a Yurt in the woods--never to look at another glowing screen again.
As an agency owner, I'm the guy that has to pretend to like your bad ideas. I've heard all ranges of bad ideas. I've listened to a guy trying to sell jarred air from different parts of the world. I've entertained building a play to earn game described as "a total Ponzi Scheme." Some days I hear so many bad ideas I want to hang it all up and close my laptop for good. I'll move the whole family into a Yurt in the woods--never to look at another glowing screen again.
When you own an agency, especially one that builds software, you're going to hear a lot of dreadful ideas. Since you get paid to build things, it behooves you to pretend to like any idea someone is willing to throw money at. You listen, nod, repeat the idea back and why it's good. You then proceed to entertain what it would take to build said idea.
In situations like this, I often return to a quote by David Ogilvy:
> "I never assign a product to a writer unless I know that he is personally interested in it. Every time I have written a bad campaign, it has been because the product did not interest me."
He's not saying that the writer must be a user of the product, but the writer should be at least interested in it. This same idea applies to building software. It's going to be difficult to build software that you don't see utility in. While you may not be a user of the software, you should at least believe in its necessity for someone. Building a product without empathy spells doom before you've initialized the repository.
Most of the time, this feeling is subtle. It's rare to hear an outright bad idea. Most of the time they are ideas we don't understand or can't empathize with the problem. These are the ideas that are harder to walk away from. The it's not you it's me of agency pitches. You hate to walk away because you think there *might* be value in this thing, if only you can understand it.
In these situations it's easy to fall victim to someone's enthusiasm. What you need to ask yourself in these situations is:
How successful is this person going to be at convincing customers to use their solution? Even a great idea has a large chasm to cross when it comes to converting existing behavior. If it solves a pain point, is the existing pain painful enough? Is this a 10x improvement over what exists? Remember, most software doesn't fail because it's poorly built. It fails because it purported to solve a problem that wasn't big enough.
I was once given the advice when hiring, "it's OK to walk away from good people, but it's not OK to hire bad people." When in doubt about a candidate, it's better to walk away than be unsure. I now feel the same way about client ideas. It's OK to walk away from a good idea, but it's not OK to build software on a premise you do not understand.
So if you have an idea that you want an honest opinion on, give me a call. I'll always lend an open ear but I won't give you a price unless I like what you're building.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/on-building-bad-ideas
# The DNA of Digital Marketing
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-08-22
Welcome to the digital helix. 🧬
This might be incredibly helpful for most digital marketers, but especially SEOs. 🤓
Welcome to the digital helix. 🧬
As you compare the marketing tactic with the extended consumer journey and lifecycle, you can see where synergy is created among the the various niche channels.
SEO is not only used to drive attention, but it’s used to drive innovation. It’s used to drive insights across all channels from producing relevant video content or relevant and timely email newsletters aligned with your target consumer and your competitors. It can be used to evaluate the User Experience for new technology or help elevate a social event to ensure it delivers maximum value to attendees.
The one thing I would (and will) change about this infographic in the future is, it isn’t a #straightlinemethod, rather cyclical and constant.
Happy Optimizing!
Best in Class [SEO and CRO](https://www.causeofakind.com/seo-and-cro "SEO and CRO") Program
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-dna-of-digital-marketing
# SEO vs. PPC: A Holistic Perspective
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-08-22
I don't really believe in competing channels of marketing. I believe in a holistic approach to inbound and am a student of the relationship between the channels, particularly Google PPC and Google SEO.
# Cant We All Just Get Along?
I don't really believe in competing channels of marketing. I believe in a holistic approach to inbound and am a student of the relationship between the channels, particularly Google PPC and Google SEO.
It has been my first hand experience, consulting with the most recognizable brands on the planet, that the answer to driving deep and meaningful inbound results comes from a healthy relationship between SEO and PPC. There is rich and substantive data to glean from both channels with learnings that can impact the success, or the failure of each strategy.
I always found it interesting that these two disciplines, for the most part, are at odds. Quite literally competing for attention, budget, approval, results, and SERP real estate. When in reality, if these two channels are absolutely in harmony and working together towards common goals, the strategy of SERP DOMINATION emerges.
I ask you, don't you think your stake holder would want to see their domain perform in above the fold PPC positions as well as Organic positions? Or do you think that they would rather one or the other?
Happy Optimizing!
Best in class [SEO program](https://www.causeofakind.com/seo-and-cro "SEO program") at Cause of a Kind
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/seo-vs-ppc-a-holistic-perspective
# The Cure for Client Anxiety
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-08-19
Client anxiety, we all know the signs. It starts with emails every few days to check in on progress. They start benign at first. A new idea about a feature, a nice to have here, something they forgot to tell you about a customer there.
Client anxiety, we all know the signs. It starts with emails every few days to check in on progress. They start benign at first. A new idea about a feature, a nice to have here, something they forgot to tell you about a customer there.
It goes something like this:
> "Hey, I was thinking it would be great to add a button to the nav."
A few days later you get the next email:
> "Hey there if the team hasn't started on this feature yet would it be possible to..."
The weekend passes and on Monday you receive:
> "Hey we have a campaign we're looking to put out on Friday, do you think you'll have the application ready in time?."
Each time your frustration grows. What don't they understand about design lock? We told them the launch date won't be for another four weeks during the sale! You're getting frustrated at the questions, but missing the root cause, client anxiety.
This is a classic problem for development teams. At agencies, this means you are building in a black box. We fell victim to this often early on in our growth. We'd sign a contract, put a line in the sand at some point in the future based upon an estimation framework, and go to work. Weeks would pass with what appears to be zero progress. You'd start with all that boring server setup and move on to the back end APIs. Or you build out the designs but don't want to show them until the design team approves every pixel.
You do this to save the client, to protect them from seeing how the sausage is being made. You've created a situation where the specs go into a box, and out comes a perfect product. You say you work in an agile process, and you even do follow agile within the team. But to the outside world this is a canoe going over a waterfall.
What ends up happening is a few weeks before launch the client team can't take it anymore. They have to show something. The client's emails have grown frequent, frantic, and animated. You show the construction site and it's a disaster. Now your team needs to field bug reports and change orders before they've ever gotten to the finish line. This leads to further delays, more frustration.
It took me a long time to break this classic agency paradigm. The reluctance to show clients how the product is progressing at every step. To embrace an agile process both for the internal team and for the clients.
How did we fix it?
It's a framework that came from one of our mentors, [Eric Elliot](https://ericelliottjs.com/ "Eric Elliot"), called *demos over deadlines*. Here we don't set some amorphous due date in the future for complete products anymore.
This means that a staging server should be ready and accessible to clients within one week. It means that every 48 hours we can demo some feature to the client. This can be as simple as an email signup, or a banner, or the navigation, or an API endpoint. If this cannot make it to staging, then a screen recording will suffice.
Every two weeks we guarantee a release to the staging environment. It doesn't matter if design or product hasn't reviewed it. It doesn't matter if there are still items in progress. The client will be able to jump in and feel what they are paying for. We can always say, we deployed a, b, and c, but are still patching up x, y, and z.
The cure for client anxiety is to remove the black box. Clients understand a work in progress, what they don't understand is obfuscation.
But wait! Doesn't that mean we're going to be fielding bugs and changes in the first weeks of the project?!
YES!
In true agile fashion we should be welcoming this feedback early. When we receive critical feedback early, the changes don't pile up into a frantic, final sprint. We can address issues, bugs, or discrepancies in the spec early.
It also pushes clients to get user feedback early. To confirm all those user assumptions made during design. Do it sooner, with two or three trusted customers. The insights you gain will save you months of wasted work.
We now have the cure for client anxiety, *always be shipping*!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-cure-for-client-anxiety
# High Pressure Delivery
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-08-15
When it came to becoming a software engineer, I fell in love with how intellectually stimulating and downright demanding it is on the brain. However, most of the time, the job is devoid of excitement. Sure there are those crazy bugs that come up a few times a year, but the day to day goes by at your resting heart rate. It's far from boring, but it's not exciting.
When it came to becoming a software engineer, I fell in love with how intellectually stimulating and downright demanding it is on the brain. However, most of the time, the job is devoid of excitement. Sure there are those crazy bugs that come up a few times a year, but the day to day goes by at your resting heart rate. It's far from boring, but it's not exciting.
During college, and for a number of years after, I worked in food service. Back then, I often complained about how lacking these jobs are in creativity, leaving me intellectually starving at the end of my shift. However, I loved the speed of the experience. The intensity under which a team of servers, serving entirely different customers, would all flow together as one during an epic battle sequence between the diner and a warm meal. There was cursing, broken glassware, thrown chopped meat, cut fingers, oil stains and heavy drinking all coming together to form a work experience unlike any other.
At software development agencies, this type of pressure tends to return a few times a year under tight deadlines. The we can't delay one more week moments are real. At product companies, there are deadlines, but most are soft deadlines or *best guesses*. Agencies, tend to be under stricter scrutiny. The business to business relationship is far less forgiving than the human to human relationship between manager and employee. There is also the financial incentive to ship quicker, to get a client's project to value faster. In short, agencies that grow call their shots and make them.
This was a major driver behind me founding Cause of a Kind. I thrive in the pressure and intensity of a hard deadline and a problem to solve. It feels like all the pathways clear in my head and I can see the fastest path between nothing and something. As the CTO of Cause of a Kind, I don't get a ton of time in the weeds anymore, but last week I got the opportunity to feel the pressure again and it gave me a new perspective on the benefits of a hard deadline.
We had a web application set to launch in four weeks. The application had grown to have a meandering feature set, a braided stream of changes in direction and pivots that took place over the course of the last six months. The actual application that was needed was far less complex and with the latest round of feature changes the original code base was far from where we needed to be.
The shuddered thought to re-write it entered my brain, as it does most engineers when working with a legacy code base. As Joel Spolsky says, "software is easier to write than it is to read." I typically ignore these types of thoughts, re-writes are almost always a bad idea, but this software was untested on users. There was no pain or wisdom that comes from a large legacy codebase that's been with users for years.
Was it possible to re-write it in a week? I decided to spend one day *testing* the re-write. Depending upon how I felt after that day, I would decide if the re-write was possible in the time remaining.
The following day I stared off into the void, I was at the point of no return, if I continued now, I'd have to finish the re-written application, no matter the cost. I took the leap and continued building. I told my co-founder that I wouldn't be able to make any meetings this week, I had to go heads down and finish, but not to worry I wouldn't miss the deadline. I was committed.
This was also a unique deadline for us, we were traveling to visit the client to deliver the software in person. Showing up with something that was broken, incomplete, or with any bugs would be a horrific embarrassment. My leg bounced up and down like a sewing machine from the moment I sat down until I got up for lunch each day. I shut off slack, I shut off email, I shut off twitter, I shut off every possible distraction that kept me from my goal of delivery.
I was nervous for sure, and in these scenarios it's all to easy to get focused on failure. The *what if I don't deliver*. It's that voice that wants you to cut corners, to skip the tests, to skip the planning, to duplicate code with reckless abandon, to skip refactors and abstractions. Every minute you aren't writing production code feels like a minute wasted, but this is even more foolish when under deadline pressure. As the code base grows, you need to be able to increase speed with confidence. You can't do this if you have to manually run through every path in the UI with each new change. You need to be able to sprint to the finish line, to increase speed the way an Olympic runner thrusts themselves toward the finish line with ever increasing strides.
At last the day had come for our trip, and I *still* wasn't quite done. I coded on the plane (only possible because my tests run without a network connection *wink*), and with two hours left until our demo I stopped in Starbucks around the corner to put on the finishing touches. I could see the finish line now and those best practices were paying their dividends now as each feature came together like a game of chess you're destined to win.
I ran the build, I ran the deploy, everything was live and we were ready to go. My co-founder again looked at me and said, "what if there's a bug?"
"There won't be," I responded.
We arrived at the demo, pulled out a tablet as the business opened and we used the application in real time, with real users for the first time, bug free. But they didn't merely use it, they were in love with it! Seeing the joy on a client's face as they use an application that is going to alleviate months of painfully manual interactions is another glorious moment we don't get to experience often as engineers.
On the flight home I felt euphoric, that same feeling after a crazy New Years Eve service, when the last customer walks out the door and you've polished the last glass. You didn't just survive, you thrived. I could even hear the last song on the dining room playlist from all those years ago ringing in my ears, *I've been looking so long at these pictures of you...*, and the smell my shift beer coming off the tap, refreshment well earned.
I've often been told that our goal is to alleviate pressure on engineers. To leave them in quiet work spaces to toil calmly. However, I'm not finding that to be my way to reach flow state. Flow state happens for me when pressure forces me to clear my plate, to focus all my energy on a single purpose, a mission, a goal. The nervous energy of a tight deadline distills my thinking to only the essentials, from which I discover my best work. Now the question is, how do we find that optimal amount of pressure and train ourselves to thrive in it?
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/high-pressure-delivery
# Understanding GDPR: What Every Website Owner Needs to Know
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-07-16
Unlock GDPR compliance for your website with this comprehensive guide. Understand key principles, audit steps, and remediation actions to enhance data protection and build user trust.
As the world becomes increasingly digitized, the importance of data protection and privacy has surged to the forefront of public consciousness. A key pillar of this movement is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). If you own or manage a website, especially one that caters to European users, understanding and complying with GDPR is imperative.
### What is GDPR?
The [General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj) is a regulation introduced by the European Union (EU) in 2018. Its primary purpose is to provide EU citizens and residents with greater control over their personal data and to ensure that this data is processed and stored securely.
Key principles of GDPR include:
- **Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency:** Data should be processed lawfully, fairly, and in a transparent manner.
- **Purpose limitation:** Data should be collected for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner incompatible with those purposes.
- **Data minimization:** Only the necessary data that is relevant to the purpose should be processed.
- **Accuracy:** Data should be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.
- **Storage limitation:** Data should be stored no longer than necessary.
- **Integrity and confidentiality:** Data should be processed in a manner that ensures its security.
- **Accountability:** The controller is responsible for demonstrating compliance with these principles.
### Why Should Websites Care?
Non-compliance with GDPR can result in hefty fines. Organizations can be fined up to €20 million or 4% of their global turnover (whichever is greater) for serious infringements. Additionally, a damaged reputation due to data breaches or non-compliance can deter users from engaging with your platform.
### Auditing Your Website for GDPR Compliance
1. **Understand Data Flow:** Document what personal data you collect, where it comes from, how it's processed, and where it's stored. This will help you spot potential vulnerabilities.
2. **Review Privacy Policies:** Ensure your [privacy policy](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/individual-rights/right-to-be-informed/) is clear, concise, and informs users about how their data is used.
3. **Check Consent Mechanisms:** Consent should be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous. Avoid pre-ticked boxes and ensure users can easily withdraw consent.
4. **Assess Data Security:** Use strong encryption for data transmission and storage. Regularly review and update security practices.
5. **Data Breach Protocols:** Have a plan in place in case of data breaches. GDPR requires organizations to [report certain types of data breaches](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/personal-data-breaches/) to the concerned authority within 72 hours.
6. **Consider Appointing a DPO:** For certain types of processing, the GDPR requires the appointment of a [Data Protection Officer (DPO)](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/accountability-and-governance/data-protection-officers/).
### Remediation Steps for Identified Issues
1. **Data Minimization:** If you're collecting unnecessary data, stop! Only ask for what's essential.
2. **Update Policies:** Ensure all privacy policies and terms of service are GDPR-compliant.
3. **Implement Proper Consent Mechanisms:** If your current mechanisms aren't up to standard, modify them to meet GDPR requirements.
4. **Enhance Security Measures:** Update outdated security protocols and implement best practices like two-factor authentication and strong encryption.
5. **Data Storage:** Regularly review stored data and delete what's no longer needed. Consider implementing automated systems for this.
6. **Training:** Ensure that all staff understand the implications of GDPR and are trained to handle personal data appropriately.
In conclusion, GDPR is not just about compliance; it's about ensuring that personal data is treated with the respect and care it deserves. By understanding and implementing its principles, not only do you protect your organization from potential fines and legal ramifications, but you also build trust with your users, fostering a more secure and transparent digital environment for all.
*Disclaimer: This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult with a legal professional to understand how GDPR applies to your specific situation.*
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/understanding-gdpr-what-every-website-owner-needs-to-know
# The 4 R's: Retention, Return, Retarget, Referral
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-06-13
Building software at the intersection of Marketing and Technology is always a tricky conversation with non-technical stakeholders. With the correct approach, we connect to business KPI's and ensure that the software or web solution accommodates the business goals.
Building software at the intersection of Marketing and Technology is always a tricky conversation with non-technical stakeholders. With the correct approach, we connect to business KPI's and ensure that the software or web solution accommodates the business goals.
# The 4 R's
__Retention__ - Customer loyalty, brand recognition and community are primary indicators that a brand is providing a quality service or product. Its hard enough to get new customers, focusing on keeping existing ones and nurturing their growth with your brand is a key for success.
__Return__ - For customers to return, there must be incentives, awareness and urgency. Leveraging technology solutions to encourage return business is critical.
__Retarget__ - Retargeting is a strong strategy, especially for ecommerce. Focusing on abandoned carts, or suggested related products, or coupons to be used on successive visits are simple, measurable ways to retarget and recapture customers that may have otherwise disappeared.
__Referral__ - In business, the referral is the pinnacle of customer loyalty and a successful product or service offering, so good, that it is worth a referral to a customers personal network. Word of mouth, Ratings and Reviews, Testimonials, referral programs, ambassador and influencer programs are all ways to leverage technology with maximum analytics to measure.
At [Cause of a Kind](https://www.causeofakind.com "Cause of a Kind") we take a metrics first approach to benchmarking and referencing success against the business KPI's to demonstrate the power of software and strategy as they impact the business.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-4-rs-retention-return-retarget-referral
# Are CEO's Commanding Lofty Salaries?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-05-27
Cause of a Kind's CEO, Justin Abrams connects with KNXnews 97.1 Los Angeles FM Radio to discuss CEOs that are getting way bigger raises than regular workers. Justin rationalizes and offers a contrast to this common business practice.
Cause of a Kind's CEO, Justin Abrams connects with KNXnews 97.1 Los Angeles FM Radio to discuss CEOs that are getting way bigger raises than regular workers. Justin rationalizes and offers a contrast to this common business practice.
There are two types of CEO's in the market today.
__Fouding CEO's__ and __Career CEO's__, and their compensation plans differ accordingly.
Bootstrapping an organization, or obtaining funding and financial support for a startup, often yield a different expectation of compensation for the average CEO. Typically the captain of the ship or the first to cook, and the last to eat, the founding CEO is no stranger to restricted budgets and humble compensation. The need to reinvest in the business, marketing, hiring, innovation, and the constant need to evolve, prevent the founding CEO from piggishly rakeing from their passion project. Afterall, the business represents the most valuable asset in the founding CEO's portfolio. It would be silly to take a lofty salary, when the exit strategy would yield substantially higher returns.
The career CEO spends their entire professional career inventing and protecting their reputations and their operational value. They often join organizations with massive goals and strugglesome pasts, but ultimately are hired at any cost, to put their reputations, their personal brands, and their battle tested strategies to the test. They are also able to command salaries in a competitive way that incentivize their effort, but shelter them from their personal stake in the success of the brand.
At Cause of a Kind, we are operating founders, members of the team and take modest salaries to ensure the success of those we hire, the customers we represent and the goals we have for the future health of the organization.
-Justin Abrams, CEO, Cause of a Kind
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/are-ceos-commanding-lofty-salaries
# Guitarists, Drummers, and Javascript Developers
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-05-10
Today I'd like to talk about javascript, why it's great, and how it relates to guitarists vs. drummers...
Today I'd like to talk about javascript, why it's great, and how it relates to guitarists vs. drummers...
I once tried learning to play my dad's guitar. I also tried to learn saxophone and then piano. I failed to get past Hot Cross Buns on three different instruments, so I resolved that I just wasn't musical and moved on.
Math and computers were the similar for me. I remember having this small VTech laptop that you could write BASIC on. I learned a few things, but to me it just seemed like a more complicated calculator. Going from the basics to full on programs seemed light years apart.
Guitar felt the same way, I'd have these visions of who I wanted to be, Jimi Hendrix, but whenever I picked up the instrument, the reality was too real. I couldn't play three chords in a row without messing up, how could I possibly play a whole song, start to finish, from memory?
In college, I worked with a guy who owned a humongous drum kit. A full on Neil Peart style rig complete with every drum and symbol you could imagine. He played a few things and after a bit handed the sticks to me and said "give it a shot, it's fun."
And he was right! I wailed on those things for an hour, sounded like absolute dog shit, and had the time of my life doing it. I left that party thinking, I have got to get one of these! Three weeks later my friend sold me an old drum kit for $100.
I played every day, at first in the same chaotic way that I had at that party. It was more catharsis than making music, but after a while I decided to learn some basics, and I didn't sound absolutely abhorrent.
The key to the drums is they almost trick you into thinking you are good even when you suck. That first time on the drums I sounded like a drunk crashing into a dumpster, but I felt like Jon Bonham playing Moby Dick.
Contrast this with the guitar or piano, where there is no way you will remotely feel like you are Jimi Hendrix or Elton John before you are ready.
And this is why I think javascript and really the web as a whole is awesome. You may stink in the beginning, but you are able to begin from a point where you feel like you are building something real. From there you fall deeper down the rabbit hole to mastery.
Contrast this with a language like Rust, where it will take hours just to learn a handful of things that run in the command line. The learning curve is steep, and the distance between the developer you are and the one you want to be feels insurmountable.
So I don't think anyone thinks javascript is the best programming language by any stretch. But when you combine it with HTML and CSS and the web, you can start by playing rock concerts and not trying to read sheet music and tuning the strings.
It lures you in, then one day you wake up and think, I want to learn about assembly, or CPUs, or operating systems, or one of those tough languages like rust?
But then you try typescript, and you feel like a static type rock star all over again, even though you're not, yet, but that delusion is back again, and it's wonderful.
My point is, some of us are guitarists and like to put in the struggle up front, and some of us are drummers and want to have fun right away. But when people ask why javascript? I can't help but think--because are a lot more drummers out there.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/guitarists-drummers-and-javascript-developers
# Why Developers Need to Understand the Business
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-05-04
I've had many engineers come to me asking for better specifications over the years. The specs are too vague or the design didn't account for certain states. Sometimes it's the client asking why the developer didn't "just do this." Sound familiar?
I've had many engineers come to me asking for better specifications over the years. The specs are too vague or the design didn't account for certain states. Sometimes it's the client asking why the developer didn't "just do this." Sound familiar?
When we began taking projects at Cause of a Kind years ago, I always ran them the way every agency I'd ever worked at ran them. A designer works with the client, they come up with a design, two rounds of revisions, then it gets handed off for implementation.
Great designers will provide some type of functional spec along with their designs with a few screens outlining all of the different states. Let's assume this is the case always. You get a perfect design that the client loves and a very detailed functional spec with it.
There's an important piece here that in all my years I've only had one developer ever ask me. It was a few weeks into a project and they said, "could you take a few minutes to just explain the business this product serves?"
I was blown away, how did I just assume that by looking at the design the business case was clear? I had been with the client from the discovery right through the design phase, which allowed my mind to fill in all the blanks because of the shared context.
My knowledge of the business case influenced my interpretation of the design. Would that drop down be aggregating user entered fields or are these a fixed set of enumerable values? It's a question I didn't ask because I knew they were fixed to the business itself.
Even with great functional specs we come across these small details constantly during implementation. When timelines get tight and it's time to decide what features to cut or make simpler we have to make tradeoffs. How can good tradeoffs be made without business context?
It was clear that developers can not just come into a project at the end. That missing context has them coding with blinders on. Some developers come from entirely different worlds where the business case is not so implicit in their culture. The explanation is key to execution.
This is when I discovered the process of user story mapping. This is the part of the discovery phase where we all get together and map the various users and the actions they take in the use of the product we are building. They give us all shared understanding.
This is also a great place for stake holders, designers, and developers to come together to build a reasonable feature set. How often are we given designs that appear to be FAR beyond the scope of what is possible in a few sprints? I'd say this is the norm in agencies.
Most of the time stake holders pine over the design and add features trying to get everything into the first version. They want to SEE their final vision. Then developers are left to frantically implement or make tradeoffs during implementation.
Then the ping pong begins between the stake holders, the designers, and the developers. Nobody wants to kill features they fell in love with, nobody wants things to go over time. The foolish throw more developers at the problem. In then end we create stress and discontent.
In the end it's always this waterfall way of thinking that creates a process that causes a loss of context as we make our way down the chain. The process of discover, design, two rounds of revisions, build is so entrenched in agency work nobody questions it.
It all ends with a big reveal that leaves clients wanting, designers scratching their heads, and developers demoralized.
Instead we introduce the user story map early. We bring in representation from all sides of the build and we never ideate in a vacuum. When we begin working on features we do so with this shared understanding, this empowers developers to make better assumptions.
Through the course of a project timelines are always going to change. This is the norm. There is always MORE software to build. The key is empowering the people working on the project at every step to ask the right questions and make informed decisions.
Everyone knows that we will need to make tradeoffs, to the feature set, to the design, to the code itself. What we want is to make tradeoffs we can collectively agree make sense given the problem we are all here to solve.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/why-developers-need-to-understand-the-business
# Sometimes DRY is not the Answer
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-05-03
One of the first lessons we learn as software developer is "don't repeat yourself," or DRY for short. However, when developing user interfaces, this rule often bites us the most later.
One of the first lessons we learn as software developer is "don't repeat yourself," or DRY for short. However, when developing user interfaces, this rule often bites us the most later.
I saw this phenomenon develop most often when we made the transition from page based architectures to the component architectures promoted by frameworks like react. In the page based world, every page had it's own bespoke design and javascript file.
Each view was naturally decoupled from the other views. Designers got used to the idea of every "page" being a unit and we didn't think too much about the re-use of components but the re-use of whole layouts.
In retrospect this was a very cumbersome way to develop and didn't make very good use of DRY principles at all. We repeated ourselves all the time or we used a template language like handlebars to make a few partials when needed. Not totally DRY, but not exactly wet either.
React comes along and really changes the game. We see individual components become the unit of construction. Developers embraced this re-use first as they began breaking designs down by the component rather than the page.
The problem was designers were not yet on board. They frequently had small alterations between components from page to page. Sure these two carousels look almost the same, but there would be a few subtle differences. No problem, let's introduce a few props to differentiate.
But then a few weeks later, another slider appears, with yet another subtle difference. So we add another flag, and another, and another. Over time we begin to have a single component being pulled in n directions.
Today designers are very much on board with component architectures. However, the same problem seems to occur over and over again. The real question is at what point does an accumulation of differences become a whole new component?
In biology, we have a clear definition of this. Two creatures can evolve away from one another, but as long as they still can mate and produce offspring, they are the same species. Figuring out when speciation occurs in a UI component is far trickier.
We can look at the DNA, or what I would say is the data that goes into the component as the measure. If two components look the same, but take different types of data then they are not the same component. This doesn't make much sense though.
A series of UI components for pie and line graphs for instance can take many types of data. It would feel incredibly cumbersome to need to produce a new pie graph component every time the data or props going in were different.
What about visually? If two pie graphs look different maybe that should be the point of differentiation. Again, this doesn't make much sense because if a pie graph simply has different colored slices should we then produce a whole new component? I think not.
Let's get a better example that incorporates a little of the new with a little of the old. Let's envision a UI with an area for metrics and analytics that lives on one path. On another path we have a dashboard with a large hero section that will showcase some impressive metrics.
Both sections utilize graphs, but one's purpose is to wow returning customers and encourage them to return to the dashboard. The other is meant to provide more utility by letting them drill down into different metrics in detail.
I find this use case to be fairly common. Pages or views tend to reference these overarching user stories and contexts. The components drill down into the various use cases needed to serve that story.
So now we have two pie graphs, they take the same data, but one looks visually more flashy and has a few animations on it for when the user lands. The other is a bit more utilitarian, and has animations removed because it appears along with many other graphs.
At the point the design is made they look almost exactly the same. This is our MVP after all and the designer is trying to make the most re-use of components possible at this stage. We'd need at most one or two props to represent the differences between the two.
However, they serve two different user stories. In my experience, these are exactly the type of components that become problematic over time. The design team requires that they be free of one another and have the ability to diverge over time. They just didn't tell you that, yet.
And this brings me to another rule that I think trumps DRY but doesn't get spoken about nearly as often. Coupling of components is worse than repeating yourself.
The reality is it's far easier to DRY up some code later than it is to uncouple a highly coupled component or set of components. Often times this happens in an evolutionary process over many sprints, such that it is hard for future developers to uncouple them.
It's more like the frog boiling in water analogy. The point to differentiate the components becomes hard to spot and it's all to easy to kick the can down the road and just add some more props and if statements.
So when creating component based architectures, we shouldn't forget our roots, the page context. The page that a component appears on is the secret flag that we might want to consider repeating ourselves in order to avoid coupling components that will diverge in the future.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/sometimes-dry-is-not-the-answer
# Getting Down to the Purpose of Code Review
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-04-27
Code reviews have always been a struggle at agencies. Most specifically because sometimes there aren't two people working on the same project. Who gives the review? We decided to change our approach to code reviews as well as re-thinking their true purpose...
`Code reviews` have always been a struggle at agencies. Most specifically because sometimes there aren't two people working on the same project. Who gives the review? We decided to change our approach to code reviews as well as re-thinking their true purpose...
About six months ago code reviews became a real struggle for us, in that they weren't happening. It wasn't that people were skipping them entirely, they were all requesting them from me, and there were too many for me to keep up with.
This was happening because we were growing quite quickly and were running a lot of projects simultaneously. Some of those projects were not particularly large and had a single engineer working on them. Since they were an army of one who had enough context to review their code?
It was clear that this wasn't going to scale. Did we want to kill code reviews altogether?
That felt like a hasty approach, I myself enjoyed the code review process. I like seeing everyone's work and the patterns and styles we were using across our client's code bases. It allowed me to see where we had overlapping features and could build efficiencies.
It allowed me to see where engineers were struggling and find opportunities to help them or point them to a person that could. It gave me a general sense of the essence of our org and how our product, the code, was evolving over time.
I wasn't using code review as an opportunity to find bugs. Although this is previously how I thought of code review throughout my career. It was a time that we searched for anti-patterns, missing test coverage, and bugs. I would often pull the code down to test it myself.
Now, [Cause of a Kind](https://causeofakind.com) is large enough that I don't have every code base on my machine. I don't have enough context to run the code and check it. And now, not everyone on the team can just do that either.
I also had some engineers upset with code reviews in general. The two most common complaints:
1. "I don't like HOW this person is commenting on my code and making suggestions."
2. "Nobody is leaving comments on my code, they are just approving my PR's"
So we have people struggling with WHO to ask for a review and now we have people getting feedback they don't like or too little feedback. What a mess.
In order to fix this, I had to get to the essence of what is important about a code review. Thinking back, was my impression of code review misguided? Was the purpose of code review really to catch bugs? In reality we have unit tests and a QA process that should handle this.
When I really thought about it, the true value of code review is keeping everyone in the organization familiar with the code we were producing. It is a way for everyone in the organization to have some familiarity with every project.
It was a way for two developers working on two separate projects to share what they had done and learned. It was a way for them to collaborate on a feature they were both building, albeit for two different clients, at the same time.
The true value of code reviews, is the knowledge sharing. This helps our organization by allowing junior engineers to see how more senior engineers write code. This helps by allowing someone to take a sick day or vacation without feeling like they are the linchpin of a project.
We become better by helping one another become better. By allowing the free flow of ideas through the organization. In a remote environment this is extremely difficult as there are no lunch table conversations about the finer points of using macros or trying out a new library.
All of this can happen through a process of code review. And by changing our focus from looking for errors, to trying to understand the code of our peers, we can now see opportunities to ask questions instead of issue mandates.
Junior engineers no longer need to wonder what they should say. Surely there must be something in this PR you are curious about? Senior engineers can offer guidance with live examples, in real time, as they work on more complex projects.
An engineer interested but inexperienced in a specific technology like web3, gaming, CSS, or DevOps can now take up a code review and see how it's done. They can freely ask questions because this is the purpose of code review after all.
We now have a slack channel, simply called "code_review" where everyone across the organization posts their pull requests for review. People are empowered and encouraged to do this across projects and it is especially important across different experience levels.
Code review isn't about finding bugs, that's what testing and QA is for. We should expect a pull requests at a minimum works. In a fully remote organization this is a more important vehicle than ever for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and learning.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/getting-down-to-the-purpose-of-code-review
# Misunderstanding Tech Debt
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-04-26
A few years ago, a hiring manager asked me what my definition of tech debt was. I gave what I thought was a perfect answer, the hiring manager nodded and smiled, jotted a few notes and moved on. I have since learned that I was dead wrong.
A few years ago, a hiring manager asked me what my definition of tech debt was. I gave what I thought was a perfect answer, the hiring manager nodded and smiled, jotted a few notes and moved on. I have since learned that I was dead wrong.
My answer at the time was, "tech debt is the inevitable result of building and shipping software quickly. It's the result of the tradeoffs we have to make in order to ensure we get features in front of users as soon as possible."
While I still feel getting features in front of users and soon as possible is important. The idea that this inevitably results in a sacrifice of code quality, flexibility, or maintainability is not the case.
Since then, I saw a video by the person that coined the term "tech debt," Ward Cunningham. In it he describes the analogy in detail but it is clear that tech debt is NOT writing shitty, untested, low-quality, or slipshod software to ship something faster.
In the pursuit of getting an idea in front of users as soon as possible, we often begin writing our software with an incomplete understanding of the problem being solved. There will be both known unknowns and unknown unknowns along the way.
Solving business problems with software is a journey. While we do as much planning as possible up front, at some point, those UML diagrams and story maps have to get turned into code. In short, Frodo can't just keep drawing maps to Mordor, he's got to take a first step.
As we build and learn from both the construction process and from early users, the problem itself becomes more clear and we see ways to refactor the code and make it better. For example we see the need to split a module or maybe to combine two based on new information.
Refactoring said modules are much easier when they are well written and well tested. The tech debt being paid back so to speak is improving the code base based on a new understanding of the problem.
Now imagine going into the code discovering not only do you have to combine or split those modules, but you have to add test coverage because the developer that wrote them had no time for tests. Maybe they even left a comment apologizing for the "tech debt"...
This is an example of what tech debt is not. We may not have landed on the perfect architecture of module structure for the problem, but the code itself should be of sound quality.
So what is my new answer to that question?
Tech debt is the inevitable result of writing GOOD software with the understanding of a problem you have today. We pay tech debt down through refactoring as our understanding of the solution grows.
Tech debt is NOT the result of writing software quickly, without regard for the future, to meet a deadline or ship faster. This is called cutting corners, and typically this results in trash code that must be thrown out rather than refactored.
So this leads to the last important characteristic of tech debt, which is that it can be paid down through refactoring, whilst shitty code seldom can.
[Ward Cunningham's Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqeJFYwnkjE)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/misunderstanding-tech-debt
# The Tension of Design and Development
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-04-25
Inside every organization there exists a natural tension between design and development. In healthy organizations this tension produces magic results. These are interfaces that delight and win awards. Interfaces that leave you awe struck.
Inside every organization there exists a natural tension between design and development. In healthy organizations this tension produces magic results. These are interfaces that delight and win awards. Interfaces that leave you awe struck.
The problem is this type of working relationship between design and development exists almost nowhere. That natural tension can turn into an unspoken resentment between the two parts of the organization.
This is not often a conflict of personalities, but rather a problem with the organization itself. In most organizations design and development are seen as entirely separate groups. They work separate, they sit separate, they even congregate separate at work events.
These are all signs of an unhealthy tension between the two groups. The reality is developing products is an unusual art form, one where two different skills and personalities must come together to product a whole.
Imagine for a moment if Michaelangelo knew nothing about marble, but instead berated a marble worker about how he wanted the iconic David to look. The carver might insist that the vision were impossible and the expectations could not be met.
In business we also have deadlines. Things have to ship in a relatively timely manner. This only adds to tension as both parties feel pressured to deliver the best they can in a time line that rapidly closes in on them.
In most orgs this is where the tension begins. Designers struggle to get clients to approve their designs. Each change request results in additional days not budgeted for design. In order to not upset the client, no additional days are added for development as a result.
Developers are then left to implement a difficult design in a shortened time frame. They request something simpler so they can make deadline. The designer grows frustrated as the simpler design WAS the design the client DIDN'T want. The tension grows between the two.
There is some element of truth to the Michaelangelo analogy here as well. In the above example the client and the designer are collaborating with no knowledge of how difficult said feature is to build. Often the time tradeoff is not one to one.
The difficulty of building this new feature often grows exponentially. One additional day of design does not just result in one more day of development. If you've committed to a fixed scope before ever designing the product you're goose is cooked anyway.
Clients are typically willing to let their deadline extend in a fixed scope. Why wouldn't they? The losses are all born by the business. While designers are focused on creating a happy client, you've created a time deficit that must be dealt with internally.
Then comes the design hand off meeting. You know that meeting where design is supposed to collaborate with development to make sure everything is on track. Except for that dirty little secret that the client already signed off on the designs so we really can't go back.
It's easy to see the organizational failure here of running design and development in a waterfall. You create tension within your business, all while delivering subpar products because developers are rushed to fit 9 pounds of bologna in an 8 pound bag.
The solution here is to build cross-functional teams of designers and developers. Designers and developers should be working with clients together and leverage the experience of each other. Why wouldn't you want all the expertise at your disposal in the room anyway?
In this world there is no "design hand off" meeting. The product is designed and developed as a whole, incrementally, with input from all parties. Time tradeoffs can be discussed in real time, with defensible arguments.
Design isn't left alone with a client that was promised the moon and development isn't left holding the bag at the end. They are a team, tasked with carving the David together. The conversation goes from "I want veins," to "what if we could carve the veins?"
We move from an assembly line to a process of creation. One where both parties can dream of delivering better work and actually have the runway to do so.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-tension-of-design-and-development
# Selling The Cure Has Nothing To Do With Implementation
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-04-21
In 2019 my co-founder Justin and I pitched 40 prospects, of which we lost every single sale. Fast forward to today where in the last 12 months we've pitched 13 clients and closed all 13 deals. What changed?
In 2019 my co-founder Justin and I pitched 40 prospects, of which we lost every single sale. Fast forward to today where in the last 12 months we've pitched 13 clients and closed all 13 deals. What changed?
My first job out of college I worked for Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the job was heavily sales focused. You sold two main products, bigger / better vehicles and insurance packages. The most common answer to both was no, with HELL NO being a close second.
We were guided through a basic four step sales process:
1. Introduction
2. Fact Finding
3. The Pitch
4. Close
I worked at Denver International Airport where you had roughly the time it took you to walk from the counter to the parking lot to accomplish all four.
At Cause of a Kind, we build custom software and typically people come to us looking for a quote. They don't come with their parents in their head telling them "whatever you do DON'T TAKE THE INSURANCE." We also have hours, days, weeks to craft the pitch.
So in 2019 we would go to a meeting, hear about the software the client wanted, then we would take that away and build a deck of all the pieces required and how much it would cost. We pitched everything as a one time, fixed scope, no matter how big the engagement.
Our decks were chock full of details like types of email service providers, databases, servers, and rough cost estimates to the client. They talked about languages and frameworks and showcased how all of this would come together to build what they asked for.
We poured hours into those decks and could not figure out why it was failing over and over and over. The most common objection was price. Most clients visions were far larger than their wallets it seemed. But was that really what was going on?
In retrospect, we were falling back on a technique called *throwing shit against the wall to see what sticks*. We were attempting to show a complete solution for every Tom, Dick, and Harry that got on a zoom call and see who would bite.
At enterprise, I tried this a lot. If you simply ask a large volume of customers if they want the insurance, someone is bound to say yes, right? At some point, the law of averages will come into play and someone has to say yes.
Except at enterprise you weren't rewarded simply for sales volume. Your performance always accounted for the number of rentals you handled as the denominator. And this changes the game immensely. As an agency, every pitch sucks up time, you're most valuable resource, so it's best to not try to rely on volume.
Now, back to fact finding. This is the part of the sales process where you learn what is important to your customer. We were learning about their idea, but this told us little to nothing about how to sell the customer that WE were the people to build their idea.
As a sales engineer for an agency, you are not typically selling a canned product offering. You don't have a sheet of features the product supports and a script of how those features can bring value to different types of customers. You need to be thinking on your feet.
It's easy to fall back on a software architecture and a list of technologies as a pitch. But this is the equivalent of describing the features of a product to attempt to sell a product. Clients don't care about the type of server or database you use to solve their problem.
So what are we selling then? We are selling our ability to solve problems! During your fact finding you should be listening to all of your clients pain points. Your pitch should demonstrate that you were a. listening and b. have the team that can solve their core issues.
This is not HOW to solve the problem. You typically have about 15 to 20 minutes to convince the client you will be able to solve this problem. Implementation details like how to host, the language or framework or database you use will lose their attention.
Clients already assume you know HOW to build an application. The question is can you guide them to solve THIS problem. One of the hardest things as an engineer suddenly thrust into sales is to stop selling like an engineer. Stop focusing on implementation details.
So the first step is to stop trying to sell the end solution. For large software this means you are selling an agile method for solving problems. Once you get there, the next step is to stop pitching everyone that wants a call...
You'll notice in 2019 we pitched 2x as many clients as we did in the last 12 months. Once we started to sell problem solving as a process, we were able to stop wasting time on leads that were not closable. We realized that fact finding wasn't forcing a client to build.
Sometimes after hearing a problem the solution has nothing to do with software at all, and that's OK! It's OK to tell a lead that more software isn't the answer. It's OK to NOT pitch every lead.
In summary, don't mistake fact finding as a phase where you must leave with all the answers. Don't pitch a software implementation, pitch a journey. What we sell is a journey. A journey that gets your problems solved with as little code as possible.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/selling-the-cure-has-nothing-to-do-with-implementation
# Delivery Issues
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-04-20
Last year, we had a major delivery issue. We were struggling to deliver bug-free software on time. When we got into quarter one of this year, we realized that we had to put a stop to the madness, here's how...
Last year, we had a major delivery issue. We were struggling to deliver bug-free software on time. When we got into quarter one of this year, we realized that we had to put a stop to the madness, here's how...
The first thing we had to figure out is, was this an issue between the keys and the screen. Was the team lacking skills? Were we asking too much of our devs?
I spent a lot of time in my career thinking that to be great dev, you had to be some kind of math genius, or possess some special skills. These were skills that I just didn't have, so greatness was somehow always going to be out of reach.
Then I went to an agile course and they put this quote up on the screen:
“I'm not a great programmer; I'm just a good programmer with great habits.” -- Kent Beck
It forever changed my perspective. I stopped focusing on figuring out if I was a savant and focused on my habits.
At the time we struggled with delivery, I was reading No Rules Rules by Reid Hastings. If you've read the book, my fear was that we were having a talent density problem. The team was perhaps to inexperienced to work at the velocity we were asking them to.
Books have an uncanny way of influencing our thoughts during the time we are reading them. This book had me looking at talent density for problems. But then I remembered that Kent Beck quote.
I realized that greatness is such an amorphous term. What is a great dev? Are all devs great at all the things? As an agency, there's no way we can have exactly the right person for every problem we encounter.
We had to develop great habits, habits that would guide us through any problem, and help us deliver consistently. Perfect programmers and as a result, programs don't exist. We get closer to perfection through iteration, this is at the core of agile.
But we were operating in a waterfall. We followed the process I did at every agency. There's a problem or goal express, the sales team scopes it, then doubles their estimate for safety. The design team designs the whole thing. The client approves. Finally, we develop.
While in development we said we were agile. We had project boards with columns, we had some loosely defined sprints. We did bi-weekly reviews with the client. But the devs built to an immutable blueprint. No matter how many times we said the word agile, this wasn't it.
So what are great habits for all projects? How can we operate in an agile way when we have to scope during a sales process? Do we add all the devs to all the sales and discovery calls?
No, this is simply attempting to fix a waterfall by freezing it.
First, we killed fixed scopes for everything but small projects (4 - 6 weeks). From now on every project is a journey with the client. We either use time and materials as a guide (hourly billing) or we set up a monthly subscription when the engagement is long.
Next we introduced user story mapping as a requirement before any build. During this phase we let the clients go wild. Nothing is too grand or off-limits, let's map the entire problem together.
Then we work to define our MVP. What does a first release look like? What is the minimum viable solution? This is different for every client but this part is critical. I like to say you will get 100% of what you need in this release even if that's only 50% of what you want.
Next we merged design and dev. These were no longer going to be looked at as separate phases. They needed shared understanding and they needed to be viewed as a cohesive unit. Devs need to feel connected to the users and design needed to feel connected to the medium itself.
Finally we introduced true iterations. We run a two week sprint process, but those sprints are not always building. It's ok to spend cycles planning, it's ok to spend cycles improving the code and eliminating tech debt based on new understanding.
We had to behave more like a product org and less like an agency (in the traditional sense). Our sprints turned into group collaborations between clients, designers, developers, and product folks. We don't "shield" parts of the team anymore. We're all here for the same goal.
The result... last week we had a major launch built by a team of junior engineers. They worked with the client, they worked with design, they validated their assumptions, caught issues early, and ultimately launched on time with no bugs. In short, they had great habits.
In tech there is a massive focus so-called A-players, 10x devs, rock stars, etc. But this is a lazy way to build great teams, and often foolish. Create an environment of collaboration, where people can form great habits and you'll ship better software, more often, consistently.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/delivery-issues
# In Defense of Developer Experience
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-04-19
A common gripe with focusing on developer experience (dx) is that it's less important than user experience (ux). Of course what we ship to user land is the most important thing. But in my experience dx and ux tend to go hand in hand...
A common gripe with focusing on developer experience (dx) is that it's less important than user experience (ux). Of course what we ship to user land is the most important thing. But in my experience dx and ux tend to go hand in hand...
At our agency we build a lot of custom software. We also run on tight deadlines. More so than single product orgs I've been at, we are often held to our estimates (+/- two weeks). We ship often, and we want to ship on deadline.
In a sense we don't just have ux to content with, but also our customer's experience (cx). In my observations customers want two things:
1. They want to build valuable features.
2. They wanted to ship those features yesterday.
Customers get excited about these features, they tell their clients about them. Even if you tell them not to make promises, they will still make them. They'll tell their users, they'll see their eyes light up, they'll press you to move faster. Now how does this relate to dx?
Shipping the MVP on time is important, and often times its easy to sacrifice the things that make your developer life better long term a.k.a dx. These can be fundamental things like testing or convenience features like a heavier library that helps with type correctness.
The problem is, most clients THINK they have the perfect product. After they launch, they KNOW they don't. But they have something even more amazing, user feedback...
Now they want to fix the errors at an even faster rate. They push for more engineers, more sprints, anything to help correct their early assumptions. This is when paying no attention to dx starts to hurt.
All the small inefficiencies you put up with start to add up and now you wish you had spent time uncoupling those components, or writing tests for that complex permissions feature. If it's a Typescript project maybe you let a few any types slip in there.
Now you're trying to ship a truly valuable feature and playing whack-a-mole with bugs that pop up in unexpected places. Those few untested features that went out at the end of the project to meet a deadline are slowing down delivery today.
And this is where agencies lose clients. It's not on the MVP build. That's table stakes, you should be able to launch single projects. But the long term maintenance and evolution are where projects are won and lost, and where most of your unrealized profits are.
This is also where our customer lost users. They will put up with some pain for enough value. But often times, we miss many marks with an MVP. It is critical not just to get early user feedback, but be able to action on it.
The dx that is left at the end of a project affects this greatly. It is tied to ux because you cannot ship value to users at a reasonable velocity without it. You cannot be confident that those new features don't break existing features without it.
At Cause of a Kind we focus heavily on the dx of our projects because this is how we learn to do more with less. It's how we ship more value at a higher velocity over time. When velocity plummets and simple features struggle to ship it's ux and cx that suffers.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/in-defense-of-developer-experience
# A Tale of Three Scopes
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-04-18
One of the hardest things to figure out while running Cause of a Kind was how to scope different engagements. The entire agency business runs of fixed scopes, but they are incredibly risky and in the long run don't help the client, but hurt them through strained relationships...
One of the hardest things to figure out while running Cause of a Kind was how to scope different engagements. The entire agency business runs of fixed scopes, but they are incredibly risky and in the long run don't help the client, but hurt them through strained relationships...
Now we have three types of engagement:
1. Fixed Scopes
2. Retainer / Time and Materials
3. Subscription
We limit fixed scopes to well defined engagements. For example client has some designs and well defined business logic for the software.
We also limit these to things that can be built in ~4 - 6 weeks. This is about as far out as I feel comfortable gazing into a crystal ball.
Retainer works in the most cases. This is just straight hourly billing and works well for anything that requires a complete engagement from planning and architecture to design to development. It can support an agile workflow as new things are learned and requirements change.
The downfall to retainer is it can get very expensive in the long term. As an agency we can only trust a retainer so much to grow the business so you still rely on contractors and have unpredictability in your head. What if they just don't continue after this block?
Retainers are safe, but they are only so predictable. Our next option, subscription handles this nicely. If you have a long term development needs, at least one year in length this is the way to go.
For us we can offer more competitive rates as we can hire longer term employees. We also gain efficiency by having a single team truly learn your product. It's cheaper than trying to hire your own team and more flexible as we can swap in different engineering resources.
For example if you need to focus on a mobile app for a few months, we can bring in a react native engineer, then put it in maintenance mode for the next quarter as your goals change. We can move different talents around to fit your goals, then scale those down again.
This is a flex you wouldn't normally get when hiring a team or finding contractors. Our agency is designed for it, but most product organizations are not. Subscription allows agility in both product as well as the team building that product.
In summary:
1. Fixed scopes for well-defined short term engagements.
2. Retainers pretty much go anywhere and can handle short and relatively long term engagements.
3. Subscription for long term, evolving, agile product
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/a-tale-of-three-scopes
# Trouble Shooting Open Graphs with ChatGPT
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-04-15
The Open Graph protocol is a standard established by Facebook that allows any webpage to become a rich object in a social graph. This can be used to enhance the way links appear when shared on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, among others.
## what is an open graph preview?
The Open Graph protocol is a standard established by Facebook that allows any webpage to become a rich object in a social graph. This can be used to enhance the way links appear when shared on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, among others.
An Open Graph preview is a snapshot or summary of a webpage that appears when a link is shared on social media platforms. This typically includes a title, description, and an image. These details are defined within the metadata of the webpage by including specific Open Graph tags.
The idea is to provide a summary or a preview of the content before the user decides to click on the link. It's also useful for improving visibility and engagement on social media platforms, as posts with images and descriptions tend to receive more clicks.
For instance, if you have a blog post titled "The Ultimate Guide to Gardening", you could set up Open Graph tags so that whenever this link is shared on social media, it appears with the title, a brief description like "Everything you need to know about gardening", and an image related to gardening.
To implement this, Open Graph meta tags are added to the head section of the HTML of a webpage. Here are examples of the basic Open Graph tags:
```
```
In this example, `og:title` sets the title that will be displayed, `og:description` sets the description, `og:image` sets the image, `og:url` provides the canonical URL, and `og:type` defines the type of object, which can be various types like "article", "video", etc. Depending on the platform and specific use case, more tags may be used to provide additional information.
## What can i do if the image is not appearing correctly on Twitter?
If the image from your website is not appearing correctly when a link is shared on Twitter, it could be due to several reasons. Here are a few things you can check and steps you can take to resolve the issue:
1. **Check Your Twitter Card Meta Tags:** Twitter uses its own meta tags for link previews, known as Twitter Cards. While Twitter will fall back on Open Graph tags if Twitter Card tags are not present, it's generally best practice to include Twitter Card tags as well. Make sure they're properly implemented on your website. A typical Twitter Card tag setup might look like this:
```html
```
2. **Check Your Image Size:** Twitter has specific requirements for the image size for link previews. As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, for a `summary_large_image` card, Twitter recommends a minimum size of 300x157 pixels and a maximum size of 4096x4096 pixels. Images should be no more than 5MB in size.
3. **Clear Twitter's Cache:** Twitter caches link preview images for a period of time. If you've recently changed the image, it may not appear until Twitter's cache is cleared. You can force Twitter to clear its cache by entering your URL into Twitter's Card Validator tool.
4. **Check for SSL Certificate Issues:** If your website uses HTTPS (as it should), make sure your SSL certificate is correctly installed and there are no issues. Sometimes, issues with the certificate can cause problems with Twitter displaying images.
5. **Wait for Propagation:** If you've just updated your Twitter Card or Open Graph tags, there may be a delay before changes are visible when the link is shared. You may need to wait a while for changes to propagate.
## When using are there other valid entries for this?
Yes, there are several types of Twitter Cards that you can specify using the `twitter:card` meta tag. The type of card determines how your content is displayed on Twitter. As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, here are the main types:
1. **Summary Card (`summary`):** This is the default card type, which includes a title, description, thumbnail image, and Twitter account attribution. This card is designed to give the reader a preview of the content before clicking through to your website.
```html
```
2. **Summary Card with Large Image (`summary_large_image`):** Similar to the Summary Card, but with a larger image.
```html
```
3. **Player Card (`player`):** This card provides rich media experiences and is designed for video and audio content. The Player Card can embed video or audio directly into a Tweet linked to your content.
```html
```
4. **App Card (`app`):** This card is designed to allow for a two-click download of an app and to display app attributes such as the app name, icon, description, and other details like the rating or price.
```html
```
Each card type has a different set of meta tags associated with it, to provide the appropriate information for that card type. You can find more details in Twitter's Card documentation.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/trouble-shooting-open-graphs-with-chatgpt
# What is the difference between React Native vs. Flutter?
By: Hadi Baltagi
Published: 2022-02-24
In this episode, we explore the differences and similarities of Flutter and React Native and ask the important questions: How much better should the other framework be for you to switch? And what actually makes a framework better?
In this video we explore the differences and similarities of `Flutter` and `React Native` and ask the important questions. How much better should the other framework be for you to switch? And what actually makes a framework better?
- Introductions
- Differences between flutter and React Native
- Best of each framework
- Comparison with other frameworks, alternatives and more
Check out other Episode on our [YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w "YouTube Channel")!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/react-native-vs-flutter
# Pound For Pound: The Most Valuable Profession
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-02-05
If you sit back and think for a moment: what is the most valuable profession? What is the profession that single-handedly contributes the most to the world? Most will say the big obvious ones. Physician, Clergy, Politician, Real Estate, Lawyers, Nuclear Scientist, Quantum Physicist... Let's convince you, it's a Software Engineer.
# Pound For Pound: The Most Valuable Profession
If you sit back and think for a moment; *What is the most valuable profession, or; What is the profession that single-handedly contributes the most to the world?* Most will say the big obvious ones: Physician, Clergy, Politician, Real Estate, Lawyers, Nuclear Scientist, Quantum Physicist... Let's convince you, it's a `Software Engineer`.
If you go to [Google](https://www.google.com/ "Google") and enter the search phrase : *what is the most valuable profession*, the Google algorithm returns the following:
Here is a [link](https://www.careerprofiles.info/highest-paying-careers.html "link") to the full list of Top 50, most "valuable" professions in the world for your further review. There are thousands of these lists. None of them seem to answer the question. *What is the most valuable profession?* As in, what is the profession that is contributing the most to mankind and the potential of the human experience? What is the profession that is capable of changing the world, preserving humanity, advancing science, exploring deep space, and surviving global pandemics? What profession that gives us the ability to function in the modern world, globally?
## The Software Engineer
Interestingly, the Google algorithm querying the search phrase: *what is the most valuable profession*, is associating the terms "valuable" with annual income potential. Through one lens, that makes alot of sense. Through another lens, the curious part, is the algorithm, associating value with salary, was created by, is maintained by, and improves, innovates and accelerates mankind by, `Software Engineers`. They seem to have forgotten about themselves and you'd imagine that the Google engineers running this program are making far more in salary, than the Anesthesiologist salary from the above infographic.
If you think about how software intersects with your modern life, let's zoom out and take a look at every single thing in your personal and professional world. At this point, in the modern household, one that would likely be reading this article, every single thing in your possession, on your person, in your orbit, was touched by a `Software Engineer`. The antique that you imported, on a plane, with modern logistics technology delivering it to your door, or the generational family heirloom, that is kept safe from tarnish or decay in your household which maintains a comfortable average tempature and humidity through your thermostat, which controls your central air conditioning that was manufactured in a facility, entirely run by robotics software. Or perhaps the milk in your refrigerator that is likely run by a farm, that uses technology to deliver it to your farmers market, or grocery store, or Walmart. You get the point.
Not to mention the obvious fact that the mobile phone has already become a [cybernetic extension](https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/2/11837854/neural-lace-cyborgs-elon-musk "cybernetic extension") of our human experience. We will save that conversation for [@elonmusk](https://twitter.com/elonmusk "@elonmusk") Everything in our immediate world was forged by the modern day blacksmith; The `Software Engineer`.
Challenge the idea. Look at anything in your life. Even down to your relationships. "No technology there", you might say. Except for the weekly FaceTime, the credit card swipe for dinner together, the car ride, the movie theatre, the airplane to family vacations and the camera to capture the memories. Everything was built by a `Software Engineer`. Maybe think about an object such as a cup in your kitchen. A modern cup, not a hand made antique, but your average beer glass, mass produced by a factory entirely run by robotics software, point of sale software, fulfillment and order management software and the list goes on, all created by `Software Engineers`.
If you actually take a look at a list of Top Professions by Skill, by Salary, by Distinction, think about how much software it takes for these people to operate in those professions. Think about the individual profession and count the ways, from email, to websites, to insurance, to point of sale, to equipment, to anything imaginable, `Software Engineers` were there.
How long until the rest of the world knows what we already do? Pound for Pound, the most valuable profession, globally, is the `software Engineer`.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/pound-for-pound-the-most-valuable-profession
# Our Ideal Customer Profile
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-02-03
At Cause of a Kind, we always want to accomplish our core mission. We specifically aim to attract organizations of all shapes and sizes that have roots in cause and mission. We look to attract businesses with missions committed to making an impact on society, the environment or are in pursuit of original innovation.
# Our Ideal Customer Profile
Over the years, Cause of a Kind aspired to be an array of lofty distractions. We often have a really great laugh and ask each other, "what were we thinking"? Like the time that we were so stoked on summer, that we decided to try and make our own line of Sustainable Surf Wax. Regardless, the goal was always to do no harm, and to keep a mission driven focus, regardless of the outcome.
In truth, Cause of a Kind, as it exists today, is a globally recognized house of software engineering excellence with a hyper focus on mission drive brands. However, it was born out of our own professional and personal experiences. We were exhausted by mediocraty. We were exposed to so much bloat, and unqualified decision making, that we simply needed to be the better alternative.
As "they" say, the river follows the path of least resistance. We simply made a promise to ourselves a long time ago; we ship absolute quality, no matter the cost. It is not a commitment to our customers. It is a commitment to our legacy.
__Absolute Quality__ is what separates us from any other organization. Absolute, bulletproof quality. It is quite rigorous to achieve, and sometimes, very costly, and not all customers are always going to be happy with the final result, despite our commitment to quality. Sometimes it is at the sacrifice of speed. Sometimes it is at the mercy of budget requirements. But for us, as we narrow our stance, and explode our reputation on these fundamentals, we find more and more often that speed and cost are secondary to the need for quality. Afterall, we are building `your` dream and hopfully `your` legacy.
We would hope that a customer would make this their top priority when looking for a development partner. We speak deeper about this in an early article titled, "[If You Buy Cheap, You Buy Twice](https://www.causeofakind.com/the-salon/buy-cheap-buy-twice "If You Buy Cheap, You Buy Twice")." This simply comes from our experience as "rescue divers to hopes and dreams".
## Where We Thrive
At Cause of a Kind, we always want to accomplish our core mission. We specifically aim to attract organizations of all shapes and sizes that have roots in cause and mission and specifically look to attract businesses with missions committed to making an impact on society, the environment or are in pursuit of original innovation.
As we navigate a deeply critical and competitive industry, we defend ourselves with the ability to say `NO`. Sometimes, regardless of the attractiveness of a contract, it just does not meet our core mission criteria and we respectfully refuse partnership. Cause of a Kind aims to do no harm, but leave a lasting impact. We aim to partner with organizations, businesses, innovators, pioneers and disruptors to bring world class talent to critical problems that technology is primed to solve. To accomplish this, we have to be critically selective in our partnership engagements.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/our-ideal-customer-profile
# Software Development for Startups Without a CTO
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-02-02
It is quite often we encounter founders and their ideas, and more often than not, we collectively determine that the idea, while terrific, has some significant complexities that are far too often, overlooked. There is always a point in the conversation, usually around the time when a founder says, "this feature doesn't feel super complicated" after they compare their idea to Uber or Instagram, or Facebook, where we unpack and ultimately reveal exactly how complicated a "simple" feature can be. Founders often times have incredible dreams and goals, but often lack the advisors or the professional background to truly understand what they are asking for from a development agency. That's where we come in.
# Software Development for Startups Without a CTO
It is quite often we encounter founders and their ideas, and more often than not, we collectively determine that the idea, while terrific, has some significant complexities that are far too often, overlooked. There is always a point in the conversation, usually around the time when a founder says, "this feature doesn't feel super complicated" after they compare their idea to Uber or Instagram, or Facebook, where we unpack and ultimately reveal exactly how complicated a "simple" feature can be. Founders often times have incredible dreams and goals, but often lack the advisors or the professional background to truly understand what they are asking for from a development agency. That's where we come in.
When a founder brings an idea to us, we follow a series of events in order to truly earn the partnership, but also set incredibly realistic milestones in order to justify the significance of the build, and justification of the budget.
## Deep Discovery
We do not claim to be masters of your niche industry. We shouldn't be expected to be the experts in your competitive environment or even your business vertical. We are, however, master's of problem solving. Before we even think about developing, we have to gather a deep and highly transparent set of business criteria, critical rules and logic, as well as core functionality that adds immediate value to the end user.
We typically commence with a series of discovery calls in order to determine how much of this problem has yet to be accounted for. Reviewing everything from current performance metrics, to the basic expectations of an MVP. We review any existing brand guidelines, and consult the various internal personas that will ultimately be relying on the performance of this startup idea.
## Determining the Minimum Marketable Product (MMP)
Once we understand the business logic and truly have a path to development, we pivot conversations to determine, collectively, where the Minimum Marketable Product, exists. This could be a significant feature set in comparison to a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) which ultimately, may not include the minimum expected user experience.
For example, if a startup came to us with a competitor of DoorDash, the MVP, would be so vast, and require all features, services, and functionality that the common public is used to in that arena. There is a huge difference between being truly First to Market (MVP), and being a Market Innovator (MMP). Most Startups are Market Innovators, working to release common functionality, with a new secret feature or service that would separate them from existing competitors.
When a startup is aiming to be a Market Innovator, it is critical to identify the Minimum Marketable Product, which could be a significantly larger scope than originally anticipated.
## Advising vs. Work For Hire
Through our deep discovery and agreement of where the MMP exists, we typically have proven to be deeply intimate with our understanding of the problem, the solution and the level of effort required to make the product valuable to the end user. At this point in our participation, we are typically pushing up and out of budget range and are typically so far past the expectation of the startup leadership team, that we are left with uncertainty and vacillation. Which is exactly where we tend to shine.
By this time, we know as much, if not more about the business, the problem the technology needs to solve and the general framework for the solution than the founders or internal team do. This puts us in a unique position to try and obtain a deeper and more meaningful partnership in the form of equity or some kind of significant skin in the game.
While the majority of our customers are established businesses with baked ideas simply looking for Work-For-Hire, we still aim to attract innovation, and on the rare occasion, originality. When innovation and originality come along, we enjoy deepening our involvement as Trusted Advisors and Interim leadership roles, to support the business idea and the venture to secure funding. Participating in this critical role is not commonplace and quite hard to scale, but is critical to the success of certain businesses and we are pleased to offer our expertise and knowledge to worthy missions.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/software-development-for-startups-without-a-cto
# 5 Common Misconceptions for MVP Software Development
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2022-01-05
CTO, Mike Rispoli joins industry commrad Alexander Benkendorf on the DiTalks Podcast. The DiTalks Episode 2 - What if a badass coder shared his true beliefs and misconceptions about the current market and how projects should really be done to be a success?
CTO, Mike Rispoli joins industry commrad Alexander Bekendorf, CEO of the [Benkendorf Design & Development Group](https://benkendorf.io/ "Benkendorf Design & Development Group") on the DiTalks Podcast. The DiTalks Episode 2 - What if a badass coder shared his true beliefs and misconceptions about the current market and how projects should really be done to be a success?
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/5-common-misconceptions-for-mvp-software-development
# How to Say Goodbye to your Dream Job, and Hello to your Dream Career
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-01-01
An important lesson I have always lived by is, "first impressions only count, if the last impression, impresses." My time to practice that wisdom is now. This is how you say goodbye to your dream job, and hello to your dream career.
When I took my dream job back in 2016, the thing that made it a dream job, was the notion that it would pay me a dividend down the line in the form of experience, knowledge, business acumen and network. It turned out to be more like the lottery rather than a dividend. But, it was always just a stepping stone and a figurative "right of passage" for me.
Since selling lemonade to neighbors outside of my childhood home at 6 years old, or waking up before sunrise after a snowstorm at 10 years old, to go door to door offering to shovel at pennies on the dollar, I have always been an entrepreneur. I have always had a "job" and a side hustle. However, I never really looked at my job, as a job. If I happened to accept a job I really didnt like, I got a different job, immediately. Working was always too important to me except, not for the expected reasons, but because the long view was always in my head. I always looked at my job as "school". I never subscribed to the idea that school was my job. I didnt like real school, but I loved to learn. The job was the place where I received the formal and practical education from other respected peer professionals with vast collective experience, access to brands and the brilliance that develops within, and the side hustle is where I got to execute my learnings and adapt to my product or service. I always knew that one day I would set myself free. I come from a long lineage of entrepreneurs. It's quite literally in my DNA. The time is now for my career to begin.
When I say that I have absolutely maximized my job experiences throughout my life, I cannot emphasize it enough. I have absorbed every minute of all of them since I got my first real job at 14 as a caddy at a local country club. That first job, rubbing elbows with the business men and business women of the Long Island North Shore elite, gave me a very important life and professional lesson I have always lived by; "first impressions only count, if the last impression, impresses." A lesson I learned the hard way after being stiffed for a tip, starting the round of 18 holes strong and charasmatic but ending weak and defeated. My time to practice that wisdom, is now. This is how you say goodbye to your dream job, and hello to your dream career while preserving your reputation as you gracefully exit to pursue what comes next.
---
*To my [BrightEdge](https://brightedge.com "BrightEdge") Family, from around the Globe and especially my Global Team,*
*Sorry for the long winded email, but gratitude is hard to consolidate.*
*Today, as I close my laptop as a BrightEdge team member for the last time, I have to reflect in a way that most are not able to on their job. If we have met along the way, in a big way, or in a small way, this is a love letter to you and a glimpse of my appreciation and gratitude for BrightEdge.*
*If you have heard me talk about BrightEdge, I bleed blue. I have EVERY T-Shirt from the last 5 years and 11 months and wear the BrightEdge logo as a badge of honor. BrightEdge is as much a part of me and my story as my hobbies, my family, and my dreams, and has been a constant for me through what feels like a lifetime. I came as a wide eyed CSM with little to no knowledge of Search Marketing and I leave as a trusted advisor to some of the most recognizable brands on the planet and a thought leader in the Search Marketing industry. I am testament to hard work, paying off.*
*I came to BrightEdge at an interesting time in my life. Recently divorced and coming away from a FinTech startup as employee number 7. I was there for 7+ years. When I started at 21 years old, they gave me the opportunity to ignite that CX team from me, to 10. I had little guidance, no clue about CS best practice and operated on a single true north. Customer Success. At the time, it was nothing more than a term that I had heard thrown around in a YouTube interview randomly in 2013. Who knew it was a real thing haha.*
*In 2015, I was poached by a former BE Enterprise CS leader. She literally hunted me. Eventually, after about 4 months of her trying, daily, at the gym, at my peak vulnerability and complete exhaustion, I submitted to this business that she was so passionate about. Very strategic of her, and I am forever grateful. She clearly knew what she was doing and while we held the same title on LinkedIn, I felt I had to take a step back, to take a step forward. I was humble and motivated to learn from a leader. However, I am not above self sabotage.*
*During my first month, I decided that I would risk this brand new job and take the entire second month off from BrightEdge Employment, so I could go climb Mt. Elbrus in Russia, one of the 7 summits (I have 2 down, 5 to go). Not only was BrightEdge cool about it, they paid me for the time I took off. A weird time in my life, indeed. When I really got started at BrightEdge, I was given a peer mentor. I would later be the officiant at his wedding and to this day, he is a brother of mine. I have had the pleasure of working within 2 BU’s at BrightEdge with 4 declared roles over almost 6 full years. Personally, BrightEdge has enabled the greatest milestones of my life. My home, my wife, my son, my puppy, the top performing customer POD fondly referred to as PODzilla, 3 odysseys around the world, 13 different countries (mostly for work) from France and Germany to India to Canada, to Colombia and more, 164 flights over nearly 6 years (I actually kept a tally), too many hotel room nights over too many hotel brands to calculate. Countless executive board rooms, and a network of brands and the professional marketers that operate them, of whom, I can now call my peers, friends, and colleagues.*
*If I may, for those that are new, give BrightEdge your all. BrightEdge will give you dividends in experience. Do the role you want, then ask for the title change. Demonstrate GRIT! Be your own advocate. Take risks, fail fast and find the motivation in the idea of Customer Excellence. The true north.*
*For the veterans, you are proven world class. Keep that flame alive and well. I will be watching and I'll never be too far away.*
*To say that I am grateful would simply not encompass my debt of appreciation sufficiently.*
*See you around the bend and thank YOU for giving ME, YOUR all.*
*BE exceptional. Happy and VERY healthy 2022! Forward to the Extraordinary!*
*Mahalo,*
*Justin Abrams*
*Justin@causeofakind.com*
*[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/abramsjustin/ "LinkedIn")*
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-to-say-goodbye-to-your-dream-job-and-hello-to-your-dream-career
# How to Implement a Reusable React Slider
By: Terungwa "Terry" Kombol
Published: 2021-11-15
I recently built a custom React Slider using React's `context`. So what problem was I trying to solve that made me reach for React’s context? I needed a way to pass the state from the main slider's container component to each child slide item without knowing beforehand what number or types of slide items I am rendering.
## Implementing a reusable React Slider
This article is intended to be a first in a series on creating common ui components using React. The objective is to, in the process of creating these components, explore how React APIs help us to achieve this objective.
__Today we build a custom Reusable React Slider.__
## The problem
I recently built a custom React Slider using React's `context`. So what problem was I trying to solve that made me reach for React’s context? I needed a way to pass state from the slider's container component to each child slider item without knowing before hand what number or types of slide items I am rendering. As far as the slider container is concerned, it is rendering `children` components; whatever these components are is of no concern to the it (it is children agnostic).
```ts
// Slider container declaration
const SliderContainer = ({ children }) => ({children})
// Slider container invokation
```
While using the context pattern works, it is not the best use of context as recommended by the documentation ([when to use context](https://reactjs.org/docs/context.html#when-to-use-context)). Our slider component is a level deep, while context shines for cases where the component is many levels deep and nested ([before you use context](https://reactjs.org/docs/context.html#before-you-use-context)).
I will first go through how I used context to solve the above stated problem. Then I will show how it can be done better using api utilities created by React to aid composition.
The slider consists of two components:
- the parent Slider container, and
- a list of slider items.
In this implementation of the slider component, because we are not explicitly passing the number of slider items and rendering the items directly in the container slider, we have to find a way to determine this number while being agnostic about the slider items.
React's `useRef` helps us with this.
We access the ref of the slider container to determine the number of children it has after render. We save this value as a state in the slider container.
```ts
const [totalNumberOfItems, setTotalNumberOfItems] = useState(0);
const containerRef = useRef() as MutableRefObject;
useEffect(() => {
if (containerRef.current) {
setTotalNumberOfItems(containerRef.current.childNodes.length);
}
});
```
After determining the total number of slider items, we need a way to navigate to the next item in the list and save in the state.
```ts
const [currentItemIndex, setCurrentItemIndex] = useState(0);
const [itemNumber, setItemNumber] = useState(3);
const containerRef = useRef() as MutableRefObject;
const nextItem = () => {
if (currentItemIndex === itemNumber - 1) {
setCurrentItemIndex(0);
} else {
setCurrentItemIndex(currentItemIndex + 1);
}
};
useEffect(() => {
const duration = 8000;
const id = setTimeout(() => nextItem(), duration);
return () => clearTimeout(id);
});
```
The `nextItem` function serves this purpose. We invoke the function after a duration, this causes the component to re-render, which in turn causes another invokation. This pattern simulates `setInterval`. We created an infinite slider without using the `setInterval` JavaScript API.
Now that we have the current slide item to be displayed, we need to pass this information to each item. Each slide will use this information to determine if it will be displayed or not. The current item is the active item and will be displayed, while the rest will not be displayed.
So how do we use React's `Context` to pass this information to each child component?
First, we create the context for the slider container.
```ts
const SliderContext: Context<{
currentItemIndex?: number;
}> = createContext({});
```
Then we subscribe to the context changes in each slider item. Any change to the current item will reflect in all slider items.
```ts
const { currentItemIndex } = useContext(SliderContext);
```
_The complete code for slider container with context._
```ts
interface SliderContainerProps {
children: ReactNode;
}
export const SliderContainer: FC = ({ children }) => {
const [currentItemIndex, setCurrentItemIndex] = useState(0);
const [totalNumberOfItems, setTotalNumberOfItems] = useState(0);
const containerRef = useRef() as MutableRefObject;
const nextItem = () => {
if (currentItemIndex === itemNumber - 1) {
setCurrentItemIndex(0);
} else {
setCurrentItemIndex(currentItemIndex + 1);
}
};
useEffect(() => {
const duration = 5000;
const id = setTimeout(() => nextItem(), duration);
return () => clearTimeout(id);
});
useEffect(() => {
if (containerRef.current) {
setTotalNumberOfItems(containerRef.current.childNodes.length);
}
});
return (
{props.children}
);
};
```
_The complete code for slider items with context_
```ts
const getIndex = (el) => {
return Array.from(el.parentNode.children).indexOf(el);
};
interface SliderItemProps {
children: ReactElement;
}
export const SliderItem: FC = ({
children
}) => {
const [isActive, setIsActive] = useState(false);
const itemRef = useRef(null);
const { currentItemIndex } =
useContext(SliderContext);
useEffect(() => {
if (itemRef.current) {
setIsActive(currentItemIndex === getIndex(itemRef.current));
}
}, [isActive, currentItemIndex]);
return (
{children}
);
};
```
__So, how do we use composition to achieve what we have with context?__ Before we proceed to the answer to this question, observe that each slider item is tightly coupled to the slider container through the context. The slider items can’t function independently without breaking. The property they need to function as designed come primarily from the slider container directly and not through an interface/contract/props.
We can improve on what we have and make the slider more loosely coupled and independent by leveraging some of React’s utility apis.
Our primary objective is to decouple the slider item from the slider container. We want our slider item component to be able to function independently of the slider container.
The first thing to do is to unsubscribe the slider item from the slider container context. Any information we need will be provided by the slider item props.
```ts
export const SliderItem: FC = ({
children,
currentItemIndex
}) => {
const [isActive, setIsActive] = useState(false);
const itemRef = useRef(null);
useEffect(() => {
if (itemRef.current) {
setIsActive(currentItemIndex === getIndex(itemRef.current));
}
}, [isActive, currentItemIndex]);
return (
{children}
);
};
```
The next issue is how to pass props to a slider item without invoking the component directly. Remember, our slider container is slider item agnostic. It does not care for the implementation details of the slider item, it only needs a set of apis it can pass to the slider item component.
The React utility api that will help us achieve this is the `cloneElement`.
```ts
cloneElement(child, {
currentItemIndex,
});
```
But notice that `cloneElement` only works with one React element at a time, but we have an array of slider items. Thankfully, React provides us with the `Children` utility api. This api has the map method that is similar to the JavaScript array map. And just as the JavaScript array map, we can transform each React element in the list of children.
```ts
{
Children.map(children, (child) => {
return cloneElement(child as ReactElement, {
setItemNumber,
itemNumber,
currentItemIndex,
});
});
}
```
In just a few lines of code, we have composed our slider and the constituent parts are loosely coupled, and thus more reusable.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-to-implement-a-reusable-react-slider
# How to accommodate high variant product catalogs on a headless Shopify backend?
By: Travis Claus
Published: 2021-11-10
Recently, I had the pleasure of helping to develop an eCommerce site. One of my favorite parts was engineering the product display page. I want to walk through some of the logic that was housed in the hook that accompanies the front end component for the PDP
# How to accommodate high variant product catalogs on a headless Shopify backend?
## A Versatile Product Display Page
Recently, I had the pleasure of helping to develop an eCommerce site. One of my favorite parts was engineering the product display page. I want to walk through some of the logic that was housed in the hook that accompanies the front end component for the PDP (which is how I will refer to the product display page going forward).
To lay the groundwork, I introduce the following shape of the collection prop:
```
Shopify Data Structure
Collection (type of clothing: t-shirt, long-sleeve, etc)
- Product (color of clothing: red t-shirt, blue t-shirt, etc)
- Product Variant (size of clothing)
```
The PDP accepts two props: a collection and a design. The design is an image that the [Contentful](https://contentful.com "Contentful") CDN delivers and is imposed over the clothing as an automated process in the front end. The collection comes from [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/ "Shopify") and is a group of colored options for a *clothing type*. Additionally, and even more complext, is each color variant has several product sizes. Both the design and collection come in from their respective API's as JSON.
```
const ProductDisplay: FC = ({ collection, design }) => {
return (
...
)
}
```
When you first route to the page, the stage needs to be set. That means setting a color variant for the collection and an available size for that color variant.
```
const [product, setProduct] = useState(viewFirstProductInCollection(collection));
const [productImages, setProductImages] = useState(viewProductImages(product));
const [imageInView, setImageInView] = useState(productImages?.[0]);
const [variant, setVariant] = useState(viewFirstVariantOnProduct(product));
const [selectedColor, setSelectedColor] = useState(collection?.colorOptions?. [0]?.productId);
```
**I am a huge fan of optional chaining `?.` and the nullish coalescing operator `??`**
Now that the stage is set, we need to set up the gears that turn when a user selects a different color. This case calls for the `useEffect()` hook. Whenever a user changes the color variant we need to move a few things around for them.
```
useEffect(() => {
setVariant(viewFirstVariantOnProduct(product));
setProductImages(viewProductImages(product));
setImageInView(viewProductImages(product)?.[0]);
isVariantInStock = checkIfVariantIsInStock(variant);
}, [product]);
```
We don't have direct access to the product from our color selection component. Instead we need to set up a second `useEffect()` that changes our product based off of the users selection from the array of color options presented. This looks something like:
```
useEffect(() => {
const selectedProduct = viewProducts(collection)?.edges?.find?.(
(data) => viewNode(data)?.id === selectedColor
);
setProduct(selectedProduct?.node);
setProductImages(viewProductImages(selectedProduct?.node ?? null));
const selectedProductImages = viewProductImages(
selectedProduct?.node ?? null
);
setImageInView(selectedProductImages?.[0]);
}, [selectedColor]);
```
**You may have noticed we are using GraphQL from this code block, the `edges?` on line 2 is a dead give away**
A second hemisphere of this project exists. A page that has an identical layout to the PDP, but will require an array of collections and an array of designs. I had an idea to leverage the same PDP component already built, though adding two more props and make all four of the props optional. This works because of the routing design for the site.
```
const ProductDisplay: FC = ({ collection, design, arrayOfCollections, arrayOfDesigns }) => {
return (
...
)
}
```
Routing to the PDP has two possible sets of props that the app will leverage; two arrays of objects, or two objects. We are able to leverage this pair of `useState()` hooks that allow us to set the stage independent of receiving two objects or two arrays of objects:
```
const [collectionInView, setCollectionInView] = useState(
collection ?? customUnitCollections?.[0]
);
const [designInView, setDesignInView] = useState(
design ?? customUnitDesigns?.[0]
);
```
Now all the times that we reference `collection` or `design` in our code needs to be changed to `collectionInView` and `designInView` respectively. Changing a design is done by conveniently firing the `setDesignInView(design)` hook. Though we need one more `useEffect()` to trigger all the gears turning when a user selects a different collection from the UI:
```
useEffect(() => {
setProduct(viewFirstProductInCollection(collectionInView));
}, [collectionInView]);
```
Calling `setCollectionInView(collection)` now cascades everything into place nicely. Instead of rewriting all the code that this page worked off of, we introduced a layer of state above it that changes everything else as a side effect. This entire process resulted in a versatile product display page.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/a-versatile-product-display-page
# Can you own an NFT, of a platform displaying an NFT?
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-11-10
There appears to currently be a small missing piece to the recent explosion of NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) platforms. To me, it is like real estate. You can own the house, but can you also own the land?
# Can you own an NFT, of a platform displaying an NFT?
There appears to currently be a small missing piece to the recent explosion of NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) platforms. To me, it is like real estate. You can own the house, but can you also own the land? Some folks own the land first, then the house lives on the land as an addition to the existing claim. In its infancy, the NFT object alone has its value and permanence along the blockchain, but wouldn't it be true that the platform, like [OpenSea.io](https://OpenSea.io "OpenSea.io"), could also grab an NFT as it hosts and displays the third party created NFTs? And round and round we go.
> NFTs are tokens that we can use to represent ownership of unique items. They let us tokenise things like art, collectibles, even real estate. They can only have one official owner at a time and they're secured by the Ethereum blockchain – no one can modify the record of ownership or copy/paste a new NFT into existence. [Source](https://ethereum.org/en/nft/ "Source")
The NFT, or non-fungible token, is a relatively new concept in the world of cryptocurrency and the [blockchain](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/intro-to-ethereum/#what-is-a-blockchain "blockchain"). The idea that a simple string of code could be proofed as a thing rather than a transaction has been floating around for some time, but it wasn't until recently that the idea of outright owning, trading and inflating the `string of code` has become a popular reality. Now they are even [easily created](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-make-an-nft/ "easily created").
### How to Make an NFT in 14 Lines of Code
[source](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-make-an-nft/ "source")
```
// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
pragma solidity ^0.8.0;
import "@openzeppelin/contracts/token/ERC721/ERC721.sol";
import "@openzeppelin/contracts/utils/Counters.sol";
contract EmotionalShapes is ERC721 {
using Counters for Counters.Counter;
Counters.Counter private _tokenIdCounter;
constructor() ERC721("EmotionalShapes", "ESS") {}
function _baseURI() internal pure override returns (string memory) {
return "YOUR_API_URL/api/erc721/";
}
function mint(address to)
public returns (uint256)
{
require(_tokenIdCounter.current() < 3);
_tokenIdCounter.increment();
_safeMint(to, _tokenIdCounter.current());
return _tokenIdCounter.current();
}
}
```
NFT's are the beginning of a medium where all digital objects are identifiable, unique, and tradeable. We see the future of the internet as purchaseable realestate or protected real estate, like Federal Land. Since there is no regulatory or controling body for the entirety of the internet, NFT ownership can replace. This of course opens the idea of limiting access to your NFT, and approaches lines of age old problems like discrimination, exclusion, prejudice and prevention.
Whether this develops into a pretty dark future or into an awesomely inclusive future is still to be seen. Likely history will repeat itself and exclusivity will lead to capitalism. The road from here will be paved with our choices as users and developers of NFTs, but it's one that we're looking forward to admiring on the way!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/can-you-own-an-nft-displaying-an-nft
# How to manage NextJS/Typescript Static Page Optimization
By: Jesse Goodenough
Published: 2021-10-30
A Need for Speed! In the end, we were able to knock down our build time from `~15+ minutes` to `~5 minutes`. What a difference! As this is statically generating 100s of pages at build time.
# How to manage NextJS/Typescript Static Page Optimization
## The Problem
I recently ran into an issue regarding slow build times and decreased page performance for static page generation on a NextJS/Typescript project. Lets first start with some context. Nearly every page in the project utilizes `getStaticPaths` and `getStaticProps`, all involved in fetching necessary page data at build time (i.e. `next build`) to generate the static webpages. During the build process we had a `tryReadOrBuild` style function called from `getStaticPaths` and `getStaticProps` that would either read from a json cache file or if the file did not exist it would fetch the data and create a new json cache file. When the cache file was created it was fetching data from both Shopify and Contentful and merging the data into one large hashtable.
In the end the file ended up being around `~200MB`, which means each page size would require at least that much memory. And that was just test data, imagine the catalog will eventually grow. Not only did build times slow down drastically but once the page was built, since the file size was so large the performance of the page itself actually declined. This ended up being the complete opposite result of what you would want to benefit from for static generation. Build times being `15+ minutes` which slowed development and page performance halting to unnacceptable load times.
## The Solution
Since the large cache file contents had each dataset keyed, a simple solution would be to break these files up into smaller files using the key as the file name and the value associated to that key as the contents of the newer and smaller cache file. Multiple smaller files versus one large cache file made `fs.readFile` and `fs.writeFile` significantly quicker than the former process. Our largest cache file now only weighs in at `87.8MB` with most other cache files only containing about `~75KB` of data. What a difference in size! Now each page fetches the smaller cache file(s) vs each page demanding `~200MB` which more times than not included data the page did not even require.
The other part of the problem was that `getStaticProps` and `getStaticPaths` was calling a function that would either attempt to read or build the cache file on the fly during the `next build` process. Another potential reason why `next build` was potentially sluggish. So to further improve on this lets build these smaller cache files prior to even running `next build`. That way when `next build` now runs it only has read the pre-built cache files.
## The Implementation
Now that we have our solution planned out lets get down to the nitty gritty. First step is getting our new build cache file function to run prior to `next build` in a NextJS/Typescript environment. This first step is actually a little tricky mostly because running node scripts in a NextJS/Typescript project is not as simple as it first appears. Lets first look at our old `package.json` file script commands:
```
"scripts": {
"dev": "rm -rf ./lib/useCache/index.json && next dev",
"build": rm -rf ./lib/useCache/index.json && next build",
"start": "next start -p $PORT",
"test": "jest",
"postinstall": "touch ./lib/useCache/index.json"
},
```
now becomes:
```
"scripts": {
"dev": "npm run prebuild && next dev",
"build": "npm run prebuild && next build",
"prebuild": "rm -rf ./lib/useCache/*.json && tsc --project lib-tsconfig.json && node -r dotenv/config ./scripts/prebuild dotenv_config_path=.env.local",
"start": "next start -p $PORT",
"test": "jest",
"postinstall": "touch ./lib/useCache/*.json"
},
```
As you can see above `"prebuild"` custom script command removes any old cache files, runs the necessary build cache files part of the project through the Typescript compiler so that Node.js can understand and execute it. Our major focus here will be the Typescript compilation in a NextJS/Typescript environment. We needed a separate `tsconfig.json` file different than NextJS's auto-generated `tsconfig.json` file. Without it, Node.js couldn't run the prebuild scripts based on NextJS's typescript configuration.
Here's NextJS's `tsconfig.json`:
```
{
"compilerOptions": {
"target": "es5",
"lib": [
"dom",
"dom.iterable",
"esnext"
],
"allowJs": true,
"skipLibCheck": true,
"strict": false,
"forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
"noEmit": true,p
"esModuleInterop": true,
"module": "commonjs",
"moduleResolution": "node",
"resolveJsonModule": true,
"isolatedModules": true,
"jsx": "preserve",
"typeRoots": [
"./types",
"./node_modules/@types"
],
},
"include": [
"next-env.d.ts",
"**/*.ts",
"**/*.tsx",
"jest.env.setup.js"
],
"exclude": [
"node_modules"
]
}
```
and what you need to compile the prebuild scripts (`lib-tsconfig.json`):
```
{
"compilerOptions": {
"target": "es5",
"outDir": "./prebuild",
"esModuleInterop": true,
"strict": false,
"moduleResolution": "node",
"module": "commonjs",
"skipLibCheck": true,
"typeRoots": ["./types", "./node_modules/@types"]
},
"include": ["modules", "lib"],
"exclude": ["pages", "hooks", "components", "**/*test.ts", "**/*spec.ts"]
}
```
As you can see we targeted the above file with `tsc --project lib-tsconfig.json`
So our prebuild script now executes the TS compiled output in `./prebuild`. To paint a picture of that, here's our prebuild script (for our case located at `./scripts/prebuild`):
```
// Import TS compiled prebuild here via CommonJS
const { buildCacheFiles } = require('../prebuild/lib/useCache/index.js');
(async function main() {
try {
await buildCacheFiles();
} catch (error) {
console.error('Error:', error.message);
} finally {
return process.exit();
}
})();
```
When we go to run the prebuild scripts as you see, we also have to load any necessary environment variables with the `dotenv` package:
`node -r dotenv/config ./scripts/prebuild dotenv_config_path=.env.local"`
You'll also probably want to `.gitignore` these prebuild scripts and the subsequent cache files:
```
/prebuild
# build cache
/lib/useCache/*.json
```
## The Result
In the end, we were able to knock down our build time from `~15+ minutes` to `~5 minutes`. What a difference! As this is statically generating 100s of pages at build time.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/nextjs-typescript-static-page-optimization
# What Is Node.js Server-Side JavaScript?
By: Jean Gérard Bousiquot
Published: 2021-10-28
JavaScript on the server-side (or outside of the browser) has opened a wide range of applications for the language. And that’s one of the reasons it is one of the most popular right now.
# What Is Node.js Server-Side JavaScript?
[Original Article](https://www.g2i.co/blog/what-is-node-js-server-side-javascript "Original Article from G2i")
### JavaScript on the server-side (or outside of the browser) has opened a wide range of applications for the language. And that’s one of the reasons it is one of the most popular right now.
According to [reports](https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cp-javascript "reports"), JavaScript is being used on 97% of all websites. That's huge! But that's just on the web. JavaScript is everywhere these days, including desktop, mobile, IoT, embedded devices, servers, and even drones. You name it. It's everywhere. But today we'll talk about its use on the server-side and what exactly server-side JavaScript is.
## What Is Server-Side JavaScript?
Server-Side JavaScript is the use of the JavaScript language on servers. You know, those computers that are always on (and maybe online) running stuff, doing all kinds of work. Nowadays many of them have software, web servers, command-line applications, and other services that are written in JavaScript. But how did JavaScript come from the browser to land on the server? That's what we will be discussing in the next section.
## Brief Origin of The Language
You see, in the beginning of the web, it was all static. It's true that you might have a language on the server to generate HTML pages through some templates, but once the browser downloaded the code, there was no more interactivity. It was, for a lack of a more inspiring word, boring. In the old days, web pages were plain simple. You have your structured HTML content, some CSS, and maybe some images here and there. Done. Then a guy named Brendan Eich, who was working at Netscape at the time, was tasked to create a scripting language to add a bit of interactivity to their Netscape Navigator browser. The language would be created to compete with a similar scripting language called JScript of the same era, which came from Microsoft for its Internet Explorer browser. Interactivity meant being able to do basic validation on an input for a form and do something when a button is clicked. Eich created the first version of JavaScript in 10 days. Yeah, just 10 days.
Fast-forward a couple of years later, Google had its map service that was making really advanced use of the language, using XMLHTTPRequest to update their map in real-time while users were navigating around. That contributed to the popularity of the language because it showed what was possible in a browser at the time. The AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) term was coined around that time and was becoming a popular technique to get new data on a web page without reloading it and this quickly became a common use of the technology.
Then in 2009, another guy named Ryan Dahl created Node.js, which we will discuss in the next section.
## What is Node.js?
Node.js is a runtime environment to allow JavaScript to not only be run in the browser, but also on the server (or almost any environment, really). That also expanded the types of applications that could be built with the language since it wasn't tied to only the client-side anymore. After that, the popularity of the language exploded. Node is available on Windows, Linux, Mac, and many other platforms. Developers started using the power of the platform, which allowed them to access APIs such as the filesystem and to use powerful applications. Popular projects have been created to ease the development of software, web, desktop, mobile, and other types of applications. Thanks to Node, Chromium, and Electron we can now have sophisticated IDEs like Visual Studio Code, programming languages like TypeScript, powerful command-line applications like React Native, and Expo to create mobile apps with React. This is all possible because JavaScript is now available everywhere.
## Server-Side JavaScript vs Client-Side JavaScript
So JavaScript can now be used not only on the client-side but also on the server. But what's the difference between the two? Well, remember the old days of the web I mentioned above? JavaScript as a language has evolved a lot throughout the years. It had to in order to support the demand and need for more powerful APIs and features to better support the growth of the web 2.0 era. JavaScript was being considered a serious language now and the arrival of HTML5 around 2011 was confirmation that you could create more than just web applications in a web browser. We had WebGL, Canvas, Audio, and more starting to become available in the major browsers allowing rich games to be experienced inside the browser. It was a literal game-changer (pun intended). JavaScript was no longer used to add interactivity to web pages, it was used to build full-blown web apps that behave like native desktop and mobile applications called Single Page Applications. SPA for short.
So, now that JavaScript is available in other environments like the server as well, nothing can prevent a developer familiar with JavaScript on the client-side to use it to create an API or a web server, as well to complement their web application. And so both client-side and server-side JavaScript aren't mutually exclusive. They can be used together. And that's what we'll touch upon in the next section.
## Combining Server-Side & Client-Side JavaScript
A common use of both ways of using the language is to use it client-side to build and update UIs (user interfaces) and have server-side code serve data required for the client to work.
Client-Side JavaScript is also no longer exclusive to the browser. If you are building a desktop or a mobile app, they are also called client-side apps. That's because modern apps usually depend on external data to work. And so they fetch the data from a server, usually a JSON API, and process it in different ways.
For example, if you are building a social network mobile app with React Native, (a hybrid mobile app framework by Facebook) that allows people to chat, post, like, and comment together, then you will probably need an API to allow data retrieval, storage and other actions. Using Node.js for this is a really good idea because it's fast (thanks to its event-driven non-blocking runtime environment) and your clients will have a fast response and good experience. Node.js can not only support HTTP requests, but also WebSockets connection for bi-directional communications in real time between clients. Node.js has a bunch of primitives that can be combined together to build more complex systems. It comes with NPM, a package manager that allows developers to install packages from a very large collection to build almost anything!
## Conclusion
As you can see, JavaScript on the server-side (or outside of the browser) has opened a wide range of applications for the language. And that's one of the reasons it is one of the most popular right now. Knowing JavaScript well will open new opportunities for jobs as well since more startups and companies are looking for new talent to build innovative and exciting products for them. There's no better time to be a JavaScript developer than now. Especially when companies like G2i make it even more accessible for [developers around the world to work for great companies and enterprises](https://www.g2i.co/developers "developers around the world to work for great companies and enterprises"). Today's developer just has to be good with JavaScript, Node.js, and React.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/what-is-node-js-server-side-javascript
# TypeScript vs JavaScript: Understanding the Differences
By: Jean Gérard Bousiquot
Published: 2021-10-28
If you’ve been a JavaScript developer for a little while, you’ve probably read or heard about TypeScript.
# TypeScript vs JavaScript: Understanding the Differences
[Original Article](https://www.g2i.co/blog/typescript-vs-javascript-understanding-the-differences "Original Article from G2i")
### If you’ve been a JavaScript developer for a little while, you’ve probably read or heard about TypeScript.
If you've been a JavaScript developer for a little while, you've probably read or heard about TypeScript. You might be wondering whether it is something that you might need or have any interest in and may even ask yourself whether it is one of those hyped new techs or JS libraries and frameworks that the cool kids are talking about that would probably die within a few months if not weeks. If you did, then let me assure you that it's not one of them. In the next couple of sections, I'll be talking about what it is, what you can do with it, how to get started, what it's not, and whether you should choose it over your beloved good ol' JavaScript. But before we go further, what is TypeScript exactly?
TypeScript is defined as a programming language that is a strict syntactical superset of JavaScript and adds optional static typing to the language. It is designed for the development of large applications and transcompiles to JavaScript. It was created by Microsoft and first appeared in 2012.
A superset of JavaScript. What does that mean? Well, it means that all JavaScript code is valid TypeScript. Why? Because the types are optional. Really? Yes. TypeScript also allows you to use the latest and greatest of the ECMAScript standard that may have not been implemented in the latest versions of the major browsers yet.
## Why TypeScript Is Useful?
As you may know, JavaScript is weakly typed, which means that it will try to figure out what the type of your data is by itself. That can be really cool because you don't have to know ahead of time all the different types that you will be using in your data structures. That can lead to high productivity for some developers. But that same advantage can be the source of a lot of bugs, issues, and lack of self-documenting code in larger codebases. Even with a good IDE like VS Code providing you autocompletion, IntelliSense, and whatnot, you'll soon be shooting yourself in the foot involuntarily. Even if you are an experienced developer, because you are a human, you are prone to making errors anytime, any day. Enter TypeScript!
Just by changing your files' extension from .js to .ts, most editors will offer better support for autocompletion, IntelliSense, more features, and safety. TypeScript won't even compile if it detects an error that it knows about, syntactic errors being the most common.
## What You Can Do With TypeScript?
Anything that you can do with JavaScript, you can do with TypeScript. Building for the web, desktop, mobile, embedded, and more platforms will work just as fine if not better. That's because all TypeScript code will at some point be compiled to JavaScript, mainly because there are no (official) TypeScript engines (yet). V8, the most popular JavaScript engine powering Node, Deno, Chrome, and other major platforms [won't seem to ever have support](https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/275497/why-doesnt-v8-compile-typescript-instead-of-javascript "won't seem to ever have support") for TypeScript anyway. So how does TypeScript get translated to JavaScript to be read, parsed, and executed by a JS engine, you might ask. That's what the next section discusses.
## How to Get Started with TypeScript?
TypeScript as stated earlier is a superset of JavaScript. It offers a little bit of a different syntax and more features that are not even implemented yet in the current browsers and platforms that support running JS. But how do you do that? Well, [there are many ways](https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+compile+typescript&oq=ways+to+compile+types&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i22i30l9.6277j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 "there are many ways") to do that but one popular one is to use the [typescript npm package](https://www.npmjs.com/package/typescript "typescript npm package"). And this is what we will use in this guide. Make sure you have at least the recommended version of [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/ "Node.js") installed. You can install the package globally so it can be available everywhere in your terminal, or locally and it will be available just for the current npm project.
Go ahead and create a new folder in your working directory. Using your favorite terminal. "cd" into that directory and run npm init. Answer all the questions if you want or just press Enter on your keyboard to accept the defaults. Once done, a package.json file will be created. Now it's time to install TypeScript. Run "npm install typescript" and wait for the installation to complete. The next step is to add a new script to your scripts section or just delete the existing one. Your package.json should look something like this:
Now if you run `npm run tsc`, you should see something like the image below:
That means TypeScript has been installed and is working properly. Now, let's start using it. TypeScript can compile to JavaScript in different flavors. What that means is that you can choose which EcmaScript standards version you want to target. A common choice is ES5, but we'll get to that in a second. Create the obligatory hello.ts file and write console.log("Hello World!") into it like so:
We've done nothing exciting yet. This code would work in plain JavaScript as well. But we just want to compile it. So how do we do that? Looking at what is displayed when you `run npm` `run tsc`, at the top we can see a small section with some examples. You'll notice that you can run the tsc command with the name of the `.ts` file you want to compile. Let's go ahead and `run npm` `run tsc` `hello.ts`. After less than a second it displays:
> ts@1.0.0 tsc
> tsc `hello.ts`
Now if you look closely in your project you can see that a new file has been created. It's called `hello.js`. When we open the file we can see that it displays `console.log`("Hello World!"). And running that file using `Node.js`, node `hello.js`, will display "Hello World!". No big deal! Now let's do something more interesting. We'll create a function that adds two numbers together, and we'll specify the types of the parameters and the return value of it. Create a new file called `add.ts` and add this code into it:
Depending on the IDE that you are using, I'm using VS Code, you will see the parameters underlined with dots. If you hover over any of them you will see a popup saying:
What this means is that TypeScript will default to the `any` type in instances when it can't figure out on its own what the type of variable or parameter is. TypeScript is smart enough to figure out the types for primitive types such as string, number, function, and object. But it will start guessing again when your data structure starts to have nested values. That's because it can't know by itself what data you will throw at it upfront unless you tell it. And when you tell it, you will help it to help you back. With that said, if you were to give default values to a and b, then TypeScript would stop complaining. For example:
That's really useless but I hope you get the point.
That's a lot more theory, but let's run our code as-is. `Run npm` `run tsc` `add.ts` to compile this code to JavaScript. Doing so creates a new file called `add.js` in the same directory, and its content is as so:
Still no big deal! Running this code with `Node.js`, node `add.js`, will as expected display 3. So you may be wondering, how do I provide the types myself? Well to add types you need to add a colon `:` after a variable, parameter, or function name and specify the types. The TypeScript types can be any of these:
- `string`
- `number`
- `boolean`
- `Array`
- `any`
- `functions`
- `Object types`
- `Union types`
Today we'll use some of the primitive ones in a few examples. Let's type `a` and `b` as numbers so TypeScript can know what to expect like so:
Once we do that, we'll be good to go. But we can still return any other type from that function.
And TypeScript won't even complain. More often than not you would want to return the sum of the two numbers instead of a string, right? Then we can get TypeScript to help us here as well. We can type the function:
If we try to return another type of value other than a number, TypeScript will now complain saying "Type `string` is not assignable to type `number`. It knows that it has to return a number and not a string, so it protects us from doing something unexpected. We can just return the sum of a and b as usual and it will work. Let's try to compile this function and see what we get. Run npm run tsc add.ts and open the compiled `add.js` file. What do you see? You should see something like this:
Notice that TypeScript has gotten rid of the types. And then we can run this code as usual and we'll get 3. Now you can see how TypeScript can help you write better code and make fewer errors during development. That's because TypeScript is inexistent when your code is compiled. You are left with plain ol' (or new if you choose so) JavaScript code.
Let's try to mess with the parameters' value types and see what we get. When calling add, let's feed it with two strings instead of numbers. What did you see? Yes, TypeScript is complaining again. But this time, where we call the function on the first parameter saying: ```"Argument of type 'string' is not assignable to parameter of type 'number'```.
If you try to compile this code as-is it will fail. Let's try a few more examples. Create a new file called `examples.ts` and paste the following code in it:
Play with it and see what you get.
Okay, this is all good, but how do we configure it? To configure it, you need to use a `tsconfig.json` file in the root of your directory. It is a JSON file that TypeScript will read and configure itself depending on the values of that file. For example, if you use the arrow function instead of the function keyword to declare a function, TypeScript will by default convert it to the function keyword version, but using `tsconfig.json` you can specify the target to be es6 instead and TypeScript will leave it as-is. Of course, you have to make sure that the platform(s) that will run your code has (have) support for that version. Head over to [the docs](https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/tsconfig-json.html "the docs") for more info on how to work with `tsconfig.json`.
## What TypeScript Is Not
Once you start to see all the benefits that TypeScript provides over JavaScript, you'll tend to stop writing JavaScript entirely and that's fine. You might think you can stop writing tests because TypeScript helps you catch so many errors in your code. Don't do that. TypeScript will help with syntax and obvious type errors where possible. It won't help with logical errors. For example, if you are building a program that calculates a 10% tax on an order at a restaurant, and instead of adding the 10% on the total you subtract it from it, then that error is on you, not TypeScript. It can't know what your business logic is. You should know that. And you will make the restaurant lose a lot of money and even go bankrupt because of that. Kind of overdramatized, I know.
## TypeScript vs JavaScript
Despite all the advantages that TypeScript offers developers, not everyone will be happy with it or like it. It can be daunting for beginners and can slow productivity for experienced programmers. "What do you mean I need to add a type to everything before I even start using them?", you might hear a developer shout. ;) That's fine. It's not for everyone. But in this day and age, most respectable, large projects (especially in enterprise) will be using or are already in the process of using TypeScript. As a developer, even if you don't plan to use it for your own side projects and projects that you have control over entirely, learning TypeScript can be really useful. If you plan on working at the enterprise level, you will be required to write TypeScript anyway, whether you want it or not. So there's never been a better time to be a TypeScript (and/or JavaScript) programmer.
## Further Resources For Learning TypeScript
[https://www.typescriptlang.org/](https://www.typescriptlang.org/ "https://www.typescriptlang.org/")
[https://kentcdodds.com/blog/typescript-function-syntaxes](https://kentcdodds.com/blog/typescript-function-syntaxes "https://kentcdodds.com/blog/typescript-function-syntaxes")
[https://robertcooper.me/post/get-started-with-typescript-in-2019](https://robertcooper.me/post/get-started-with-typescript-in-2019 "https://robertcooper.me/post/get-started-with-typescript-in-2019")
[https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped](https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped "https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped")
[https://www.npmjs.com/package/typescript](https://www.npmjs.com/package/typescript "https://www.npmjs.com/package/typescript")
[https://codeburst.io/understanding-typescript-basics-e003dbad2191?gi=65f92f89c8bf](https://codeburst.io/understanding-typescript-basics-e003dbad2191?gi=65f92f89c8bf "https://codeburst.io/understanding-typescript-basics-e003dbad2191?gi=65f92f89c8bf")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/typescript-vs-javascript-understanding-the-differences
# Building a Movie App with React Hooks and Cloudflare Workers
By: Jean Gérard Bousiquot
Published: 2021-10-26
So I've been working on this Spotify/SoundCloud clone app called MP3 Pam for a couple of months now. React on the front-end and Laravel on the back-end for the API. I use React Hooks and Cloudflare Workers quite a bit and I thought it would be good to share some of the things I've learned on the internet. ;)
# Building a Movie App with React Hooks and Cloudflare Workers
So I've been working on this Spotify/SoundCloud clone app called `MP3 Pam` for a couple of months now. React on the front-end and Laravel on the back-end for the API. I use React Hooks and Cloudflare Workers quite a bit and I thought it would be good to share some of the things I've learned on the internet. ;)
So what are we going to build? A [movie app](https://movie-app-workers.jgb.solutions/ "movie app") that allows you to search for any movies, series or TV shows. We'll make use of the OMDb API. It's free for up to 1000 requests per day. We will use `Cloudflare Workers` to protect our API key, do some rerouting, and a lot of caching. That will allows us to bypass their 1000 requests per day limit and get nice API urls for free, since Cloudflare Workers is free for up to *100 000* requests per day.
## What is React?
React is a JavaScript library (can also be called a framework) that allows you to create better UI (user interface) for web (React.js) and mobile (React Native).
## What about this React Hooks thing?
According to the official docs `Hooks are a new addition in React 16.8. They let you use state and other React features without writing a class. Hooks are backwards-compatible. This page provides an overview of Hooks for experienced React users. This is a fast-paced overview.` In other words, Hooks will allow us to use just functional components and add state management and lifecycle to them without the need to use `class`. And that's a good thing because they seem to offer [many advantages](https://reactjs.org/docs/hooks-intro.html#motivation "many advantages") over traditional `React class component.`
## What are Cloudflare Workers?
Their docs state that `Cloudflare Workers provides a lightweight JavaScript execution environment that allows developers to augment existing applications or create entirely new ones without configuring or maintaining infrastructure.` In other words, we can use it to do what traditional servers do, only we won't need to manage or even pay for them. Yay!
Okay now to complete this tutorial you need some React knowledge, [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/ "Node.js"), a [code editor](https://code.visualstudio.com/ "code editor"), and a [browser](https://www.google.com/chrome/ "browser") installed on your machine.
To follow along you can clone the starter files ([client](https://github.com/jgb-solutions/movie-app-workers-client "client"), [api](https://github.com/jgb-solutions/movie-app-workers-api "api")) and `git checkout starter` to access the `starter` branch or use [create-react-app](https://github.com/facebook/create-react-app "create-react-app") and [wrangler](https://github.com/cloudflare/wrangler "wrangler") to create a new react project and a workers project respectively.
`cd` into the `client` folder and run `yarn`. That command will install the node dependencies needed to run our app while developing locally. While you're at it pull `lodash-es` with `yarh add lodash-es`. We will make use of its `get` method to access object properties without getting errors when the object or any of the property's parent properties are undefined.
I already imported the Bootstrap 4 CSS in the `App.css` file to get us started with some basic styling since that's not the main topic of the tutorial.
Once everything is installed run `yarn start` and you should see a blank page. That's right. We haven't done anything fancy yet.
Now We need to create 2 files in the `src` folder: `MovieList.js` and `useMovies.js`.
`MovieList.js` will be responsible for displaying the search input and the the list of movies (series, tv shows) and also load more items from the API.
Go ahead a paste this bit of code in it and I will explain what it does.
```
`import React from 'react';
import { get } from 'lodash';
import useMovies from './useMovies';
import logo from './logo.svg';
let debounceSearch;
function MovieList() {
const [
movies,
setSearchTerm,
isLoading,
canLoadMore,
fetchMovies,
lastSearchTerm,
setMovies,
] = useMovies()
const handleSearch = event => {
const searchTerm = event.target.value.trim();
if (searchTerm.length > 2) {
clearTimeout(debounceSearch)
// do search
debounceSearch = setTimeout(() => {
setSearchTerm(searchTerm);
}, 500);
} else {
setMovies([]);
}
}
return (
`
Movie App
{isLoading && Search Loading...
}
`
{movies.length ? (
movies.map(movie => {
const title = get(movie, 'Title', `No Title`);
const movieId = get(movie, 'imdbID')
let poster = get(movie, 'Poster');
if (!poster || poster === 'N/A') {
poster = `https://dummyimage.com/300x448/2c96c7/ffffff.png&text=No+Image`;
}
const type = get(movie, 'Type', `undefined`);
const year = get(movie, 'Year', `undefined`);
return (
{title}
Type: {type}.
Year: {year}
)
})
) : lastSearchTerm.length > 2 ? No Movies Found
: null}
{!!movies.length && canLoadMore && (
)}
)
}
export default `MovieList;`
```
This is a huge piece of code, I will admit it. So what is happening here is that we begin by creating regular functional component.
```
import React from 'react';
import { get } from 'lodash';
import useMovies from './useMovies';
import logo from './logo.svg';
```
We import `react`, the `get` method from `lodash`, the `useMovies` hook (that we will fill in a second) and the default react logo that we use next to the title of the app.
Next we have"
`let debounceSearch;`
this variable will hold a timer id that we use to delay the call to the API by not calling an API for every key stroke but rather wait for half a second ('500 milliseconds') to hit it.
The next interesting bit is:
```
const [
movies,
setSearchTerm,
isLoading,
canLoadMore,
fetchMovies,
lastSearchTerm,
setMovies,
] = useMovies()
```
Here we call our `useMovies` hook that gives us a list of movies, a `setSearchTerm` method to set the value for which we want to search, `canLoadMore` is a boolean that tells us whether we can load more movies or not and thus we will show or hide the load more button, `fetchMovies` is the method we will call when we want new movies, `lastSearchTerm` is a string that stores that last value that we successfully had a result for and thus let us compare it to the current string value we want to search for to see whether we want to make a new search and clear the list we have or append to it, `setMovies` allows to empty the list of movies when the length of the characters is less than 3.
Next we have:
```
const handleSearch = event => {
const searchTerm = event.target.value.trim();
if (searchTerm.length > 2) {
clearTimeout(debounceSearch)
// do search
debounceSearch = setTimeout(() => {
setSearchTerm(searchTerm);
}, 500);
} else {
setMovies([]);
}
}
```
Here we use the input change event to access that value of the text, trim it for white spaces, use the `setTimeOut` function to delay the call for half a second, otherwise we set the list to an empty array.
Now:
```
const title = get(movie, 'Title', `No Title`);
const movieId = get(movie, 'imdbID')
let poster = get(movie, 'Poster');
if (!poster || poster === 'N/A') {
poster = `https://dummyimage.com/300x448/2c96c7/ffffff.png&text=No+Image`;
}
const type = get(movie, 'Type', `undefined`);
const year = get(movie, 'Year', `undefined`);
```
We use `get` from `lodash` to avoid errors with undefined objects and properties, provide default values for texts and the poster and we store those values in new variables that we use in our `JSX` returned by the function.
```
{!!movies.length && canLoadMore && (
)}
```
In this bit of code, first we cast the `movies.length` value to a boolean, and if that's true and if we can load more we display the load more button that itself calls the `fetchMovies` method.
And that is a quick tour of the code. I'm hoping you can understand the rest. Otherwise hit me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/jgb_solutions "Twitter") here.
Now paste this code in your `useMovies.js` file:
```
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
function useMovies() {
const [movies, setMovies] = useState([]);
const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
const [canLoadMore, setCanLoadMore] = useState(false);
const [page, setPage] = useState(1)
const [searchTerm, setSearchTerm] = useState(undefined)
const [lastSearchTerm, setLastSearchTerm] = useState('')
const fetchMovies = async () => {
setIsLoading(true);
if (searchTerm !== lastSearchTerm) {
setPage(1);
setMovies([]);
}
try {
const response = await fetch(
`https://movie-api-app.jgb.solutions/search/${searchTerm}?page=${page}`
);
const responseBody = await response.json();
const movies = responseBody.Search;
const totalResults = parseInt(responseBody.totalResults);
setIsLoading(false);
if (searchTerm === lastSearchTerm) {
setMovies(prevMovies => [...prevMovies, ...movies]);
} else {
setMovies([...movies]);
setLastSearchTerm(searchTerm);
}
if (totalResults - (page * 10) > 0) {
setCanLoadMore(true);
setPage(prevPage => prevPage + 1)
} else {
setCanLoadMore(false);
setPage(1)
}
console.log('response', responseBody);
} catch (error) {
console.log(error);
setIsLoading(false);
}
};
useEffect(() => {
if (searchTerm)
fetchMovies();
}, [searchTerm]);
return [
movies,
setSearchTerm,
isLoading,
canLoadMore,
fetchMovies,
lastSearchTerm,
setMovies,
];
}
export default useMovies;
```
Let's go over the code piece by piece.
`import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';`
We begin by importing `useState` and `useEffect` from `react`. `React` doesn't need to be imported if we won't use any `JSX` in our hook. And yes you can return `JSX` in your hooks if you wish because they are React components.
```
const [movies, setMovies] = useState([]);
const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
const [canLoadMore, setCanLoadMore] = useState(false);
const [page, setPage] = useState(1)
const [searchTerm, setSearchTerm] = useState(undefined)
const [lastSearchTerm, setLastSearchTerm] = useState('')`
```
Next inside the function we initialize some states that I won't go over again, because I've already discussed their use above.
```
const fetchMovies = async () => {
setIsLoading(true);
if (searchTerm !== lastSearchTerm) {
setPage(1);
setMovies([]);
}
try {
const response = await fetch(
`https://movie-api-app.jgb.solutions/search/${searchTerm}?page=${page}`
);
const responseBody = await response.json();
const movies = responseBody.Search;
const totalResults = parseInt(responseBody.totalResults);
setIsLoading(false);
if (searchTerm === lastSearchTerm) {
setMovies(prevMovies => [...prevMovies, ...movies]);
} else {
setMovies([...movies]);
setLastSearchTerm(searchTerm);
}
if (totalResults - (page * 10) > 0) {
setCanLoadMore(true);
setPage(prevPage => prevPage + 1)
} else {
setCanLoadMore(false);
setPage(1)
}
console.log('response', responseBody);
} catch (error) {
console.log(error);
setIsLoading(false);
}
};
```
The fetchMovies is an async method (because we want to use async/await) that sets the loading state, set the pagination depending on whether we are searching for a new movie (series, tv show), that way we can [fetch](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Fetch_API/Using_Fetch "fetch") new stuff when needed. Next we use Fetch to hit our API endpoint, extract the movies and totalResults from the response, set the loading state, appending the movies in our movies array or set the array to the movies, and update the `lastSearchTerm`. Then we check to see if we have more items to load for this term by subtracting the product of the number of pages we are in by 10, because 10 is the number of items we have per response.
Now we need to update the `App.js` file to import the `MovieList` component like so:
```
import React from 'react';
import MovieList from './MovieList';
import './App.css';
function App() {
return (
This is the default `now.json` file, if you decide to use the github integration witn Zeit, this is the file that will get run automatically. At the time of this writing Now.sh *DOES NOT* support automatically deploying from multiple config files from git.
Next we are going to make a new file called `preview.now.json`:
`{
"version": 2,
"name": "preview_parent_site",
"build": {
"env": {
"CONTENTFUL_SPACE_ID": "@contentful_space_id",
"CONTENTFUL_PREVIEW_ACCESS_TOKEN": "@contentful_preview_access_token",
"CTF_PREVIEW_HOST": "preview.contentful.com",
"CTF_PREVIEW": "true"
}
},
"builds": [{ "src": "next.config.js", "use": "@now/next" }],
"routes": [
{ "src": "/", "dest": "/index" }
]
}`
Here we made a few changes. We used the Contentful's preview access token as well as the preview host to enable previewing of unpublished content. If you only had a single site to support we can stop here. We now have a production and a preview environment that can be deployed from the command line.
Inside of our `package.json` file we can setup some deployment scripts:
`"scripts": {
"dev": "now dev",
"build": "next build",
"start": "next start",
"deploy:preview": "now -A preview.now.json && now -A preview.now.json --prod",
"deploy:prod": "now && now --prod"
}`
This allow us to run `yarn run deploy:preview` or `yarn run deploy:prod` to deploy our preview environment then our production environment. Typically if I add some features to a site on a branch I will deploy them to the preview branch first so the client can review before deploying to production.
Hopefully by now you can see where this is going. To add more sites to this setup you just have to create the requisite configuration files.
- `siteoneprod.now.json`
- `siteonepreview.now.json`
- `sitetwoprod.now.json`
- `sitethreepreview.now.json`
... and so on and so forth
We can then add individualized deployment scripts for each site.
`"scripts": {
...
"deploy:siteone:preview": "now -A siteonepreview.now.json && now -A siteonepreview.now.json --prod",
"deploy:siteone:prod": "now -A siteoneprod.now.json && now -A siteoneprod.now.json --prod",
"deploy:sitetwo:preview": "now -A sitetwopreview.now.json && now -A sitetwopreview.now.json --prod",
"deploy:sitetwo:prod": "now -A sitetwoprod.now.json && now -A sitetwoprod.now.json --prod",
"deploy:preview": "yarn run deploy:siteone:preview && yarn run deploy:sitetwo:preview",
"deploy:prod": "yarn run deploy:siteone:prod && yarn run deploy:sitetwo:prod"
}`
These are now all set to be hooked up to different domains however you would like to set them up. Things that I would love to see added to Zeit's product here would be full support for running multiple config files when you merge into master or create a new branch. This would allow auto deployment of the preview environments when we are staging changes to all sites as well as automatic deployment pipelines off of master. Right now, the benefits of being able to deploy this many sites, this easily, at the now.sh pricing structure, to this platform outweighs the disadvantages.
It took quite a bit of research for me to figure out this pipeline so I'm hoping that this saves someone looking to do the same thing some time and energy.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/deploying-six-sites-with-a-single-code-base-using-now-sh
# Elixir Phoenix vs. Serverless Node
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2021-10-14
Have you built apps in both of these types of setups? Am I correct in thinking there isn't much difference in the load a serverless node setup and elixir can handle? Anyone test any of these? And lastly but more generally, how do you resist the urge to just fall back on good ol' javascript when the learning gets tough?
# Elixir Phoenix vs. Serverless Node
So this is not another comparison post, I've read enough of those to understand the basic differences between these two. This is basically an open discussion for anyone familiar with both of these technologies.
But first, why write anything other than javascript if you are a web engineer? I know this sounds super naive on it's face but after writing javascript for nearly a decade it's very hard to justify building new projects with all the pain that comes from fumbling through an unfamiliar language. Most of the time, I'm more excited by the idea itself than the technology I'm going to use, so having a half completed project in elixir is more heartbreaking than a complete one in javascript.
But alas I think I'm getting tired of being fluent in one language and have an idea that can benefit from something else. I've also grown frustrated with a few things in javascript over the years.
1. No type safety
2. a single error can just tank the entire system
3. Runs hot on memory
4. Not great at concurrency
Here's where elixir phoenix comes in.
1. Functional/immutable patterns deal with type safety
2. Resilience, errors kill a process without taking down the entire app
3. Runs lighter on memory
4. A beast at concurrent tasks
But of course I've not yet dove in and while the setup was easy, I know there is much pain to come on this route.
So here's my javascript angel on my shoulder saying just come back to what you know.
1. Typescript gives you back type safety
2. If you use typescript in strict mode you should avoid most common errors
3. You can go serverless here and use lambda functions to mitigate the issues of the old node monolith and memory problems.
4. Serverless functions effectively spin up a new process for each call so really you would get the advantages of elixir phoenix concurrency.
Here's where you come in. Have you built apps in both of these types of setups? Am I correct in thinking there isn't much difference in the load a serverless node setup and elixir can handle? Anyone test any of these? And lastly but more generally, how do you resist the urge to just fall back on good ol' javascript when the learning gets tough?
> Alright, so I took a bit of time to setup a sample Phoenix app and build out basic authentication and setup an Elm frontend just to push things a bit more. I found the setup itself relatively easy, and the microseconds service time is indeed true and as advertised. That being said, despite it's comparison to Ruby and Rails, I have not found Elixir and Phoenix very easy to grok. While Phoenix resembles rails in many ways, I did not find Elixir to be the easiest thing to just fumble around in for a while the way Ruby lends itself so nicely to.
> So that being said, how do you resist the urge to fall back on what you know? I didn't I'm going to be moving forward with node since I have less time than I would like to make this project. When it comes to Elixir I will need to have some time to sit down and really learn the language for this one. Some languages lend themselves well to learning as you go, like Ruby, but Elixir development without understanding the fundamentals was moving painfully slow for me.
> One other strike against Elixir that I found in my research was that the deployment and hosting of Elixir apps can be notoriously painful. This scared me quite a bit as I find nothing more frustrating that building an entire app locally and then needing to spend two or more hours working out a deployment pipeline.
> In the end the problem of dealing with millions of concurrent connections is a problem I do not have at a projects outset. And at the point that my application reaches this need I'm probably going to be a very happy camper and be able to get some help scaling things up. Too many users is a good problem to have, and can be planned for at a later time. Best not to outrun your headlights. That and there are many many examples of software built in Node that scales just fine.
> So I was happy for this little experiment and look forward to studying up on some Elixir on the side and possibly taking on a bigger Elixir project at a later date when I have more time. At the very least I find when you study a new language you can take that new style and apply them to your crafting of javascript.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/elixir-phoenix-vs-serverless-node
# Nextjs and Sapper Netlify Jamstack Starters
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2021-10-14
A few weeks ago I came across some Gatsby and Netlify tutorials and was intrigued by how far the jamstack has come. I'm not going to go into a diatribe over what jamstack is, but I had my doubts over this serverless revolution. Nonetheless I decided to run through the setup and was pleasantly surprised not by serverless per say, but by the Netlify offering. Authentication, lambdas, and contact forms -- all with generous free limits?
# Nextjs and Sapper Netlify Jamstack Starters
A few weeks ago I came across some Gatsby and Netlify tutorials and was intrigued by how far the jamstack has come. I'm not going to go into a diatribe over what jamstack is, but I had my doubts over this serverless revolution. Nonetheless I decided to run through the setup and was pleasantly surprised not by serverless per say, but by the Netlify offering. Authentication, lambdas, and contact forms -- all with generous free limits?
This seemed like an incredible platform to build early prototypes and test different SaaS ideas. For client work, it appears to greatly mitigate the risks of DDoS attacks and servers going down in the middle of the night. The only issue was that I was apprehensive of leaning entirely on Gatsby. I find Gatsby to be a wonderful platform for static site generation and have used it to build a few small portfolio sites and blogs. However, long term, you are stuck with a fully static only framework. Having built quite a bit of software now, I know that one cannot fully predict the walls they will run up against at a projects outset. What seems like jamstack perfection today, could turn into a project where a good server environment would be required. At which point you have only one option, migration.
Enter next.js, my go to platform of choice for almost everything. An easy to use, robust React-based framework that's just a little bit opinionated. It has a great community as well as awesome testing and typescript support and all the good things that you will probably wish you had setup at the outset before your project got too big. It also has the ability to do static exports of pages just like Gatsby. The big difference is, if you ever want to use the server environment and move to a platform like Heroku or Digital Ocean, you can. Server side rendering is also a nice to have for your authenticated users as well down the line.
In my research I also came across a new framework called Svelte on the Undefined Podcast. I was sufficiently intrigued by it's compiler based approach to building a robust front end so I dug a little deeper. I found a wonderful platform called Sapper, built by the same team it appears to have taken the best of Next.js and built a similar environment for Svelte. I don't want to get into the pros and cons of each framework at the moment, point is it's worth checking out. Just like Next.js it features static exporting and server-side rendering that can be used if you want to enable the server down the line.
In the end I wanted to come up with a boilerplate for each so that I could easily create prototypes, client sites, and JAMstack apps on the fly. I also wanted the option to bail out without losing all my work if I found the serverless style wasn't working for me.
So I give you two repos:
[https://github.com/mrispoli24/next-netlify-jamstack-starter](https://github.com/mrispoli24/next-netlify-jamstack-starter "https://github.com/mrispoli24/next-netlify-jamstack-starter")
[https://github.com/mrispoli24/sapper-netlify-jamstack-starter](https://github.com/mrispoli24/sapper-netlify-jamstack-starter "https://github.com/mrispoli24/sapper-netlify-jamstack-starter")
My thoughts are to rely on next for my paid client work since it is battle tested and approved for production use. I'll be using sapper for my personal projects that I'm willing to spend some time battling the early bugs in an early framework. I also feel the svelte approach to front end is worth learning and learning well.
Since I couldn't find much like this in the google searches for either framework I hope this helps some people get started sooner.
I will also be adding netlify authentication and hopefully payments processing with stripe so you can have a "Tim Ferriss" style experimental solution for signup, try for x days and pay monthly. Sorta like opening a restaurant in a building with a kitchen already built.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/nextjs-and-sapper-netlify-jamstack-starters
# Is using localStorage for a guest shopping cart a bad idea?
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2021-10-14
So I pose the question to the community, what are the drawbacks of using a localStorage based shopping cart for this scenario? Has anyone done this only to regret it later?
## localStorage Shopping Cart
I've found myself building some custom, basic e-commerce sites these days in Rails. I have a few options when it comes to building out a basic guest user shopping cart. These sites will not have logged in users so it is not necessary to tie the cart to a user account in any way. This has led me to consider using the `localStorage` api to persist the cart. The other option is to go with the tried and true store the cart in a database temporarily and tie this to the user via cookie in the browser.
In terms of browser support, localStorage sports browser support of IE8 and up. This is more than sufficient. In terms of speed and simplicity to develop, I believe that localStorage also has the win here.
While a database is more secure, in this case it's just storing an array of products to be later turned into an order. This order content is going to be sanitized by the server so that isn't a huge strike against localStorage either.
So I pose the question to the community, what are the drawbacks of using a localStorage shopping cart for this scenario? Has anyone done this only to regret it later?
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/is-using-localstorage-for-a-guest-shopping-cart-a-bad-idea
# Setup Clojure on Windows (WSL) or Linux
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2021-10-14
I found there to be very little information on how to set things up easily on Windows and having just started using Windows I don't know much about the packages and powershell so it felt nice and easy to do this with Linux. Hope I saved someone, even if its my future self, some setup time.
# Setup Clojure on Windows (WSL) or Linux
So I've been working through this book "[Clojure for the Brave and True](https://www.braveclojure.com/ "Clojure for the Brave and True")" and I got a bit stuck trying to do setup for Windows. So here's what I did.
1. Use WSL.
2. Install Java in the terminal with: `sudo apt install openjdk-11-jdk`
3. Install leiningen with apt-get: `sudo apt-get install leiningen`
Boom, that's it and you're off the the races. You can use emacs like the book recommends but I just use VS Code (because it integrates easily with WSL) and [this extension](https://github.com/avli/clojureVSCode "this extension"). REPL works great and you're off and learning with little fuss.
I found there to be very little information on how to set things up easily on Windows and having just started using Windows I don't know much about the packages and powershell so it felt nice and easy to do this with Linux. Hope I saved someone, even if its my future self, some setup time.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/setup-clojure-on-windows-wsl-or-linux
# Building a Serverless Stack Overflow (Question and Answer Platform) for Students Learning at Home
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2021-10-14
Imagine a world where every occupation had the type of power a tool like Stack Overflow has bestowed upon Software Engineers. Surgeons could repeatedly look up the difference between slicing and splicing, and mechanics could crowdsource the best way to remove a transmission from a Buick. The internet is full of information on almost anything you want to know, however, for students, finding answers to specific questions, explained for the right grade level is a challenge. Kids learning at home under quarantine, without ready access to their teacher, would greatly benefit from a community like Stack Overflow. So I decided to take a crack at building it and I’m going to show you how I went about architecting the application.
# Building a Serverless Stack Overflow (Question and Answer Platform) for Students Learning at Home
Imagine a world where every occupation had the type of power a tool like Stack Overflow has bestowed upon Software Engineers. Surgeons could repeatedly look up the difference between slicing and splicing, and mechanics could crowdsource the best way to remove a transmission from a Buick. The internet is full of information on almost anything you want to know, however, for students, finding answers to specific questions, explained for the right grade level is a challenge. Kids learning at home under quarantine, without ready access to their teacher, would greatly benefit from a community like Stack Overflow. So I decided to take a crack at building it and I’m going to show you how I went about architecting the application.
Building Stack Overflow today is far easier than it was in 2008. With the rise of serverless technologies we now have ways to launch applications faster, with less code, less setup, and that can scale to millions of users as needed. The setup I used for [StudyVue](https://studyvue.com/ "StudyVue") cost zero dollars to launch and will only start to incur a cost if usage increases. The best part is if your application goes viral, these serverless setups can scale up to handle the load and scale back down again with no effort on your part. Without further ado let’s get started.
## Product Definition
First I wanted to make sure to have the core product features squared away. I was not going to try to replicate all of the features of Stack Overflow, but still wanted to make sure to have a minimum viable version that gives students and teachers access to the most valuable pieces. Those pieces being a way to ask questions, receive multiple answers, and for users to be able to validate or invalidate those answers with a simple, binary voting system.
I also wanted to be cognizant of the fact that the target audience would be school-aged students. Therefore,being careful with personally identifiable information is a must and knowing how kids can be, there was going to have to be a way for users to flag abusive content. For this project I decided the best way to deal with personal information is to not ask for it in the first place. A simple login that only required an email address was an important feature. Email seems to be universal across generations so this will be a consistent way for students, teachers, and parents to verify their identity.
So the core feature list I went for was:
1. Users can verify identity using their email with no other personal information required.
2. Users can post a question.
3. Users can post an answer.
4. Users can vote on answers no more than once.
5. Users can easily search for questions already posted.
6. Users can report an abusive question or answer.
7. Anyone can browse questions and answers.
I also took into consideration a few other requirements. The most important being that these pages could be indexed by search engines. As such, server side rendering of the question pages in particular was going to be necessary. Although google claims they do render and crawl client side rendered content, it has been my experience that if you want to be indexed and rank well with google, server side rendering (SSR) or pre-rendering via static site generation (SSG) is a requirement. In this case, since the data is dynamic and ever-changing, pre-rendering won’t be an option, I would need to make sure the public facing pages used SSR. Another nice feature of Next.js is that all of our markup is still written in JSX and are still just react components. These are served as static markup and then hydrated client side with interactivity. You are still free to render elements client side that do not need to be indexed as well. Next.js supports all three major use cases, SSR, pre-rendering, and client-side rendering out of the tin.
## The Stack
When evaluating the feature set there were a few things I wanted. I wanted to use React for the frontend and a serverless setup for my API. I would need to server side render most of the application, a cloud hosted database, and a way to handle search. I also wanted to consider how to deploy the app easily to keep this as simple and painless as possible.
Right now the most robust framework that supports server side rendered content for react is Next.js. I personally like NextJS for a few reasons. It integrates easily with [Vercel](https://vercel.com/) (formerly Zeit) for serverless deployment, it supports server side rendering of our UI, api routes that are deployed as lambdas to Vercel, and it supports typescript out of the box. Being as this is a side project we are looking to develop quickly, I find typescript helps me write safer code without compromising my development speed.
For a database I chose [FaunaDB](https://fauna.com/ "FaunaDB"). FaunaDB is a cloud-hosted, NoSql database that is easy to set up and can scale to millions of users. It has pay as you scale pricing, so you won’t incur any costs at startup. FaunaDB was easy to play around with in their web UI and model out my data before I ever wrote a single line of code. No need to run local copies of the databases, deal with running migrations, or worry about crashing the whole thing with a bad command. FaunaDB has user authentication and permissions features baked in as well so I can save some time building the authentication without bringing in another vendor.
Last, we are going to need search to be as robust as possible. The last thing users want is to be stuck with exact text matches or have to type questions in a specific way to return results. Search is messy in the wild and users expect even small apps to be able to deal with that. [Algolia](https://www.algolia.com/ "Algolia") is the perfect solution for this. They bring the robustness of google style search to your datasets with little overhead. They also have a react component library that can drop right into the frontend.
## Initial Setup
### Next.js + Vercel
Setting up a project with Next.js and Vercel can be ready to go and deployed in a few minutes by following the [Vercel docs](https://vercel.com/guides/deploying-nextjs-with-vercel "Vercel docs"). One of the nice things about Vercel is they have a [powerful CLI](https://vercel.com/download "powerful CLI") that you can run locally that closely mimics the production environment. I like to think about it as something like Docker for serverless apps. Setting up Vercel locally is simple, however, finding your way around their docs after the name change from Zeit can be a challenge.
Once you setup the Vercel CLI to run your application locally, you can further hook your Vercel project up to github to create staging URLs for every git branch you have, and have any merges into master automatically deploy to production. This way you are set up for rapid and safe iteration post launch without having to setup pipelines or containers and the like. I like to get this all squared away at the start of the project since you will need to start storing secrets and environment variables right away when setting up FaunaDB.
I personally enable typescript right away when working on a Next.js project. With Next.js this is [pre-configured to work out of the box](https://nextjs.org/docs/basic-features/typescript "pre-configured to work out of the box") and FaunaDB also has type definitions published so it’s a great combination. I find strong types help me avoid silly errors as well as help me remember my data types and key names while I’m writing code. It can also be incrementally adopted. You don’t need to start off in strict mode right away. You can get a feel for it and gradually work your way up to a complete, strongly typed codebase. I have left the type definitions in my examples here so you can see how this looks but also may have stripped out some of the more defensive error handling for greater readability.
## Setting Up the Database
I want to walk through the initial set up of FaunaDB inside of a Next.js app to be able to read and write to the database. I think that setting up environment variables with Next.js can be somewhat tricky so here’s a quick rundown of what I did.
You’ll want to first install the FaunaDB package from npm. Now head over to the FaunaDB console, go to the SECURITY tab and create a new API key. You’ll want to assign this key a role of Server since we just want this to work on this specific database.
We want to copy this key now since this is the last time you will see it. We can now add this to our codebase, which requires that you add this info to four different files to work properly. First, you will want to put this in your .env and .env.build files.
```
// .env and .env.build files
FAUNADB_SECRET_KEY = ''
```
Next, we want to add this to our Vercel environment. This can be done with the following command:
```
`$ now secrets add studyvue_db_key `
```
This saves your key into Vercel and will be available when you deploy your app. We can now add this key to our now.json and our next.config.json files.
```
// now.json
{
"version": 2,
"build": {
"env": {
"FAUNADB_SECRET_KEY": "@studyvue_db_key",
}
},
"builds": [{ "src": "next.config.js", "use": "@now/next" }]
}
```
```
// next.config.js
module.exports = {
target: 'serverless',
env: {
FAUNADB_SECRET_KEY: process.env.FAUNADB_SECRET_KEY,
}
}
```
Note how in our now.json file we reference the Vercel secret prefixed by the @ symbol. We namespace the key since right now Vercel keeps all of your secrets available to all applications. If you launch other apps or sites on Vercel you will likely want to prefix these secrets with the app name. After that, we can utilize the standard __process.env.FAUNADB_SECRET_KEY__ throughout the application.
Now we can head back over to the FaunaDB console and begin modelling out our data.
## Modeling Our Data
One of the best things about FaunaDB is how easy it is to set up your database. When I started out I just created an account and created all of my collections and indexes right in the GUI they provide. I’ll give a brief walk through of what that process was like to show the ease.
After you create your account you are taken right to the FaunaDB console where you can start by clicking __NEW DATABASE__ in the top left hand corner. I’ll start by calling this StudyVue and leave the *"Pre-populate with demo data"* option unchecked.
Once you create your database you are brought to the main dashboard for that database. You can already see that FaunaDB offers a lot of options like child databases and multi-tenancy, GraphQL, and functions. For this project, I just needed to deal with three things; collections, indexes, and security.
## Collections
Collections are similar to tables in a traditional SQL database. If you are familiar with MongoDB, this is the same concept. We know from our product description we need five collections.
1. Users
2. Questions
3. Answers
4. Votes
5. Abuse Reports
Creating these is simple, just go into the __COLLECTIONS__ tab and click __NEW COLLECTION__. Here is an example of creating the __users__ collection:
You’ll notice two additional fields, one is *History Days*, which is how long FaunaDB will retain the history of documents within the collection. I left this set to 30 days for all my collections since I don’t need to retain history forever. The *TTL* option is useful if you want to remove documents that have not been updated after a certain period of time. I didn’t need that for my collections either but again it’s good to take note that it is available. Click save, and your new collection is ready to go. I then created the other five collections the same way with the same options. That’s it, no schemas, no migration files, no commands, you have a database.
Another thing you will notice is that I decided to store votes as their own collection. It is common when working with NoSql databases to get into the habit of storing these votes on the __Answer__ document itself. I tend to always struggle with the decision to store data on the related document in one-to-many relationships or to make a new collection.
In general, I like to avoid nesting too much data in a single document, especially when that data could relate back to other collections, for example, a vote belonging to both a user and an answer. It can become unwieldy over time to manage this from within another document. With a relational approach, if we ever need to reference another document we just add an index and we have it. We may want to show a user all their up voted or down voted answers, or have an undo vote feature. Keeping votes in their own collection thus offers a bit more flexibility long term in the face of not knowing exactly where you will go. Another advantage is that the relational model is less costly to update. For instance removing a vote from an array of votes requires us to store the complete array again, whereas with the relational model we are just removing a single item from an index. While it may be easier to just store things nested in the same document, you’ll typically want to take the time to have more flexible, normalized models.
## Indexes
Indexes are what you use to query the data in your collections. Creating indexes requires you to think about the relationships between your collections and how you want to be able to query and manipulate that data. Don’t worry if you are unsure of every possible index at this moment. One of the advantages of FaunaDB is that indexes and models are flexible and can be made at any time whenever you want.
I started with the obvious relations first and later on was able to add additional indexes as the product evolved. For example, right away I knew that I was going to want to be able to display all questions either on the homepage or on a page that houses a list of all the questions asked. This would allow users and most importantly search engine crawlers to be able easily find newly created questions.
To create an index go into the __INDEXES__ tab and click __NEW INDEX__. Here you can select which collection you want this index to work with, in this case, __questions__, and the name of the index, which I will call __all_questions__.
I also knew I was going to need to fetch a question by its ref id. This can be done easily without creating an index. However, I needed to be able to fetch all of the answers related to a question. So I have an index called __answers_by_question_id__ that will allow me to perform a join between these two collections. In this case, I want the __Source Collection__ to be __answers__ and I want to populate the __Terms__ field with the data attribute I will need to be able to query by, which is __data.question__. The __question__ attribute will be what I am going to use to store the ref to the question that a particular answer is associated with.
I also know I am going to want to be able to fetch __votes__ that are tied to a specific answer. I can now make an index called __votes_by_answer__ that pulls from the __votes__ collection and use __data.answer__ to represent the attribute we want to be able to look up on.
Setting up more indexes follows the same process. For collections where you only want to allow one entity with the same attributes to exist, such as users that should have a unique email address, we can make sure that only unique email addresses are allowed by checking the __unique__ field. As you can see, we effectively model our entire database within the dashboard and are now ready to use this in the code base.
## What is FQL?
FaunaDB has two ways to query the database. One is the more familiar GraphQL and the other is something called FQL. FQL is Fauna’s proprietary query language. It’s what is called an embedded domain-specific language (DSL), which is a powerful way to compose queries in the [languages they support](https://docs.fauna.com/fauna/current/drivers/index.html?utm_source=DevTo&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=WritewithFauna_ServerlessStackOverflow_MRispoli "languages they support"). It gives us the ability to use it to create composable functions and helpers throughout our codebase. For instance here is a function I made to create a user document.
```
export function createUserDocument(data: FaunaUserData) {
return q.Create(q.Collection('users'), data);
}
```
We can take this a step further by utilizing a functional programming technique called [composing functions](https://github.com/https://github.com/getify/Functional-Light-JSgetify/Functional-Light-JS/blob/master/manuscript/ch4.md/#chapter-4-composing-functions "composing functions"). If you look at the FQL above what we see is that FQL is just composed of functions that take other functions as arguments. Let’s take a bit more of an advanced example.
Let's say we wanted to retrieve all questions from the questions index. The FQL looks like this:
```
const questions = await client.query(
q.Map(
q.Paginate(
q.Match(
q.Index('questions')
)
),
ref => q.Get(ref)
)
)
```
We can see functional composition at work here where __Map()__ takes two arguments that are functions. If we focus on the first argument we see a chain of [unary functions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unary_function "unary functions"), which are just functions that take one argument, the __Paginate()__ function takes the __Match()__ function which takes the __Index()__ function. Without going into too much detail about functional programming, these types of unary function chains are ripe for functional composition. In this case I used the [ramda library](https://ramdajs.com/ "ramda library") to compose more general, powerful helpers. So taking our above example and using ramda's compose helper we can create a function __getAllByIndex()__.
```
export const getAllByIndex = compose(q.Paginate, q.Match, q.Index);
```
We read the compose function's arguments as being executed from right to left. So __getAllByIndex()__ takes our index as a string and then passes it into __Index()__ the output of which goes into __Match()__ the output of which goes into __Paginate()__. We can now use this to cleanup our questions FQL query.
```
const questions = await client.query(
q.Map(
getAllByIndex('questions'),
ref => q.Get(ref)
)
)
```
We can continue to use this technique to create more helpers for common operations, like the below helper I created to get a collection's document by ref id.
```
export const getCollectionDocumentById = compose(q.Get, q.Ref);
```
While it was a little hard to get used to at first, the power of using FQL and readability when coupled with functional composition, was a worthwhile investment over GraphQL in my opinion.
## Authenticating Users
When it came to user management, I wanted a way to verify that users are real people and I wanted a way to make sure we had a user’s email so that we could eventually build notifications for when their questions had new answers. I also wanted to make sure it was as simple as possible to create an account and move forward. I didn’t want to interfere with the spontaneity of wanting to ask or answer a question. One thing I personally hate is having to create new passwords for every new service I sign up for. I loved the idea of creating a magic link type login where the user submits their email and they click on a link that logs them into the app. This type of login has a major pitfall for mobile users that we will discuss in just a bit but let's begin modeling this out with FaunaDB’s internal authentication.
FaunaDB's internal authentication allows you to pass in an email and a __credentials__ object with a __password__ key. That password is then stored as an encrypted digest in the database and returns to us a token that can be used to authenticate that user. The tokens do not expire unless the user logs out, but the same token is never issued twice. We can use this system to create our magic login.
## The Login
First, whether a user is logging in for the first time or returning to the site we want to make sure there is a single login pathway. To do this we can query the database first to see if that users' email exists already. If it does not exist, we'll create a new user and assign a randomized password. If the user does exist, we will update the user with a new randomized password. In both cases, we are going to receive back an authentication token we can now use to persist the login of that user.
In order to do this, we'll need a new index in order to fetch users by email. We can go ahead and call this __users_by_email__ and this time check off the __unique__ option so that no emails can be submitted to the collection twice.
Here's an example of how we can build this logic inside of our API. Notice that for our FQL query we use the __Paginate()__ method instead of __Get()__. __Get__ throws an error when no results are found, what we want to do is detect when there are no results and go on to create a new user.
```
let user: FaunaUser | undefined = undefined;
const password = uuidv4();
const { email } = JSON.parse(req.body);
// use paginate to fetch single user since q.Get throws error obj when none found
const existingUser: FaunaUsers | undefined = await client?.query(
q.Map(
q.Paginate(
q.Match(
q.Index('users_by_email'),
email
)
),
ref => q.Get(ref)
)
);
if (existingUser?.data.length === 0 ) {
// create new user with generated password
user = await client?.query(createUserDocument({
data: {
email
},
credentials: {
password
}
}));
} else {
// update existing user with generated password
user = await client?.query(
q.Update(
existingUser?.data[0].ref,
{
credentials: {
password
}
}
)
);
}
```
## Passing the Token
We still want the user to click a link in the email. We can send the entire token in the email link as a part of the URL to complete the authentication, however I'd like to be a bit more secure than this. Sending the entire token means that it is likely going to sit forever in plain text in a users inbox. While we aren't handling payment or personal information, there still is the potential for someone to accidentally share the link or forward the wrong message, exposing a valid token. To be extra secure, we really want to ensure that this link only works for a short duration of time, and it only works in the device and browser the user used to generate it.
We can use Http only cookies to help us with this. We can first take a section from the start of the token, let's say 18 characters, and then take the rest of the token and send it back in a temporary cookie that will be removed from the browser after 15 minutes. The section at the start of the token we can send in our email. This way the link will only work for as long as the cookie is persisted in the browser. It will not work if anyone else clicks on it since they do not have the other segment. After the two pieces are put back together by our API, we can send back the new Http cookie as a header with a thirty-day expiration to keep the user logged in.
Here we can log in the user we created and split the returned token into the piece we are going to email, and the piece we are going to store in the browser.
```
// login user with new password
const loggedInUser: { secret: string } | undefined = await client?.query(
q.Login(
getUserByEmail(email),
{ password }
)
);
// setup cookies
const emailToken = loggedInUser?.secret?.substring(0, 18);
const browserToken = loggedInUser?.secret?.substring(18);
// email link and set your http cookie...
```
Just to put our minds at ease, let's consider how easy it would be to brute force the other half of the token. FaunaDB tokens are 51 characters long, meaning the other half of our token contains 33 alphanumeric characters including dashes and underscores. That’s 64 possible characters so the total number of combinations would be 64^33 or 1.37371891×10^16. So the short answer is, brute-forcing just a piece of this token would take quite a long time. If this were a banking application or we were taking payments from people we'd want to possibly use an encryption scheme for the tokens and use a temporary token that expired for the login before getting the real long term token. This is something that Fauna's built-in TTL options on a collection item would be useful for. For the purposes of this app, breaking the token in two will work just fine.
## Creating the API
To build out these features securely we are going to utilize [api routes](https://nextjs.org/docs/api-routes/introduction "api routes") with Next.js. You are now seeing one of the advantages of the Next and Vercel combination. While we are technically deploying this a serverless app, we can manage our API and our client in a single *monorepo*.
For small projects that you are maintaining yourself this is incredibly powerful as you no longer need to sync your deployment of client-side and API features. As the project grows, your test suites can run on the entire application and when we add FaunaDB to the mix we don’t have to worry about running migrations post-deploy. This gives you the scalability of microservices in practice but without the added overhead of maintaining multiple codebases and deployments.
To set up an API simply create an __api__ directory inside of the __pages__ directory and now you can build out your API using file system routing. So if we create a __login.ts__ file, we can now make requests to __/api/login__.
Here is an example login route where we can handle a GET or POST request that will be deployed as a serverless function:
In this case, we can use a GET request to verify if a given token is valid and use a POST to log in a user and send the authentication email.
## Sending the Auth Email
To send the emails with the passwords, I used [nodemailer](https://nodemailer.com/about/ "nodemailer") and [mailgun](https://www.mailgun.com/ "mailgun"). I won’t go into setting up mailgun here since you could use another provider like sendgrid, but I will mention that it is important to make sure you are careful sending your email inside of a callback instead of using async / await or promises. If you return out of a serverless function before receiving a success message from the email server, the serverless function instance shuts down without waiting for the email send call to resolve.
## The Mobile Pitfall
When I first created and launched this app I built the magic link system and it was great on desktop. I thought it was incredibly seamless until I handed it off to my friends who primarily opened it on mobile phones or inside of a Facebook or Twitter browser. I'll give you the benefit of hindsight here and let you know that magic links are an awful experience on mobile devices.
Mobile devices, iOS specifically in this case, do not allow users to set a different default browser. Therefore many users would generate a link in the browser they like using (like Google Chrome) only to open the link in their default browser (Safari) through their preferred email application. Since our authentication system requires using the same browser and device to maintain security, nobody could log in with our magic links. On top of that, if users were using the browser inside of a social application like Facebook, there was no way to open the link inside the Facebook browser. I decided on a different UX to account for this. Instead, I would email a section of the token to be copy and pasted into a password input field instead. This had the added advantage of allowing the user to stay in the same browser tab while they authenticated and it would work well inside of all browsers even those who were inside of social applications that had their own internal browser windows.
## Architecting the API
Now that we have a way to authenticate users, we can submit a question and save it to the database we’re going to create two things. First, we’ll create a page for asking a question, second, we’ll make an API route with a cloud function that can receive a POST request and save the data to our database. This has the advantage of allowing us to authenticate users in our API and ensuring they can’t manipulate our queries.
FaunaDB also has ways that you can safely do this on the client-side, however, I chose to only access the database from inside the API. Personally, I like the added security that working with our database through an API can provide. This also allows for some more freedom down the line should we incorporate other external services for things like monitoring, email notifications, caching, or even bringing in data from another database. I find having a server environment to unite these services allows for better performance tuning and security than trying to do it all in the browser. You are also not tied to Javascript, should you want to change the API to a more performant language like Go, which is supported by FaunaDB and Vercel, you are free to do so.
We can expand our API by creating a __questions__ directory inside of the api directory with an __index.ts__ file. This will be our main endpoint for creating questions. The endpoint can now be accessed at __/api/questions__, we'll use this endpoint to POST new questions and to GET the list of all questions. We are also going to need a way to fetch a single question by its id. We’ll create a new endpoint by creating a __[qid].ts__ file in the same questions directory. This allows us to call __/api/questions/:qid__ with a dynamic question id as the last part of the URL.
## Api Routes vs getServerSideProps()
In Next.js you have two parts to your server-side processes. You have your API directory, which are your serverless functions that always execute on the backend. In my app I used these to fetch the raw data we need from the database.
Here’s an example of our __/api/questions/:qid__ route, where we fetch our question, the answers with a reference to it, and all the votes with references to that answer. We then return that data in the response.
You can see some of my helpers like __questionRef()__ and __getQuestionById()__ that are more good examples of using FQL to help make your code more readable and reusable all without a complex abstraction or ORM.
```
export const getCollectionDocumentById = compose(q.Get, q.Ref);
export function getQuestionById(id: string) {
return getCollectionDocumentById(q.Collection('questions'), id);
}
export function questionRef(id: string | string[]): faunadb.Expr {
return q.Ref(q.Collection('questions'), id);
}
```
The other part of our Next.js app that executes on a server is actually within our __/pages/questions/[qid].tsx__ file that represents a page component in our app. Next.js allows you to export a function called __getServerSideProps()__ that fetches the data necessary to render your page server-side before serving it. This is where I prefer to do any map reduces, sorting, or aggregating of the data itself. You can choose to do this in your API routes as well but I like to keep a separation of concerns here, where my API routes simply return the necessary data from the database and any aggregation needed for rendering and display is done in my __getServerSideProps()__ functions.
```
export const getServerSideProps: GetServerSideProps = async ({req, params}) => {
try {
const host = req?.headers.host;
const res = await fetch(`https://${host}/api/questions/${params?.qid}`)
const resJson: QuestionResponse = await res.json()
const { question, answers, votes } = resJson;
return {
props: {
question,
answers: mergeAndSortAnswersAndVotes(answers, votes)
}
}
} catch (error) {
throw new Error('Oops! Something went wrong...');
}
};
```
I went on to use a similar setup for creating the other endpoints, with the API routes fetching data from fauna and the data processing done on the backend of our pages. The other added advantage of this is the data processing bit used for display may not be necessary for other things we may need these endpoints for like sending out notifications to users when a question is answered. In a sense we are doing a serverless take on the classic [MVVM pattern](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model%E2%80%93view%E2%80%93viewmodel "MVVM pattern"), where our model sits in the API folder and our view models are our __getServerSideProps__ functions.. This just showcases how even though we have a single repository with Next.js for code management, we can easily maintain separate domains for our services and renderings. We can also just as easily change this if need be in the future.
## The Frontend
For this prototype I wanted to keep the frontend as simple as possible. Next.js already comes set up to use react out of the box but what about our styles? I personally love [tachyons](http://tachyons.io/ "tachyons"), which is a lightweight atomic CSS framework not unlike [tailwind](https://tailwindcss.com/ "tailwind"), just considerably lighter weight. While tailwind is more configurable, tachyons is far easier to memorize so I find myself just adding the classes without thinking or referring back to the documentation.
For any custom CSS I have to write or any styles that require dynamic variables I like to use the styled jsx that Next.js comes with out of the box. Typically with this setup I write very few styles or modifications myself. In this case I will be designing as I code as well so I just stuck to the tachyons defaults which are good for this project.
Here’s a quick look at the __Header__ component:
```
```
At this point, you may also notice that I am adding my own class names as well like __Header__ and __Header__logo__. This is a bit of a take on the classic [BEM](https://en.bem.info/methodology/key-concepts/ "BEM") CSS methodology. I have modified this a bit for use with React and to be Component, Element, Modifier instead. Where the component name prefixes all class names used in that component, followed by two underscores, followed by the name of the element itself. Right now, I'm not managing a lot of styles, however, call me old school, but I still like to be able to comb the DOM in my developer tools and know exactly what I am looking at. So while most of these class names do not have style attached to them right now, I love the meaning it conveys as I develop so I've made a habit of adhering to this. It's also nice when the time comes to write end to end tests to be able to query any element easily.
## User Context
All of the forms and UI elements inside of the application follow very standard React architectural methods so I won’t go into those in detail here. One thing that I think is worth talking about in the context of Next.js is how to have a global context to our app that lets us know if a user is logged in and what their user id is.
At this point, we have already set up our app to use an Http only cookie that will be passed on every request back to our API. The notable exception to this is our __getServerSideProps__ function. This will receive the cookie, but in order to use it to fetch data from our API we will have to forward that cookie along. In this case, we don’t have to worry about this because all of our data is public-facing. Therefore any calls to fetch questions, answers, and votes can just use our standard server token from the API. Where we do need to pass the user token is any time we POST data to the database, when we want to have a page that shows a user's asked questions, and when changing layouts based on a user's logged-in status. In all of the above cases, we can make those calls from the client directly to our API so the saved token is passed along by default in cookies every time.
What we don't want to happen is see a re-render on every page load as we update our header to reflect if the user is logged in or not. The ideal scenario is when the user opens up the app, we check if the token saved to cookies is valid and then update our global context with a boolean value __isLoggedIn__ and the __userId__ from our database. I've opted not to pass the email back to the frontend under any circumstances to provide some additional protection of the only PII we do store in the database.
In Next.js this is done by creating a ___app.tsx__ file in the pages directory. This is a wrapper component that we can use React's __useEffect()__ hook in and run once when the application loads and it will hold that value until the browser is refreshed again. By using Next's __Link__ components to navigate, the DOM is updated only where needed and our user context persists as our users navigate the application. You could do this user check during server-side rendering as well, however, I found keeping these user functions client-side to result in less code in my __getServerSideProps__ functions since we don’t need to check for the presence of a token and forward that cookie along to the API.
Here is an example of my ___app.tsx__ file:
Above you can see how the __UserContext__ wraps the entire app and provides a method to update this from within the app via the __setUserInfo()__ method. We can use this at the various login points in the application to update the context without refreshing the page after a new login. This allows for many points of login throughout the application and does not force users to go to a __/login__ or __/create-account__ route in order to participate. This, in conjunction with our easy two-step authentication, keeps the user in the experience at the place where they decided to login without forcing them to find their way back to the question or answer forms.
## Algolia Search
So in order for our product to be effective we need to have robust search. Ideally the search will be able to handle returning results in the event of misspellings and be able to query on the question as well as the additional description of the question. FaunaDB does have search features built into it for exact text search but to build out the kind of robustness we want is going to be quite a bit of overhead. Thankfully [Algolia](https://www.algolia.com/ "Algolia") is a product designed to deal with this exact issue.
Setting up Algolia, like FaunaDB can all be done through their GUI interface. You create what are called __Indices__, which are just going to be copies of your FaunaDB objects. In this case, I only want to create an Index for the questions since this is what users need to be able to search on. In the future I could see a world where we also add the top voted answers to the search so we can get even richer results, but for now all that is needed on day one is indexing of the questions.
The way that I do this is upon successful saving of our question to FaunaDB in our API, I then follow that up with POST of a flattened copy of that object to Algolia. It’s important to only pass the fields you want to be able to search on to Algolia as well as the Ref of the Question. The Ref Id is what we are going to use to link to the actual question in our app at the route __/questions/:qid__. By doing this users can now search question titles and their descriptions and the results returned by Algolia can easily be used to link to the actual question page.
Here is an example of that flow inside the api:
```
const postQuestion: FaunaQuestion | undefined = await userClient?.query(
createQuestionDocument(formattedBody)
)
try {
const algoliaClient = algoliasearch('', process.env.ALGOLIA_SECRET);
const questionsIndex = algoliaClient.initIndex('prod_QUESTIONS');
const refId = await userClient?.query(q.Select(['ref', 'id'], postQuestion));
const indexableQuestionObj = {
objectID: refId,
question: postQuestion.data.question,
description: postQuestion.data.description,
}
await questionsIndex?.saveObject(indexableQuestionObj)
} catch (error) {
console.error('Error indexing question with algolia: ', postQuestion);
}
return res.status(200).json(postQuestion);
```
The key thing to note here is I didn’t want any failures to index a question with Algolia to interrupt the user experience. Here we simply wrap that up in a try… catch block and in our catch where I am logging the error we can send that off to our error logging software like Sentry or LogRocket or Honeybadger. This will let us manually correct the issue if need be but all that would happen in a failure is the question won’t come up in search results. In that case, we don’t want users to try to double save the question since we’d end up with it in FaunaDB twice. In the future, we can create a system to retry adding failures to Algolia asynchronously outside the user flow to make this more robust, but either way, we want users to be able to move on as long as the data makes it to FaunaDB, our source of truth.
## Algolia on the Client
Now that Algolia just saved us time on the building of search, we can use Algolia to save us some time building the actual search bar. Algolia has React components ready to go for us that can just be dropped into our app and styled with some CSS to match our theme.
We can just install the [react-instantsearch-dom package from npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-instantsearch-dom "react-instantsearch-dom package from npm") and we'll use the same Algolia search package that we used in our api on the client to fetch our results.
I will admit actually finding a code sample that showcased how this worked was a bit tough so here’s my approach. I made a component called __SearchBar__ that wrapped up the Algolia __InstantSearch__ and __SearchBox__ components. I also defined a component called __Hit__ that will represent the list item of a hit and showcase our data the way we want it to.
Here’s an example:
```
const searchClient = algoliasearch(
'',
''
);
const Hit = ({ hit: {
question,
hashtags,
objectID
}}: Hit) => {
return (
);
}
const Search = () => (
);
```
As you can see I just used Next.js styled-jsx block with a global scope to style the classes inside of the Algolia components.
And there you have it, professional-grade search and an easy to use component ready to go in under an hour.
## Deployment
At this point deployment is as simple as typing now into the command line. One thing about using Vercel is that our deployment pipeline is effectively done for us before we even start writing the app. Rather than deploy directly from the terminal I set up their GitHub integration which does two things.
1. Any merges into master are automatically deployed to production.
2. Any new branches deploy an instance of our app with those changes. These effectively become our QA branches.
Now if you have any test suites to run in your deployment pipeline you will need another tool to run tests before deploy. In this case I am ok to run tests manually for a while as this is just a prototype and be cautious about merging into master. The nice thing is I can spin up QA branches and have people try out new changes and updates before sending them off to the public release.
## In Conclusion
All in all the construction of the entire application took a few hours over about three weekends with the above approach. I have a performant, scaleable prototype to test my idea out with that I can grow into. I have found that combining Next.js with Vercel makes microservices less painful by abstracting the difficulties in managing multiple services into simple configuration files. Infrastructure as code is empowering for solo developers running on limited time.
FaunaDB was also an excellent choice as I got the flexibility of a NoSql database, but was also able to model out a normalized data model with ease. FQL was a powerful easter egg whose power I didn’t realize until I started actually working with it. I know I’ve just scratched the surface on how we can leverage this to optimize the various queries we need to make.
Depending upon how this experiment goes the future for this application can go in many directions. I think the key benefit to this type of architecture is that it's humble enough to not be too opinionated, flexible enough to allow for pivots, and with enough structure to not get sucked down wormholes of configuration and build steps. That’s all most developers can ask for, the ability to work efficiently on the business problem at hand.
Please take a look at the project [here](https://studyvue.com/ "here"), and ask or answer some questions if you feel inclined!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/building-a-serverless-stack-overflow-for-students-learning-at-home
# Building an Email Referral Rewards Program API in Rails
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2021-10-13
One of the most effective means of growing an audience is through email referrals. The rise of newsletters like Morning Brew and companies like Harry’s showcase that offering a tiered rewards structure for referring friends can grow a list to astronomical numbers. That is, provided your newsletter or product is actually something people want. The following describes how you can build a simple version of this program yourself using Ruby on Rails API.
# Building an Email Referral Rewards Program API in Rails
One of the most effective means of growing an audience is through email referrals and email marketing strategies. The rise of newsletters like Morning Brew and companies like Harry’s showcase that offering a tiered rewards structure for referring friends can grow a list to astronomical numbers. That is, provided your newsletter or product is actually something people want. The following describes how you can build a simple version of this program yourself using Ruby on Rails API.
[Original Article on Dev.to](https://dev.to/mrispoli24/building-an-email-referral-rewards-program-api-in-rails-71f "Original Article")
## Program Requirements
1. After a user is subscribed through mailchimp they are able to refer their friends to the program.
2. Subscribers can track their confirmed referrals and see their progress toward the referral count goal.
3. We will start with a single tier of five referrals to receive a prize.
4. Referral emails need to be validated and not existing subscribers.
5. Subscribers will not be required to create any sort of account with a username and password to participate since this can be a barrier to entry.
## Technical Architecture and User Flow
At a high level, subscribers will be added to the database when a subscriber is successfully subscribed to our mailchimp list. This allows us to check these against our existing subscribers as well as control sends through our unsubscribe list as well.
Now the call to [mailchimp](https://www.mailchimp.com "mailchimp") could be done inside our Rails API controller or a model hook, or it could live on our web server and we can make the call to our referral program API in a promise when the mailchimp subscription succeeds. I opted for the latter approach for two reasons:
1. Keeping external dependencies to mailchimp out of the API itself would allow us to more easily change email service providers should that happen in the future.
2. A failure in our referral program API server would not cause users to stop being able to subscribe to the mailing list. While this is a slim case it does give us an added layer of redundancy by keeping these decoupled and is easy to recover from should this ever happen.
Upon signing up, subscribers are issued a `user_key` and `share_key`. The `user_key` is a unique key where a subscriber can check their progress toward a reward and find their unique share link that will allow them to receive attribution for referrals. The `share_key` is a unique key that gets appended to a subscribers’ referral url that they will share with friends.
When the `share_key` of another user is seen in a new subscription that will queue up a validation email. When the link in that validation email is clicked (ensuring it is a real email address) that referral will get attributed to the referee.
When a subscribers referral count reaches five, they are sent an email letting them know they have won a reward and to add their address to have it sent to them. When that subscriber adds their address this triggers an alert to the team to fulfill their reward.
When the reward is fulfilled that user is notified via email that their prize has shipped.
*Now for those of you thinking, but what if they have two email addresses?You could just make five unique email addresses to get the prize! This is where business sense has to step in and say, if you are trying to give away a Ferrari, this is not the program for you. If you want a coffee mug or hoodie so bad that you will go through the process of creating five email addresses and referring them, then that is a risk we were willing to accept and reward. In general it’s hard enough to get people to open your newsletters, no less go through all the hoops of gaming the system.*
## Getting Started
Without further ado let’s get going…
First spin up a rails app in API only mode.
`rails new referral_program_api --api`
To learn more about why I like using rails for this type of thing check out their documentation: [Using Rails for API-only Applications — Ruby on Rails Guides](https://guides.rubyonrails.org/api_app.html "Using Rails for API-only Applications — Ruby on Rails Guides").
And that’s it we now have our API ready to go.
## Defining The Model
For this we only need to models, one for __Subscribers__ the other for __Referrals__.
### The Rules
1. Each referral can belong to only one subscriber.
2. Every email address can only subscribe once.
3. Every email address can only be a referral once.
4. Every subscriber and referral must have an email address.
Let’s start by creating the subscribers. We can do so with our rails generator commands.
```rails g model subscriber```
You can also add all of the attributes to this command as well, however I find it a bit easier to add them to the migration file afterwards, but that’s just a personal preference. So head on over to your `/db/migrate/_create_subscribers.rb` file and create the following attributes.
```class CreateSubscribers < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.2]
def change
create_table :subscribers do |t|
t.string :email
t.string :first_name
t.string :last_name
t.string :share_key
t.string :user_key
t.string :street_address_one
t.string :street_address_two
t.string :city
t.string :state
t.string :zip
t.boolean :prize_sent
t.boolean :sent_to_fulfillment
t.references :referrer, index: true
t.timestamps
end
end
end
```
Now we can hop over to our `/app/models/subscriber.rb` file where we can setup some rules and callbacks to generate our unique keys for subscribers.
```
class Subscriber < ApplicationRecord
before_save { email.downcase! }
has_many :referrals, class_name: "Subscriber",
foreign_key: "referrer_id"
validates :first_name, length: { maximum: 50 }
validates :last_name, length: { maximum: 50 }
validates :email, presence: true, length: { maximum: 50 }, format: { with: /\A[\w+\-.]+@[a-z\d\-]+(\.[a-z\d\-]+)*\.[a-z]+\z/i }, uniqueness: {case_sensitive: false}
# Assign a share key
before_create do |subscriber|
subscriber.share_key = generate_unique_key('share_key')
subscriber.user_key = generate_unique_key('user_key')
subscriber.prize_sent = false
subscriber.sent_to_airtable = false
end
private
def generate_unique_key(field_name)
loop do
key = SecureRandom.urlsafe_base64(9).gsub(/-|_/,('a'..'z').to_a[rand(26)])
break key unless Subscriber.exists?("#{field_name}": key)
end
end
end
```
The first thing we are doing here is converting all email addresses to lowercase and then setting up our association to the referrals model with the line `has_many :referrals...`. This is called a self join and will allow us to associate our referrals to a subscriber all in one table.
We then create a few simple validations for `first_name`, `last_name`, and `email_address` .
We then use the `before_create` callback to assign a unique `share_key` and user_key to the subscriber. These are generated using a private function that makes sure that each of these keys are unique independently. The likelihood that two keys are the same using the `SecureRandom.urlsafe_base64(9)` function is highly unlikely, but as a safeguard we do this in a loop and in the case that the key is already used we generate another.
Now that we have a solid subscriber model we can go ahead and create our controller.
## Creating Subscriber Controller
Now that we have the proper model in place we can setup our endpoints and controller.
Run the command:
`rails g controller subscriber`
Now head over to /app/controllers/subscriber_controller.rb and we can create actions for `show`, `create`, `confirm`, and `update`.
| Action | Description |
|————|——————|
| Show | For fetching the subscriber information along with associated referrals. |
| Create | For creating a new subscriber, can take in a `referrer_key` parameter, which triggers a confirmation email to the subscriber to confirm the email is truly valid. |
| Confirm | For confirming an email address and giving credit to the referrer via `referrer_id` field. |
| Update | For updating the subscriber, used for when prize is won for entering address, triggering notifications to the fulfillment team. |
We are not going to be using a delete action here. In general we flag users as unsubscribed in email but we like to never forget them. We don’t have to create any unsubscribe flags in this program since this is still going to be managed by mailchimp and all subscribes and referrals will be passing through their management system before ever hitting our API.
```
class SubscriberController < ApplicationController
def show
end
def create
end
def confirm
end
def update
end
private
def subscriber_params
params
.require(:subscriber)
.permit(
:first_name,
:last_name,
:email,
:street_address_one,
:street_address_two,
:city,
:state,
:zip,
:referrer_key
)
end
end
```
We want to be sure to only allow the parameters we have set forth at this stage. You’ll notice that we are not allowing parameters that are not going to be updatable by the user and we have included one additional parameter of `referrer_key`, which will have the `share_key` of the referring subscriber if this is a referral.
It’s important to remember that all of our subscribers, whether they are referred to us or not need to pass through the referral program to be properly assigned a `user_key` and `share_key`.
## Our Private Functions
Here we’re going to be adding a few more private function to our controller in order to set the subscriber and referrer prior to our actions. I’m using ... for brevity here, this builds upon the boilerplate laid out above.
```
class SubscriberController < ApplicationController
before_action :set_subscriber, only: [:show, :update, :confirm]
before_action :set_referrer, only: [:create, :confirm]
...
private
def set_subscriber
@subscriber = Subscriber.find_by_user_key(params[:id])
end
def set_referrer
@referrer = Subscriber.find_by_share_key(params[:referrer_key])
end
...
end
```
These functions set our subscriber and referrer. We are also adding some `before_action` hooks here to set these instance variables in the functions we need them in.
### Defining Routes
Now that we have our base actions setup we can head over to `/config/routes.rb` and define our routes. I like to setup the actions as follows:
```
Rails.application.routes.draw do
get '/subscriber/:id' => 'subscriber#show'
post '/confirm-subscriber/:id' => 'subscriber#confirm'
post '/subscriber' => 'subscriber#create'
put '/subscriber/:id' => 'subscriber#update'
end
```
The `:id` field in this case is going to be our `user_key` so as users can only be looked up by their unique key that will only be sent to their personal emails. Again, we are going to take privacy seriously here and even if a user key was somehow compromised the only thing that we are going to return is the users’ email address, user key, and share key. Sensitive information like address and name are going to be used only or our internal administrators and do not need to be accessible at any endpoint.
### Completing Our Actions
Now let’s fill in our actions.
```
class SubscriberController < ApplicationController
...
def show
render json: @subscriber, :only => ['email', 'user_key', 'share_key', 'sent_to_airtable', 'prize_sent'], :include => { :referrals => { :only => :email } }
end
def create
@subscriber = Subscriber.new(subscriber_params)
if @subscriber.save
if @referrer
# Send email here to confirm the referral email
end
render json: @subscriber, status: :created, location: @subscriber, :only => ['email', 'user_key', 'share_key']
else
render json: @subscriber.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity
end
end
def confirm
if @subscriber && @referrer
@subscriber.update(
referrer_id: @referrer.id
)
if get_referral_count(@referrer.id) == 5
# send reward notification
end
render json: @subscriber, status: :created, location: @subscriber, :only => ['email', 'user_key', 'share_key']
else
render json: { message: 'Bad user key or share key.' }, status: :unprocessable_entity
end
end
def update
if !@subscriber
create
elsif @subscriber.update(subscriber_params)
if get_referral_count(@subscriber.id) >= 5 && has_complete_address?
# Sent to fulfillment service
end
render json: @subscriber, status: :created, location: @subscriber, :only => ['email', 'user_key', 'share_key']
else
render json: @subscriber.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity
end
end
private
...
def get_referral_count(id)
Subscriber.where(referrer_id: id).count
end
def has_complete_address?
@subscriber.street_address_one != nil && @subscriber.city != nil && @subscriber.state != nil && @subscriber.zip != nil
end
...
end
```
Here, we’ve filled in our controllers except for three key notification points.
1. Sending the confirmation email to validate the email address is real.
2. Sending the notification that a subscriber has achieved five referrals.
3. Sending a notification to the fulfillment team that a subscriber has achieved a reward and submitted their address.
To complete these we will need to setup some mailers in a later section.
We also add two more private functions here to `get_referral_count` of a referee, and `has_complete_address`? to see if a subscriber has entered a complete address.
At this point we have to setup our connections with mailchimp in two places.
1. To send a subscribers’ `user_key` and `share_key` back to mailchimp as __merge_vars__.
2. To send notifications emails via mandrill using ActionMailer.
*If you do not want to use mailchimp or gibbon you may skip the next section and integrate whichever email service provider and transactional emails service you are comfortable with.*
## Integrating Mailchimp and Mandrill
### Gibbon Setup
I find Gibbon to be the best gem for interacting with mailchimp via a rails application. We’ll also be using the figaro gem to allow for environment variables so we don’t commit our mailchimp api keys to source code.
Add the following to your `Gemfile`.
```
# use for environment variables
gem "figaro"
# mailchimp
gem "gibbon", '~>2.2.4'
```
Then run `bundle install`.
Create an `application.yml` file in your `/config` folder.
`touch ./config/application.yml`
Then head over to Mailchimp and get your API key and list id. *Be advised these are in two different locations inside of Mailchimp*. I also like to setup a variable used to signal that we are in the development or staging environment for testing purposes.
```
MAILCHIMP_API_KEY: ''
MAILCHIMP_LIST_ID: ''
MAILCHIMP_ENV: 'development'
```
### Initialize Gibbon
Create a `gibbon.rb` file inside `./config/initializers`.
`touch ./config/initializers/gibbon.rb`
Inside this file you will setup the connection to Mailchimp via the Gibbon gem when the rails server starts. Hence, being in the *initializers* folder.
```
Gibbon::Request.api_key = ENV["MAILCHIMP_API_KEY"]
Gibbon::Request.timeout = 15
Gibbon::Request.throws_exceptions = false unless ENV["MAILCHIMP_ENV"] == "development"
if ENV["CONTENTFUL_ENV"] == "development"
puts "MailChimp API key: #{Gibbon::Request.api_key}"
end
```
At this point you can fire up your rails server and you should see the above line printed to the console letting you know our connection to Mailchimp is up and running.
### Adding to the Model
We can now add Gibbon to our subscriber model callbacks in order to send the `share_key` and `user_key` back to mailchimp. But first, we have to allow for these in our subscriber list.
If you go to your mailchimp audiences tab and select the list we used for the list id above you can click settings and select __Audience fields and |MERGE|__ tags. Here you will be able to add two new fields with the labels Share Key and User Key and the tag names `SHAREKEY` and `USERKEY` to be used inside templates.
We can now use gibbon to send over the proper values in the `after_save` callback.
```
...
after_save do |subscriber|
unless Rails.env.test?
begin
gibbon = Gibbon::Request.new
gibbon.lists(ENV['MAILCHIMP_LIST_ID']).members(Digest::MD5.hexdigest(subscriber.email))
.update(body: {
merge_fields: {
SHAREKEY: subscriber.share_key,
USERKEY: subscriber.user_key
}
})
rescue Gibbon::MailChimpError => e
# This is a good place to add your error alerting but is beyond the scope of this
puts "Houston, we have a problem: #{e.raw_body}"
end
end
end
...
```
The key thing here is that if our connection to mailchimp fails for whatever reason, we are still subscribing the user to be corrected later. Inside of the `rescue` statement a pro tip would be to put your preferred error alerting system to alert you of an issue sending the keys over to mailchimp without affecting the user experience.
## Mandrill Setup
Next we can setup mandrill, mailchimp’s transactional email service. I’m not going to go into how to set this up on the mailchimp side in this tutorial but mailchimp has great help docs and it takes about five minutes to connect mandrill to you mailchimp account.
Inside you rails app you are going to add the `mandrill-api` package to your Gemfile.
```
#mandrill
gem ‘mandrill-api’
```
Run `bundle install`.
Pull up your `/config/application.yml` file again and add the following environment variables.
```
SMTP_ADDRESS: 'smtp.mandrillapp.com'
SMTP_DOMAIN: 'localhost'
SMTP_PASSWORD: ''
SMTP_USERNAME: ''
```
The password and username can be obtained inside of mandrill for use in this file.
Next we will create our `base_mandrill_mailer` that will setup all of our default values for our notification emails to inherit.
Create our `base_mandrill_mailer.rb` file:
`touch ./app/mailers/base_mandrill_mailer.rb`
And add the following:
```
require "mandrill"
class BaseMandrillMailer < ActionMailer::Base
default(
from: "",
reply_to: ""
)
private
def send_mail(email, subject, body)
mail(to: email, subject: subject, body: body, content_type: "text/html")
end
def mandrill_template(template_name, attributes)
mandrill = Mandrill::API.new(ENV["SMTP_PASSWORD"])
merge_vars = attributes.map do |key, value|
{ name: key, content: value }
end
mandrill.templates.render(template_name, [], merge_vars)["html"]
end
end
```
Be sure to fill in your *from* and *reply* to email values above.
Now we can create two mailers, one for confirmation emails the other for rewards notifications.
```
touch ./mailers/confirmation_mailer.rb ./mailers/reward_mailer.rb
```
```
class ConfirmationMailer < BaseMandrillMailer
def confirm_email(subscriber, referrer_key)
subject = "Confirm Your Email"
merge_vars = {
"USERKEY" => subscriber.user_key,
"REFERRERKEY" => referrer_key,
"EMAIL" => subscriber.email
}
body = mandrill_template("Confirm Email", merge_vars)
send_mail(subscriber.email, subject, body)
end
end
class ConfirmationMailer < BaseMandrillMailer
def confirm_email(subscriber, referrer_key)
subject = "Confirm Your Email"
merge_vars = {
"USERKEY" => subscriber.user_key,
"REFERRERKEY" => referrer_key,
"EMAIL" => subscriber.email
}
body = mandrill_template("Confirm Email", merge_vars)
send_mail(subscriber.email, subject, body)
end
end
```
```
class RewardMailer < BaseMandrillMailer
def reward_achieved(subscriber)
subject = "Your Gift Awaits!"
merge_vars = {
"USERKEY" => subscriber.user_key,
"EMAIL" => subscriber.email
}
body = mandrill_template("Reward Achieved", merge_vars)
send_mail(subscriber.email, subject, body)
end
def reward_sent(subscriber)
subject = "Your Gift Is On The Way"
merge_vars = {
"EMAIL" => subscriber.email
}
body = mandrill_template("Reward Sent", merge_vars)
send_mail(subscriber.email, subject, body)
end
def notify_fulfillment_team(subscriber)
subject = "Someone just earned themselves a free tote!"
merge_vars = {
"EMAIL" => subscriber.email
}
body = mandrill_template("Notify Fulfillment Team", merge_vars)
send_mail('', subject, body)
end
end
```
You’ll notice that these mailers reference some templates that are not in mandrill yet. You are correct. What we have to do next is go over to mailchimp and create four templates inside their editor named the following:
1. `Confirm Email`
2. `Reward Achieved`
3. `Reward Sent`
4. `Notify Fulfillment Team`
I like to keep them simple and inside each of these templates you need to use your `merge_vars` to create links to your front end that will pass the proper keys to your application.
We’ll just be focusing on the API layer since use of merge vars and how this interacts with the front end of the site can vary based upon configurations.
At last we can add our email notifications to our controller actions.
## Adding Mail Notifications
Now we can head back into our subscriber controller and add the following notifications.
```
class SubscriberController < ApplicationController
...
def create
...
if @referrer
# Send email here to confirm the referral email
ConfirmationMailer.confirm_email(@subscriber, @referrer.share_key).deliver_now
end
...
end
def confirm
...
if get_referral_count(@referrer.id) == 5
# send reward notification
RewardMailer.reward_achieved(@referrer).deliver_now
end
...
end
def update
...
if get_referral_count(@subscriber.id) >= 5 && has_complete_address?
# Sent to fulfillment service
@subscriber.update(sent_to_fulfillment: true)
RewardMailer.notify_fulfillment_team(self).deliver_now
end
...
end
...
end
```
We now have all that we need to fire up the program. There’s just one mailer that we created that we did not use. That’s the one notifying the user that their order has shipped. For brevity I decided to leave out how you want to manage that since that can vary by what you want to do.
What I decided to do is send the orders over to Airtable and have a field that marks them as pending. I then run a cron job that checks the table each day and if fulfillments are marked as fulfilled since that last run we send an email letting the subscriber know their reward has shipped.
## Authentication
This is the final part of our api. While we don’t want users to have to log in to view their progress and to get their share links, we don’t just want these endpoints accessible to the public.
What we are going to do here is just integrate basic token based authentication with our API, using a key we generate and store in our `application.yml` file. On our server this is going to be a part of our configuration file that should not be shared with anyone. When we implemented the figaro gem before this `application.yml` file should be a part of our `.gitignore` and never checked into source control.
First let’s jump over to our `/app/controllers/application_controller.rb` file and add the following.
```
class ApplicationController < ActionController::API
include ActionController::HttpAuthentication::Token::ControllerMethods
before_action :authenticate
protected
def authenticate
authenticate_token || render_unauthorized
end
def authenticate_token
authenticate_with_http_token do |token, options|
token == ENV['SECRET_KEY_BASE']
end
end
def render_unauthorized(realm = "Application")
self.headers["WWW-Authenticate"] = %(Token realm="#{realm}")
render json: 'Bad credentials', status: :unauthorized
end
end
```
Here we are using Action Controller’s built in http token authentication method. We setup a `before_action` hook that ensures that any requested resource in any controller passes through our `authenticate` method.
We then create a set of `protected` methods, which are similar to private methods except these are accessible by any subclass of our main `ApplicationController` class.
In our authenticate_token method we just do a simple comparison to check if the token is equal to the token in our environment variables.
## Generating the Token
To generate our token I like to just use a variant of our `generate_token` function in our controller in the rails console.
Open a new terminal, navigate to your rails project, and run the command `rails c`
Enter the following in the rails console:
```
SecureRandom.urlsafe_base64(32).gsub(/-|_/,('a'..'z').to_a[rand(26)])
```
Anytime you run this you will end up with a string that looks something like this:
`c3OcKh1J8a8ich9bQC0TNsdP7LdCqcWL57cJKoch4a0`
Take the unique key you have generated and add it to your `application.yml` file as `SECRET_KEY_BASE` like so:
```
SECRET_KEY_BASE: 'c3OcKh1J8a8ich9bQC0TNsdP7LdCqcWL57cJKoch4a0'
```
Now if you try to access a resource you should get an unauthorized response.
In order to get a valid response again you need to pass the header `Authorization: “Token token= c3OcKh1J8a8ich9bQC0TNsdP7LdCqcWL57cJKoch4a0”`
Make sure that you are always doing this over `https` so that this is encrypted. When you build out your front end you must ensure that this key is NOT exposed on the client nor checked into version control like github. If you are using a node based front end, make sure to use a package like `DOTENV` which gives you similar functionality to figaro for ruby. You can then create a route in your node server to handle these responses and keeps this key hidden from your front end code.
## Conclusion
And that’s all folks. Our API is complete and you can deploy this to heroku or wherever you like to deploy your rails apps to. This is just an API and you can design the front end however you like. As always appreciate any feedback on the approach. Happy coding.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/building-an-email-referral-rewards-program-api
# Location Based Wage Gaps are Dying
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2021-09-22
At Cause of a Kind, we remove location from the equation. We want to identify top talent. We pay a standard rate for the role and in the entirely remote environment, we do not consider where a team member is from, only that they are talented.
# Location Based Wage Gaps are Dying
Did you know that companies are paying foreign workers in India, Philippines, Russia, Ukraine, Pakistan, Brazil and other countries less because they live there? An equally talented individual with the same skill set as an American, but is paid 1/8th the wage?
Of course there are many, many factors. But many times it is quite difficult for people outside of the US to come up with the resources to relocate, especially considering the amount of time certain jobs can allow for relocation. The US dictates the salaries for most jobs, representing the total opportunity for income at a certain skill level. But, how is it that a Lead Software Architect makes 50% the salary in Oklahoma, or Nigeria, or Haiti, than the exact same Lead Architect in New York City or Silicon Valley?
Sure, we could use cost of living in some locations as opposed to other locations, but we are talking about specialized roles. We are talking about years of school, thousands of hours of practice, and a life commitment to building web solutions. We could find a dozen reasons in both directions both in support and against wage gaps and location based wage cuts, but why? We want the absolute best talent, regardless of where they are in the world, and the cost to us is agnostic of location.
> At Cause of a Kind, we remove location from the equation.
At Cause of a Kind, we remove location from the equation. We want to identify top talent. We pay a standard rate for the role and in the entirely remote environment, we do not consider where a team member is from, only that they are talented. At the same time, we also are proud to employ a significantly diverse team and are proud to be a truly equal opportunity employer.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/location-based-wage-gaps-are-dying
# Climate Software for the Future
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-09-13
September is climate change awareness month, and for many climate scientists, there is no software more important to their work than climate models. These climate models allow researchers to simulate the effect of human activity on our world in order to determine the most effective ways to slow climate change while making predictions about what can be expected in the future.
# Climate Software for the Future
September is climate change awareness month, and for many climate scientists, there is no software more important to their work than climate models. These climate models allow researchers to simulate the effect of human activity on our world in order to determine the most effective ways to slow climate change while making predictions about what can be expected in the future.
As scientists look for partners who have climate software goals, they are often approached by organizations that wish to support climate model development through sponsorship of specific climate simulations or research projects. One such organization, [ClimateSim](https://www.sciencebysimulation.com/climatesim/Simulator.aspx "ClimateSim") , is focused on leveraging climate modeling technology to educate people about climate science. "From our perspective," explains ClimateSim co-founder Dave Siegel, "climate science is best served not by increasing complexity but by increasing clarity."
> "climate science is best served not by increasing complexity but by increasing clarity."
At Cause of a Kind, we have a core mission. We aim to partner with organizations rooted in mission driven initiatives, specifically focused on Environmental, Social or political impact. As we look forward to our 2022 goals, climate change is a primary place where we will be able to impact the world as climate models provide us with an understanding of how climate change impacts our planet.
In considering climate software, it's not enough for this software to exist alone. Software must include features that improve human capability in climate modeling and climate science. These climate simulators are used by climate scientists daily in order to make their research more effective through improved data or reduced time to analyze results.
We hope to partner with a well-known climate or environmental activist group that is looking to improve their access to software that serves people with information and high-quality user experiences. We hope to present climate software that is user-friendly, informative, and approachable by diverse communities.
There are numerous climate applications that are being developed to provide climate science information for the public. These climate software programs include climate simulators, animations of climate models, visualizations of climate data, access to scientific literature about climate change research findings (i.e. [IPCC reports](https://www.ipcc.ch/reports/ "IPCC reports")), and historical climate records (i.e., [NOAA Paleoclimatology](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/paleoclimatology "NOAA Paleoclimatology")).
We hope to work with any number of them.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/climate-software-for-the-future
# Ruby on Rails
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-08-25
The history of Ruby on Rails is an interesting one. It is a language that used to be popular but fell out of favor until a few years ago when it was suddenly thrust back into the spotlight.
# Ruby on Rails
## Still alive and well
The history of [Ruby on Rails](https://rubyonrails.org/ "Ruby on Rails") is an interesting one. It is a language that used to be popular but fell out of favor until a few years ago when it was suddenly thrust back into the spotlight. In its infancy, Rails sought to solve two problems: making programming fun again and helping web applications scale better. While a lot of attention and hype has been given to Rails' productivity, ease-of-use, and power, something that hasn't been discussed much is its scalability.
Ruby is an object-oriented language like Java or C++. The ability to design your code around objects rather than functions means that there are endless opportunities for creativity. in comparison to React or Node.js , we have much more flexibility in how we design our applications with Ruby. We can almost always find a way to accomplish something with Ruby that would be really hard or impossible in other languages like JavaScript.
These benefits don't come without a cost though. Like any other language, Ruby has pitfalls that are easy to run into if you're not careful. The ability to do things in ways that might be considered unconventional or unexpected means it's easy to throw everything out the window and start over from scratch in frustration when your framework of choice gets too big and robust.
Luckily, we specialize in Ruby on Rails and would love to discuss your project.
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/ruby-on-rails
# The Future of Web Development
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-08-22
The web is supposedly going through a period of revolution. But most people are not aware they will be witnessing how the future generation of the internet is going to unfold in front of their eyes. Blockchain is at its infancy. We are exploring its capabilities.
# The Future of Web Development is With... Blockchain?
The web is supposedly going through a period of revolution. WEB 3.0... The Decentralized Web. But most people are not aware they will be witnessing how the future generation of the internet is going to unfold in front of their eyes. Most developers don’t really understand what blockchain technology offers, and using blockchain and headless content management systems for the future of web development is at its infancy.
> Web developers are no exception to this.
What we all need to understand is the fact that blockchain technology has the capability to change the very fabric of our web experience from seemingly trivial and non-encouraging interaction on social networks, through decentralized storage protocols which will render certain applications obsolete or not worth using at all, up to more complex concepts such as smart contracts which will give us unprecedented freedom of interaction and economy/money exchange in the digital domain.
## What Is Blockchain?
Let’s just start with a small history lesson on blockchain technology. I would like to use a couple of examples to bring this important topic down from the theoretical realm. Blockchain, used to create cryptocurrency , started as a platform for Bitcoin in 2009. It was the first networking protocol to use the proof-of-work (POW) system for decentralized, distributed and trustless processing of transactions. The most important achievement of blockchain is its ability to make trust possible on the network without the need for centralized control.
Emerging languages such as solidity or simplicity are changing the game and we can see the network is quickly gaining maturity over time. This is why some of us believe smart contract platforms like Ethereum are going to change our daily life in areas such as insurance, health care, law, finance or real estate. Smart contracts will make it possible to automate business transactions in a way that has never before been seen.
At [Cause of a Kind](https://www.causeofakind.com "Cause of a Kind") we are exploring the possibilities of decentralized financial software and the reach of blockchains capabilities.
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-future-of-web-development
# The Importance Of An SEO First Developer Mentality
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2021-08-18
That time we met the legend, Ben Shapiro, host of The Voices of Search Podcast. Discover actionable strategies and learn ways to gain insights through data that will help you navigate the topsy-turvy world of SEO & Content Marketing.
# THE IMPORTANCE OF AN SEO FIRST DEVELOPER MENTALITY
## [VOICES OF SEARCH PODCAST](https://www.voicesofsearch.com/episode/the-importance-of-an-seo-first-developer-mentality-justin-abrams-michael-rispoli-cause-of-a-kind "VOICES OF SEARCH PODCAST")
---
## Part 1
__01:25__ - How Justin and Michael got into the SEO business
Justin and Micael are childhood friends turned business partners. Careerwise, they both specialized in SAAS models,agency, and full stack development before co-founding Cause Of A Kind.
__02:51__ - How Justin and Michael started to work together
Justin is the SEO and Michael does the development. The journey into SEO started with them selling t-shirts and doing marketing and web development for non-profit organizations.
__04:25__ - Ben’s entrepreneurship story
Ben started out in entrepreneurship as a side hustle while he maintained a full-time job at eBay. From there he moved into consulting, which led him into the podcasts he hosts today.
__05:47__ - The developer-first SEO mentality
The developer-first SEO mentality has to do with bridging the gap between the human experience with SEO and utilising SEO best practices from a development-first perspective.
__07:27__ - Web development from an SEO-centric perspective
developers and SEOs need to work more closely together. Finding the balance between the hard data of SEO and the ambiguity of the SEO testing stage boils down to being able to measure results at every stage..
__09:58__ - Experimentation versus measured results
Figuring out the balance between experimenting and using measured results has to do with the type of business involved. Larger businesses like enterprises tend to be less agile or flexible than smaller companies in this respect.
__12:15__ - Using market intelligence to influence development
Regardless of the suite of tools you’re using, it’s important to gather data from both the user or the demand perspective as well as on the KPI level. Both are integral to the next steps your development team will take towards ranking.
__14:30__ - Catering for the algorithm versus people
Forget the algorithm. Once you can please your audience with a better user experience, you will automatically please the algorithm as well. Google’s updates are based on what the users want.
__17:20__ - Communication between SEOs and developers
Developers tend to prefer hard data over experimentation. But SEOs work with both. There needs to be clear communication between both teams for the success of the business as both perspectives can drive results.
## Quotes
"Starting from zero is really hard. And also we had no real scale. Starting from zero is really hard. And also we had no real scale." - Michael Rispoli, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
"There's a big challenge in the SEO community, which is to be able to gain a little bit of authority and partnership with the development side of any organization." - Justin Abrams, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
"In the continuum and the maturation of businesses towards digital centers of excellence are really trying to bridge the gap between that human experience and marketing capacity. " - Justin Abrams, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“SEO is assessing the largest audience that we have access to and trying to utilize SEO best practices from a development first perspective.” - Justin Abrams, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“The goal for us is to make sure that we are doing what is not only best for the search engine and the human and what achieves the business goal as successfully as possible.” - Justin Abrams, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“SEO has like two sides to it. In my mind, there's an extremely measured side...Then there's this whole other side of SEO. That's very ambiguous.” - Michael Rispoli, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“It doesn't really help anyone to just make stuff up. So we try to be extremely measured about everything.” - Michael Rispoli, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“We try to be more on that measurement side where we're like, if we can't prove it works, we want to think twice.” - Michael Rispoli, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“Enterprise level brands can't be as prescriptive and pivot as easily as a small agency would be able to do from an agility perspective.” - Justin Abrams, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“It's critical to provide data back to authorities of use cases, remove the emotion from the conversation entirely. Use true data and market intelligence to help drive development decisions.” - Justin Abrams, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“We honestly don't think about the algorithm a lot.” - Michael Rispoli, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“Forget the algorithm. All the algorithm is doing is keeping up with the user trends.” - Michael Rispoli, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
## Part 2
__01:25__ - SEO as the digital epicenter and voice of the customer
Demand what influences every other aspect of the digital strategy. SEO makes sense as the epicenter because it all starts with figuring out the demand through search.
__03:54__ - Prioritising SEO data versus what the consumer wants
Simply put, the algorithm is designed to give users what they want and the data you get is what translates this to you. SEO as the starting point tells you who your audience is and what they want from you.
__07:02__ - When you should start thinking about SEO
SEO is a continuous process. When you have good communication between your development team and your SEO team, you can continuously use SEO data to improve your site and user experience.
__10:35__ - Investing in web design versus investing in content
The content on your website is just as important as the design of your website. Truthfully, you need both to get a properly working website. So your content budget matter just as much as your design budget
__12:34__ - The reality of the developers job
Sometimes the feature that you spend most of your budget on is not the one that gets the best reaction from the audience and vice versa.
__14:27__ - Figuring out what consumers want
Use analytics and search data to find out what exactly are the questions that people are asking. Google has tools in their suite like Google Trends, that can help you figure out what conversations are being had.
## Quotes
"I think placing SEO at the digital epicenter is probably a little bit of a new concept." - Justin Abrams, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
"When you start thinking about SEO as the digital epicenter, we start to think about the idea of demand influencing the rest of the digital strategy." - Justin Abrams, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
"The algorithm is designed to give the consumer what they want. And the data we get is the way that we figure out what they want." - Michael Rispoli, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“Sometimes when we look at the data that already exists on their existing site, what we are calling SEO is really what is working and what is not working.” - Michael Rispoli, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“SEO actually tells us the audience. A lot of times we forget that because we get obsessed with the idea that SEO is a post-launch activity or an end of the development cycle activity.” - Michael Rispoli, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“SEO is really just the artifact leftover of developers doing a good job.” - Michael Rispoli, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“I think the goal of applying SEO is happening as frequently as possible. SEO is this continuum.” - Justin Abrams, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“One thing that we commonly see is clients wanting to spend a lot of money on design, a lot of money on development, not a lot of money on content.” - Michael Rispoli, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“It's sort of disheartening to think like, wow, we spent, you know, 75% of the budget on a feature that ends up getting canned.” - Michael Rispoli, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
“It's totally, totally non-emotional coming from Google as the source telling me, where is my consumer audience actually spending their time and attention.” - Justin Abrams, Co-founder of Cause Of A Kind
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-importance-of-an-seo-first-developer-mentality
# Vercel vs Netlify : Which service is best for me?
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-08-17
Are you comparing Vercel and Netlify? Do you know what makes each service different and what is best for your needs? Let's take a quick look at both and see how they stack up for creating your static website.
# Vercel vs. Netlify
Are you comparing Vercel and Netlify? Do you know what makes each service different and what is best for your needs? Let's take a quick look at both and see how they stack up for creating your static website.
[Vercel](https://vercel.com/ "Vercel") Vercel is an open serverless platform for static and hybrid applications built to integrate with your headless content, commerce, or database. Vercel provides a frictionless developer experience to take care of the hard things: deploy instantly, scale automatically, and serve personalized content around the globe. Vercel makes it easy for frontend teams to develop, preview, and ship delightful user experiences, where performance is the default.
[Netlify](https://www.netlify.com/ "Netlify") is a bit different. It runs in the cloud and has all kinds of cool features like build hooks. However, if you are doing any kind of custom development or want to have complete control over your static website, Vercel is a great solution.
Netlify is optimized for the JAMstack. It was designed to ease the setup of static websites and boost their performance. Though, you can't really build customizations or other non-static website features on top of it. Netlify's main benefit is that you get a scalable environment for your site without having to worry about setting up NodeJS + Nginx yourself.
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/vercel-vs-netlify
# If you Buy Cheap you Buy Twice
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2021-08-06
What is the primary goal of your website? Is it to drive revenue or is it to drive traffic? These are the only possible, true goals of a website. If these are the primary goals, why would you cut corners on any part of it? Would you cut corners on your storefront? Or in your home? Maybe you would. And that's why you keep rebuying the same things over and over. "Penny Wise and Pound Foolish."
# If You Buy Cheap, You Buy Twice
## Penny Wise and Pound Foolish
We get it. You do not have a money tree growing in your backyard. We totally understand that your existing website doesnt drive enough revenue for you to really have any sort of true budget for a new website. We totally understand that for some, times are really hard, and for others, times are wonderful for the first time ever and they want to hoard cash like a squirrel burying acorns before a long winter. We get it.
Did you ever stop to think about the true purpose of your website in the first place? At the absolute core, a website has only one of two possible true goals. Traffic or Revenue. Of course you can argue that there are other goals of websites, but, without traffic, you do not exist. Without traffic you do not generate revenue. Without revenue, you do not exist for long. If your website is not driving traffic or revenue, it has NOTHING to do with how it looks. It has to do with the way your audience finds you in the first place and whether your product, service or solution actually has any value worth visiting or purchasing.
Back to guarding your wallet... If you were going in for surgery, take plastic surgery, for a bit of cosmetic improvement (redesign) before the summer. Would you shop around looking for a surgeon that can fit you in immediately, offer world class results, and be inexpensive? Sure, a ton of surgeons with tell you, this is possible. But then the television show [BOTCHED](https://www.eonline.com/shows/botched "BOTCHED") wouldn't be so successful.
You see, there is a fundamental truth to hunting for deals. "You Buy Cheap, You Buy Twice." Try to apply this anywhere in your life. Especially with a website. Sure, you can certainly find an "agency" or an individual or small team that can build your "dream" on a budget, but, if that was the case, why are your looking for a redesign? I thought they built you your DREAM website?
If you want high quality, you cannot have it fast and cheap. If you want high quality, you can likely have it fast, but it will be more expensive due to expedition fees and staffing. If you want something to be super fast, you likely cannot get it for cheap AND high quality. And if you want something cheap, either be prepared to not have a deadline, or be prepared for the quality to suffer and for corners to be cut.
If you are truly worried about budget AND you want it fast, AND you want it high quality, keep moving. We are not the team for you. Were surgeons. You pay for what you get.
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/buy-cheap-buy-twice
# The Right Way to Build a Custom Headless Website
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2021-08-05
Building websites already is not easy. I'm not talking about building a little brochure website using a freemium vendor. I'm talking about building world-class, award-winning, internationally trafficked, custom, headless web experiences, designed to drive millions in revenue a year, and represent the true ethos of a household name brand.
# How to Build a Custom Headless Website the Right Way
## A story loosely based on real events from the field.
I’ve had a chance to take a step back and re-evaluate yesterdays failing prior to the client demo. I believe that yesterdays failings distill down to trying to accomplish too many small tasks in too short a time frame. Over the course of the last six weeks I’ve put a lot of pressure on this team in order to push the greatest result out of them in the shortest time frame possible. We have a total of five developers that have worked on this project in different capacities in order to move it over the line. Two of those developers have been allocated to this full time and have been working 55 hour weeks over, the last month, in order to meet Tuesday’s deadline. Mistakes were made by the developers yesterday in order to try to make the site as presentable as possible for the demo. We de-prioritized existing, functional bugs in order to try to cram through what appeared to be minor visual changes for the demo. Ultimately we broke our process, and pushing an already tired team that far isn’t fair to them, the responsibility rests with me.
When we begin a project with a near-impossible deadline we have a very specific way we accomplish this that I’ve learned over many years doing this. The basics are, we staff the team conservatively early on, to avoid people duplicating work and stepping on each other’s code. Rather than look to build the entire site page by page with qa stages in between we look to optimize to avoid context switching. Context switching is the speed killer, which includes things like stopping for minor QA bugs, as well as going back to the designs to take second and third measurements. When you are trying to craft components in addition to desiging a CMS that is effectively your database at the same time, aiming for both perfection in information architecture as well as pixel perfection is too many different concerns to focus on at once. We take our early, senior team members and have them lay the foundation for the CMS as well as create a rough layout from the designs. The DOM nodes are expected to be semantic, the data is expected to flow correctly, and the function of those components should be ironed out here. The specifics of typography and spacing are not the focus. We need a solid anatomy before we can begin to think about its form.
The second phase of this is where we begin to add more developers onto the project who can then follow this sound design and put the polish on needed to launch. The issue with this approach, as we have seen, is most stake holders are more interested in the paint and polish than the materials and mechanics under the hood. Ultimately, we aim to "show" something perfect rather than actually "have" something perfect. In the second phase each developer goes back to the design and runs through every component, measuring twice and laying out the proper code across mobile and desktop.
An accomodation I allowed, but a mistake on my part was that I allowed QA to begin despite every page being in this rough state. This led to a series of issues and bugs that cut across pages and components being logged. Rather than having the team continue to work off the designs we attempted to squash the P1 issues. This leads to more of a game of "whack-a-mole" than a systematized QA process.
We ended up with a team of four, rapidly trying to meet a deadline approaching by the hours. One mistake led to more as people tried to undo past mistakes while still fixing the essential bug list. So going forward we are not going to be working off the bug list for the remainder of this project. This timeline was tight to begin with, and its just too tight for a proper QA process. The engineers have to pitch a perfect game and that’s that.
In order to get this project done in world class fashion and still nail the deadline is as follows:
1. We will be maintaining the current staff levels of four engineers.
2. Each engineer will be returning to the figma and applying the “paint and polish” to the design, aiming for absolute pixel perfection. Now that the CMS and function of the site is stable we are able to get back to this properly.
3. Any bug or design change that takes longer than 15 minutes to achieve will be moved to the backlog of “issues” with a time estimate to resolution placed on it by the developer. The goal here is spacing, typography, style. These should all be fast changes, anything more than that, for example a broken carousel will be addressed in isolation. This stage should take no more than 6 hours to complete.
4. At the conclusion of this phase we are going to evaluate what was put on the backlog as well as the total time estimates added up. This should be a relatively small number as major functionality issues should be largely complete at this point. We will then assign a developer to each issue by page.
5. By end of day Friday I will go through the PM tool as well as the git issue board and close all issues fixed by the proper QA process. Any issues that we find further we will be addressing over the weekend. I will assign all remaining issues and we will have two engineers available to field these Saturday and Sunday.
6. By Monday the site will be ready for a round of QA by your team. My team can use Monday to fix any defects found by your team. I will also keep a staff of three on hand for Monday so that we can be efficient here.
This is the proper way to lay siege to a code base and get a custom headless website done properly. The team needs clear heads and they need to be working in isolated parts of the code base to avoid collisions or cross-cutting issues. We need to keep context switching to a minimum and most of all keep the pressure off of them so they can do their best work.
We will begin this implementation this morning, I will also be working with the team closely through this entire process. I will not be available for calls, I will not be available to talk through time tables, my only goal is to complete this project to the best standards that I know my team and I are capable of. You are able to check progress in the staging link. We will be deploying continuously, liberally, and often.
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-right-way-to-build-a-custom-headless-website
# Why React and React Native are the Future of Web Development
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-07-29
In this blog post, we will talk about why React and React Native are such valuable frameworks for web development.
# React & React Native: The Future of Web Development
These Javascript libraries have been around since 2013 and 2015 respectively, but they have recently seen a rise in popularity. With the latest releases of React came some major changes that made it even more useful for developers to work with; these updates include a new way to create components, reusable functionalities, better performance on mobile devices, and much more!
[React](https://reactjs.org/ "React") is an open-source Javascript library that was created by Facebook in 2013. React has taken off as a widespread and popular framework for web development because of its ability to render fast, interactive user interfaces. A lot of the time React is used when building mobile apps or websites with large amounts of data due to how efficiently it can handle
React also connects and symbiotically supports headless content management systems which allow webmasters to have nearly infinite control over their web experience. This is great for those who have a lot of data to present and want users to be able to interactively manipulate that information.
React Native also works well when developing mobile apps or websites with large amounts of data due to its ability to render fast, interactive, user interfaces. If speed and user experience are core values, there may be no better option for a lean, fast and flexible code base.
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/why-react-and-react-native-are-the-future-of-web-development
# The Art of the Private Label: Mastering Software Agencies
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-06-28
Private labeling could be one of the smartest strategies around. A business can do this in so many ways. But Software agencies are notorious for it. Everyone is a free agent and can look high and low for another individual or an entirely separate Agency to "Private label" services.
# The Art of the Private Label: Mastering Software Agencies
It’s been many years since private-labeling first became more than just an idea, and as time has progressed it has become one of the most popular marketing strategies around. private-labeling is so effective because it gives businesses the opportunity to offer their services under other names while still maintaining control over their product. Software agencies are notorious for private labeling software development services.
The private-label strategy can be quite lucrative as agencies can sell their services to a company and offer them under the name of that company while also making it appear like they are selling the product themselves. Agencies that are in their earliest days as well as solidified within their reputations, the ability to private-label skillsets can add to additional revenue streams as well as extended project reach.
The goal is to be an industry trusted advisor so that agencies want to actively partner with you for your skill set. Beginning this journey in your professional network, Twitter, GitHub, industry conferences, or even reaching out to agencies cold to share projects and uniqe skills, could begin a terrific partnership.
Private-labeling could be one of the smartest strategies around. It has a lot going for it from an entrepreneurial standpoint and can help companies with smaller budgets get ahead in the market by partnering up with larger ones that are more established. It also allows more established agencies to obtain top talent in a diversified way, without inflating the project load and hiring additional staff at a premium.
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-art-of-the-private-label-mastering-software-agencies
# Creating a Website for Every Visitor Persona: Making Your Solution ADA Compliant
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-06-26
These days, creating any web experience from a website to a web app, to a native app or a custom software solution, the need to create with all visitor personas is critical. Not only is creating a web solution in an accessible way crucial, but according to Google, it is also a rank factor that contributes to trust and authority. Adopting conveniences such as screen readers, magnification, translation, and photosensitivity accommodations, are just a handful of valuable features that satisfy the American Disability Act and would qualify a web solution as ADA compliant.
# Creating a Website for Every Visitor Persona: Making Your Solution ADA Compliant
Your goal as a business owner is to maximize the number of visitors on your website in order to maximize the result the website is primarily responsible for driving. One of the most inclusive ways to do this is by making sure that your site has been built with all visitor personas in mind. This includes people who are disabled or have digital limitations such as blindness, low vision, deafness, and mobility impairments. Website accessibility isn't just about complying with the ADA (American Disability Act). It's also about increasing trust and authority for your company through what Google calls "rank factors." Website accessibility features like screen readers, magnification tools for photosensitive conditions, translation services using text-to-speech software are just some of the conveniences you can offer that will make your web solution compliant with ADA standards and qualify it as accessible.
Simple considerations such as selecting a font size in which all text is at least 16 pixels high and always avoid difficult color contrasts. Avoid using bright background colors, blinking or flashing elements as well as any animations that may be harmful to people with photosensitivity. The ability to magnify the site without the use of manual zooming native to a mobile device or desktop browser.
There are many different ways to remain inclusive but also remain aesthetic and adhere to quality designs and performance, for a deep consideration and lots of options to explore, check out this [Search Engine Land article](https://searchengineland.com/seo-best-practices-support-ada-compliance-for-digital-accessibility-324279 "Search Engine Land article").
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/creating-an-ada-compliant-web-experience
# The 2 Things Every Developer Needs From You Before Any Code Is Written
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-06-25
For a software engineer, front or back-end web developer, or full-stack developer, it is absolutely critical to have 2 things complete before a developer ever even considers beginning a build. Comprehensive design phase accounting for all templates, all components, all integrations, and all database requirements. As well as, articulate bite-size task lists, broken into granular projects to ensure no missing steps.
A web developer is the backbone of any web project. The web designer and web developer work together to create a site that provides the best user experience possible. For this reason, it's important for web developers to have certain aspects completed before they start writing code: comprehensive design phase accounting for all templates, all components, all integrations, and all database requirements as well as articulate bite-size task lists broken into granular projects to ensure no missing steps. This blog post will go over these 2 things every web developer needs from you before any code is written.
__A comprehensive Design Phase__ is absolutely critical business for a web developer or engineer to be successful on any development project. Delays and miscommunications are avoided when the web designer has input from a developer before he begins writing code. Another reason to complete the design phases first is that it will provide valuable information for any future web developer or engineer to take over on subsequent projects, giving you peace of mind knowing your vision is intact and carried out successfully.
When designing templates, it is critical to ensure that the designer keeps the developer in mind, but most importantly, keeps the human visitor in mind. The web designer should aim for a balance of aesthetics and usability. A web developer will need accurate specifications before he needs to write any code, so it is necessary that the design phase be complete with all templates accounted for, as well as all components, integrations, and database requirements.
__Development and technical project management__ can make or break the deliverable. It’s also important to provide articulate task lists in the web design phase, broken up into smaller bite-size pieces so that there are no missed steps.
As a web development agency, we find it critical to have accurate task specifications and functional prototypes in place before any code is written. This helps us avoid costly mistakes on both ends of your project lifecycle and allow for smoother development. It also limits the uncomfortable conversations regarding scope creep and land mines.
Skipping a thorough design phase and finding a unicorn that is truly talented in both design and development with autonomy is a risk that a professional development house avoids entirely. There are challenges on both ends of web development projects, and a web developer is only as good as the web designer who provides them with accurate specifications to work from.
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-2-things-every-developer-needs
# Utilizing Schema Markup
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-06-25
Schema markup helps with page organization and navigation, which also benefits user experience. For example, schema can be used to specify the order of content on a single web page or what elements users should see first when they visit your site.
# Utilizing Schema Markup
Schema markup is crucial for any website looking to rank in search engine results pages. It helps with everything from page organization and navigation, to schema types that help you control how the content of your site is displayed. For example, schema markup can be used as a way to specify which images on your site are clickable or downloadable. Without schema markup, it would be difficult for Google Search or other major search engines to parse out what information about your site they should display in their listings.
Schema markup helps with page organization and navigation, which also benefits user experience. For example, schema can be used to specify the order of content on a single web page or what elements users should see first when they visit your site. Schema is a valuable developer tool that ensures critical aspects of a web page are easily recognizable by a search engine.
For example, schema markup can be used to display hours of operation for a storefront, or where a product description can be found on a PDP.
Product Page:
Hours of Operation:
Endless schema variants can be found at [schema.org](https://schema.org/ "schema.org") and the most critical to Google search can be found on [developers.google.com](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/data-types/product "developers.google.com").
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/utilizing-schema-markup
# Scoping Your Big Idea: The Value of Giving a Professional Agency the Opportunity to Truly Explore
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-06-25
Scoping your big software or app idea is so much more than just researching on google for 15 minutes to see if your idea has any competition, or making some sketches in your handy notebook or the way you envision the experience. Have you considered a truly formal scoping phase for your idea? Giving a professional agency the opportunity to truly explore the idea under NDA ( Non-Disclosure Agreement), in order to truly understand the investment, the tech requirements, the database architecture, the UX/UI, and the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) or MMP ( Minimum Marketable Product), is invaluable.
# Scoping Your Big Idea: The Value of Giving a Professional Agency the Opportunity to Truly Explore
If you are scoping an idea for a website or software and want to ensure that you have the best possible chance of success, then it is important to give a professional agency the opportunity to truly explore your idea. Scoping websites and scoping software can be very different from each other, so make sure that you understand what type of scoping phase would be appropriate for your needs. Some scopes may require only minimal investment in order to test out some ideas before committing more time and resources. Others might need heavy up-front investments because they involve complex tech requirements like database architecture, UX/UI design, and development, or integrations in order to accomplish the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) or MMP ( Minimum Marketable Product).
If truly understanding your big idea is your goal, then consider giving a professional agency the opportunity to truly explore and help with scoping the website, software or app - from understanding how scopes are different than wireframes or prototypes, what kind of investment would be needed (minimal or heavy), and if there are any UX/UI considerations before proceeding, partnering with a well-traveled, well-staffed agency to perform the earliest task, could provide you with critical visibility into the complexity or simplicity of your big idea.
The scoping phase is so much more than a quick google search or an informal chat with someone who knows the business, industry or can just help you envision the seed investment and the potential virality of the idea. It provides critical insight into your vision in order to make educated decisions about how you might proceed, and whether it's worth doing at all from a time & money investment standpoint.
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/scoping-your-big-idea
# eCommerce Technology is Evolving
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-06-24
The eCommerce technology market is a competitive one, and eCommerce businesses are constantly looking for ways to provide the best shopping experience possible. This can be tough given that big commerce platforms like Shopify have limited product customization features. However, there are still quite a few solutions available to big commerce users! The future possibilities in big commerce range from unlimited variants (think color or size) product animations, and augmented reality all looking for ways to captivate new customers and entice them to return!
# eCommerce Technology is Evolving
The eCommerce technology market is a competitive one, and eCommerce businesses are constantly looking for ways to provide the best shopping experience possible. This can be tough given that big commerce platforms like Shopify have limited product customization features. However, there are still quite a few solutions available to big commerce users! The future possibilities in big commerce range from unlimited variants (think color or size) product animations, and augmented reality all looking for ways to captivate new customers and entice them to return!
Custom eCommerce platforms and progressive web stores are becoming more common in an attempt to accommodate digital customers. They are also becoming wildly flexible in order to customize to the business need, and offer a seamless experience to digital customers.
From customizing product details like color or size to providing product animations that help customers visualize what they are buying to mobile augmented reality which allows customers to "try on" their options before committing to purchasing, businesses around the world are looking for the cutting edge of eCommerce. In order to achieve these new requirements, platforms can’t get there without progressive eCommerce solutions! This is where headless CMS platforms and custom order management systems come in handy. A business's ability to find creative solutions to problems such as unlimited variants, product animations and augmented reality for in-home experiences, headless CMS platforms are enabling businesses across the globe to compete with new standards that present themselves every day.
The idea behind a headless CMS solution is to provide an all-inclusive platform that lets businesses customize as much as possible with less effort on behalf of developers. It also comes equipped with powerful tools such as visual editors, drag-and-drop functionality, automation workflows and more, giving businesses unprecedented flexibility when it comes to customizing their eCommerce experience.
If you want to make customizations or updates, it's as simple as clicking a button. Why headless? You get the CMS functionality without having to add an additional layer of complexity and maintenance for your developers while still being able to provide custom eCommerce solutions that can be tailored specifically for businesses' needs.
- custom web store
- headless CMS platform
- order management systems
The future is limitless and endless when it comes to possibilities in this industry thanks largely in part to new technologies like these!
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/ecommerce-technology-is-evolving
# The Importance of SEO in Web Development: Understanding the Human Experience and User Expectations
By: Alfred Indigo
Published: 2021-06-24
SEO first Web Development is the conscious inclusion of the human experience and user expectations with navigation, intuition, and call to action taken into consideration.
# The Importance of SEO in Web Development: Understanding the Human Experience and User Expectations
Cause of a Kind is an SEO first, web development agency, and we know the importance of SEO. SEO is a term that you have probably heard before but do not fully understand what it means or how development teams can utilize it in order to guide both humans and search engines to critical content that can contribute to website or app traffic, conversions and revenue. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization but these days it is much more than that. Today. it is the conscious inclusion of user expectations with focus on navigation, user intuition, and an inticing call to action funnel, taken into consideration. For example: how does your website feel when someone visits it? Does their experience match their expectations?
SEO first web development means considering the user experience as a priority at the start of development. SEO first web development is the conscious inclusion of SEO at all point of development from database configuration to design and display. SEO is transforming into [Human Experience Marketing](https://www.causeofakind.com/the-salon/human-experience-marketing "Human Experience Marketing"). With that in mind, SEO first web development always takes into consideration what a user expects and how the site will feel when they browse it.
SEO can help your website rank on SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) by increasing keywords relevance and keyword usage for your site page with descriptions that are accurate and up to date. It is absolutely critical that developers and engineers consider the [current list of rank factors](https://moz.com/learn/seo/on-page-factors "current list of rank factors"), algorithm shifts, schema markup, speed, load times and performance, as well as URL taxonomy when in the earliest stages of design and development.
SEO first Web Development also increases SERP rank results that will lead you towards higher rankings, which in turn will give you an edge over competitors who may be less engaged with effective SEO practices.
The Importance of SEO: User Expectations Matter! For more information about how we provide great web design services tailored according to what your customers want please [contact us](https://www.causeofakind.com/contact "contact us") today.
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/seo-in-web-development
# Crowdsourcing Education : Building a Serverless Stack Overflow for Students Learning at Home
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2021-06-08
Building a Serverless Stack Overflow for Students Learning at Home. At the height of the pandemic in April 2020, as we watched the New York City Department of Education turn to an entirely remote learning environment, we saw an opportunity. Create a web-based, subscription-based software, where students could crowdsource their education. Breaking the barriers a classroom presents, by giving students from all over the world, the opportunity to connect with educators from all over the world.
# Building a Serverless Stack Overflow for Students Learning at Home.
At the height of the pandemic in April 2020, as we watched the [New York City Department of Education](https://www.schools.nyc.gov/ "New York City Department of Education") turn to an entirely remote learning environment, we saw an opportunity. Create a web-based, subscription-based software, where students could crowdsource their education. Breaking the barriers a classroom presents, by giving students from all over the world, the opportunity to connect with educators from all over the world. AMAZING IDEA....
The interesting part of the [StudyVue](https://studyvue.com/ "StudyVue Crowdsourcing Education") product, which is still alive and well today, is the logic and framework used to create the experience.
In a June 2020 publication, Cause of a Kind CTO, Mike Rispoli caught up with [dev.to](https://dev.to/mrispoli24/building-a-serverless-stack-overflow-for-students-learning-at-home-38in "dev.to") to give them the details of this approach.
[Contact Us!](https://www.causeofakind.com/contact "Contact Us")
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/crowdsourcing-education
# Case Study: Serverless Database Architecture with FaunaDB
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2021-06-08
Building serverless applications using FaunaDB.
# Why use Fauna for a Serverless Database Architecture?
Our CTO, [Michael Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-35073929/ "Michael Rispoli") caught up with [Fauna](https://fauna.com/ "Fauna") to have a quick conversation regarding the adoption of serverless environments and the benefits regarding database architecture.
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/fauna-serverless-architecture
# Cause of a Kind is a New York Top 30 Software Development Agency
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2021-06-02
Cause of a Kind has been ranked as one of the Top 30 Software Development Agencies in New York by DesignRush Marketplace.
# Cause of a Kind has been ranked as one of the Top 30 Software Development Agencies in New York by DesignRush Marketplace.
At Cause of a Kind, we aspire to bring world class software solutions to entrepreneurs, enterprises and innovators looking to solve complex business problems with custom software solutions. We ave been recognized by [DesignRush Marketplace](https://www.designrush.com/agency/digital-agencies/new-york "DesignRush Marketplace") and specifically, a [Top Software Development Agency](https://www.designrush.com/agency/software-development/new-york "Top Software Development Agency") for our contribution to this mission, our focus on mission driven partnerships and a relentless pursuit of incredible solutions to complex problems.
DesignRush evaluates thousands of agencies and is committed to helping brands find the best solutions for their needs. The platform has a listing that allows users to search partners based on clients, portfolios, reviews, pricing structure, and testimonials. This recognition to Cause of a Kind is one of many that distinguishes the agency and displays it’s excellence.
Cause of a Kind was founded in 2015 by life long best friends, Justin Abrams, a carrer professional Search Marketer, and Mike Rispoli, a career professional full stack developer. Cause of a Kind has achieved a 98% client retention rate and a 100% talent retention rate for our global footprint. Cause of a Kind is proud to support customers in the USA, Canada, Europe and Israel, and look to constantly expand that reach. The Cause of a Kind team is rooted in diversity and sources top talent from around the globe in a fully remote, fully immersed team of digital artisains.
Check out [Cause of a Kind on DesignRush](https://www.designrush.com/agency/profile/cause-of-a-kind "Cause of a Kind on DesignRush") today!
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/new-york-top-30-software-development-agency
# Human Experience Marketing
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2021-05-11
Early on, people were focused on driving web performance but now there is this shift where we’re moving from search marketers to human experience marketers. It is all about asking, *“How does what I write, what services I provide, and what I build to serve a human need?”* It is about putting the human at the epicenter of the decision making process.
# Search Marketings Evolution Towards Human Experience Marketing
There is a paradigm shift in Marketing.
Emotionless, machine driven, artifically intelligent customer targeting, forced advertisement and brute force gorilla warfare strategies and enough money in paid strategies that we could have fed every hungry child on the planet like kings, every day, for a decade. Combine the worlds rush and absolute savagery for a split second of attention, and you get modern Marketing and Advertising.
When we zoom out and return to the university fundamentals of Marketing, we learn that becoming a true student of your customer is the true path to brand affinity.
It is not about bombarding social media with a campaign to buy more cutting edge dog training solutions, or to go purchase a new pair of unstainable, unrippable, never before tested in reality, super pants.
It is about a brands core mission to truly embed itself as a trusted source for the moments that matter to a consumer, multiple times through their lives.
Take [Patagonia](https://www.patagonia.com/home/ "Patagonia"). This brand is obsessed with continuously intersecting with the human experience. From its media to its commitments to climate change, to its employee handbook, this business is fundamentally designed to listen to the audience and adapt the strategy to create a brand that continuosly intersects back with its ever expanding community of super consumers.
Here at [Cause of a Kind](https://www.causeofakind.com/contact "Cause of a Kind"), we specifically enter the world with this focus. A robot cannot replace the agility, the charaisma, the deliberate, emotional and passionate commitment to cause. It cannot market with love and empathy and connection.
### Join me and [Barry Schwartz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rustybrick/ "Barry Schwartz") of [Rusty Brick](https://www.linkedin.com/company/rustybrick/ "Rusty Brick"), as we explore the idea of Human Experience Marketing.
> Meanwhile, Barry spoke with Justin Abrams of BrightEdge about becoming a “human experience marketer” and it almost makes me feel a sense of equilibrium. Sure, the machines may be taking over on the search and paid advertising side, but we non-machine mortals will be here to anchor the search experience in our shared humanity.
> [Carolyn Lyden](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynlyden/ "Carolyn Lyden"),
> Director of Search Content
> [Search Engine Land](https://searchengineland.com/video-justin-abrams-on-seo-customer-success-348543?mkt_tok=NzI3LVpRRS0wNDQAAAF8-aRE9GkvK6-OdRWsqS1lpj80u4QAytNufTSJK3CBA_wVmo1L-R2Vd8L653GQP9TtaoROAEF0hwmc-OnUiJBXEcsrWaxQVG4BLaLz6cGLmNy-Dw "Search Engine Land")
> In the latest vlog, Barry interviewed Jutin Abrams, the Senior SEO Consultant at [BrightEdge](https://brightedge.com "BrightEdge") and co-founder of Cause of a Kind.
> Justin has a knack for truly understanding the person he is talking with and really being able to relate to that person on their own level — a real benefit when it comes to SEO. Our first topic of conversation was related to how to use human experience in your marketing. Justin explained that there is a shift in digital business going on.
> Early on, people were focused on driving web performance but now there is this shift where we’re moving from search marketers to human experience marketers. It is all about asking, *“How does what I write, what services I provide, and what I build serve a human need?”* It is about putting the human at the epicenter of the decision making process.
[Carolyn Lyden](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynlyden/ "Carolyn Lyden"),
Director of Search Content
[Search Engine Land](https://searchengineland.com/video-justin-abrams-on-seo-customer-success-348543?mkt_tok=NzI3LVpRRS0wNDQAAAF8-aRE9GkvK6-OdRWsqS1lpj80u4QAytNufTSJK3CBA_wVmo1L-R2Vd8L653GQP9TtaoROAEF0hwmc-OnUiJBXEcsrWaxQVG4BLaLz6cGLmNy-Dw "Search Engine Land")
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/human-experience-marketing
# The Ultimate Guide to Core Web Vitals: Why They Matter and How to Master Them!
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2021-04-01
Master Core Web Vitals with our ultimate guide! Dive into the importance of CWV for SEO, user experience, and tips to optimize website performance. Boost your site's ranking today!
Core Web Vitals have emerged as pivotal indicators for measuring the user experience on websites. Introduced by Google, these metrics focus on three essential aspects of user interaction: loading performance (Largest Contentful Paint), interactivity (First Input Delay), and visual stability (Cumulative Layout Shift). As search engines increasingly prioritize user experience, understanding and optimizing for Core Web Vitals not only elevates the usability of your site but can also influence your search engine ranking. Kickstarting your journey with these metrics can be the key to creating a seamless and engaging online presence for your audience.
### What are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics introduced by Google to measure the speed, responsiveness, and visual stability of a webpage. In simpler terms, CWV gauges how user-friendly your website is. They form the core of [Google's Web Vitals initiative](https://web.dev/vitals/), a universal guideline for stellar web experience.
### The Three Pillars of CWV
1. **Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)**: Measures loading performance. Ideally, your LCP should occur within the first 2.5 seconds of the page starting to load.
2. **First Input Delay (FID)**: Quantifies interactivity. The time from when a user first interacts with your site (like clicking a link) to when the browser responds. Aim for less than 100 milliseconds.
3. **Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)**: Evaluates visual stability. Nobody likes when content jumps around on a page, right? Keep your CLS score below 0.1.
### Why Are CWVs So Crucial?
- **User Experience**: Slow or unstable websites drive users away. Improved CWV ensures a smoother user experience.
- **SEO Ranking**: Starting from June 2021, CWVs became a [ranking factor for Google Search](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2020/05/evaluating-page-experience). Better CWVs can give you that competitive edge in search results.
- **Increased Conversions**: A faster, more responsive site can lead to higher user retention and conversions.
### Testing Your Core Web Vitals
Wondering how your site stacks up? Here are some fabulous tools:
- **[PageSpeed Insights](https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/)**: Provides both mobile and desktop CWV assessments.
- **[Chrome User Experience Report](https://developers.google.com/web/tools/chrome-user-experience-report)**: Offers user experience metrics for how real-world Chrome users experience popular destinations on the web.
- **[Web Vitals Extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/web-vitals/ahfhijdlegdabablpippeagghigmibma)**: A Chrome extension that measures the three CWVs in real-time.
### Boosting Your CWV Performance: Tips for Developers
1. **Optimize Images**: Compress and serve images in modern formats like WebP.
2. **Minify CSS and JS**: Use tools like [Terser](https://terser.org/) and [CSSNano](https://cssnano.co/).
3. **Implement Lazy Loading**: Load images only when they're about to be viewed.
### For the Marketing Maestros
1. **Prioritize Content**: Keep essential content above the fold and reduce anything that can delay its rendering.
2. **Adopt Responsive Design**: Ensure the website looks and performs well across all devices.
3. **Feedback Loop**: Work closely with developers to share user feedback and insights.
### Some Tricks Up Our Sleeve
- **Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)**: CDNs like [Cloudflare](https://www.cloudflare.com/) can drastically reduce load times.
- **Limit Third-party Scripts**: Each script is a potential delay. Limit them.
- **Server-side Rendering**: For JavaScript-heavy sites, consider using frameworks that support SSR, like Next.js.
### Wrapping Up with Passion 🌟
Remember, at the heart of Core Web Vitals is the user. It's all about creating an enjoyable, seamless web experience. As we navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape, CWV will be our North Star, guiding us towards excellence. So, let's embrace the challenge, learn, grow, and build a better web for everyone!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-core-web-vitals-why-they-matter-and-how-to-master-them
# Why is LinkedIn Down?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2021-02-23
BREAKING NEWS :: LinkedIn is down today February 23rd, 2021. How crippling this feels to businesses, consumers, thought leaders, recruiters, and pretty much the rest of the professional world. But Why? Were they not all prepared and syndicated across platforms and other channels?
# Why is LinkedIn down today?
What this actually proves is the concept of a significant multi channel marketing and thought leadership stratgy. This demonstrated how a single platform is by no means incincible and should demonstrate the urgency to particpate in multiple social platforms, multiple content platforms, and to architect marketing conversations that will allow the flow of information to continue.
This issue is a bit frustrating for all users, but likely even more frustrating for the development, engineering, security, marketing and aquisitions teams that live at LinkedIn.
Is your business duable and focused on a strong multi channel marketing strategy? Are you over indexing in a specific platform? Perhaps you dont know where to start or how to continue effectively.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/why-is-linkedin-down
# 4 Free Ways to Appear Locally in Organic Google Search Results
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2021-02-22
Every single trade, industry, business, company, manufacturer, product, service or solution, has competitors in Google. Maybe there isn't another company that does EXACTLY what you do, but that just sounds like ego to me. There is always another website out there that is having a similar conversation and potentially preventing you from driving critical traffic to your website from Google. ESPECIALLY HYPER-LOCALLY. Here are 4 FREE ways to begin appearing locally in Google.
# 4 Free Ways to Appear Locally in Organic Google Search Results
## Have you configured [Google My Business](https://www.google.com/business/ "Google My Business")?
1. Significantly complete you Google My Business profile. This is a critical step to obtaining a hyper local map listing as well as communicate critical information to google and your customers alike.
2. Completing every element with your neighboarhood in mind.
3. Currate your [first photos](https://support.google.com/business/answer/6103862?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=Android "first photos") to be exceptional and representative of your business
4. Ensure that you are requesting [Google Ratings and Reviews](https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6230175?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en "Google Ratings and Reviews") from your customers and partners.
5. Outline your [Services](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9907878?hl=en "Services") thoroughly.
6. Display your key [products](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9124203?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=Desktop "products") and their details accurately and keep this maintained and current.
7. KEEP THIS ALL MAINTAINED AND CURRENT!
## Is your website hyper-locally curated?
1. Geographically modify your on-page content to focus on the locations, towns and service areas you are most interested in. a. If you are a local fitness studio, an example of your on-page content should read: "FitFake is a Garden City, NY premier fitness facility, servicing the surrounding community of Franklin Square, Hempstead, Garden City Park, Mineola and more."
2. Are you optimizing your SEO rank factors such as title tags, or Header Tags or Internal Links on your web page? These are managed through your websites Content Management Software. a. An example of your title tag would be: Fitness Facility | Garden City, NY | FitFake
## Are you constantly calling out your location in your marketing efforts?
1. There is often a common misconception with Google. Marketers often forget how critical it is to think about reaching the entire human consumer experience.
2. While we optimize the website to speak and educate hyper-locally, we have to take the same approach to the rest of our digital strategy. a. Social, Email, Video, Paid Search, Broadcast commercial, billboard, advertisements, display, branding, and so much more, require the same hyper local content strategy. b. From location tagging in social media, to geo-modifying email subject lines, to creating commercials in your local community or branding with your community in mind, hyper local is critical to you complete consumer experience.
3. All signals lead to Google. Google is a part of ALL of our lives in one way or another. Everything a consumer does, explores, researches, purchases, considers, and so forth, Google is listening to.
4. Understanding that the holistic evaluation of your hyper-local Expertise, authority and Trustworthiness are collectively gathered over your entire marketing strategy and you interactions with customers and community.
## Do other businesses and other websites in your local area have backlinks referencing your website?
1. Nothing in this world is more powerful than a referral. This is true in web marketing as well.
2. In order for a search engine to understand the Expertise-Authority-Trustworthiness and overall value of a website, the search engine will map its peers.
3. Obtaining reference links from other websites is a form of digital referral currency. The more local businesses that reference your business, the more critical it is that Google prefers your business to the searcher.
4. Hyper Local is actually mission-critical for Google. Pair consumers with the most trust worth websites to help them with the moments that matter in life.
Lastly, keep writing. Keep adding more content to your website. This can be blog content, product descriptions, services, links, images, infographics, and so much more. Remember to hyper locally modify it. Ensuring that the search engine truly understands your desire to be relevant to your community.
[Contact Us!](https://www.causeofakind.com/contact "Contact Us")
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/appear-locally-in-google
# SEO Consulting and Strategy
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2021-02-20
Are you in the market for Search Engine Optimization consulting? Are you looking for an elite practitioner and expert educator to deliver critical knowledge on SEO and Search Marketing? Are you looking to truly learn something about Google? Are you tasked with improving website traffic and brand performance? KEEP READING!
# SEO Consultants
We have been doing this for a very, VERY, long time. Until only recently, maybe within the last 5 years has digital marketing, software development, web development, and very specifically Search Engine Optimization, found unique and critical intersections with each other.
__Are you looking for a consulting partner__ to help your organization reached its absolute potential in Organic Search performance? Maybe you have been reading up about SEO and simply just cannot figure out why your performance is not improving? Maybe you are not even sure that you know how to accurate measure the performance of the organic channel and what the impact of your SEO strategy actually is to he business. Perhaps you are in a position hwere you organization is potential intersecting with Search MArketing and you are trying to determine the most accurate product positioning for your consumers?
### The list is exhaustive.
It comes down to one very basic and one very simple thing: We partner with the most recognizable brands on earth to evaluate current SEO performance, Educate leadership and teams as to the fundaments, importance and opporunity within SEO. We partner with organizations of all shapes and sizes, within every single industry vertical and drive unmatched, enthusiastic and measurable education and impact to brands.
### Are you:
- looking to understand the basics and foudnation of SEO?
- in a marketing role and looking for a best in class mrketing consultant?
- trying to identify your Google competition?
- interested in your current websites performance?
- measuring your websites performance and unhappy with it?
- uncertain where to start with Search Marketing?
- looking for a partner to educate your leadership or customer teams?
- trying to figure out whaat is in your control and what is not?
- concerned about google algorithm updates and their impact to you?
-
If you have happened upon this post, and it absolutely fits your needs, contact us. Mention this hidden Code "SEO COAK" for a free 60 minute consultative session to evaluate your current search marketing performance, Google experience, and organic opportunity against the competition.
[Contact Us!](https://www.causeofakind.com/contact "Contact Us")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/seo-consulting-and-strategy
# Full Stack Developer | Paid Internship Program | Long Island, NY
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2021-02-18
Cause of a Kind is a creative agency partnering with entrepreneurs, businesses, and innovators to design and develop software to meet business needs. We are constantly seeking Full Stack Developer Interns for this continuous, paid internship program.
# Full Stack Developer Intern
Cause of a Kind is a creative agency partnering with entrepreneurs, businesses and innovators to design and develop software to meet business needs. We are constantly seeking Full Stack Developer Interns for this continuous, paid internship program. Performance based, this can turn into a permanent hire position. All the fundamentals are in place to help this person succeed: cutting-edge technology, coaching and products.
__Education__ - Degree or Certificate in Computer Science from an accredited University
The Full Stack Development Internship Program is the prerequisite for a Software Developers Position here at Cause of a Kind. This is a PAID internship, working on live customer accounts, leading to a potential full-time hire position. Your title will be __Junior, Software Developer__, however, you will be in a highly visible role reporting to the Company’s CEO, and CTO, receiving direct coaching and depending on the customer project, potentially customer facing as well. Your performance will have a material impact on the overall corporate success of Cause of a Kinds growth.
In this role, you will work on customer projects coverying an array of disciplines, languages and skills. Your day-to-day development efforts will help our agency customers continue to deliver on their brand vision. You will learn, grow, and ensure the delivery of our existing customer engagements and work on future product development if you so choose.
## Skills Required:
Best practices in Scalable Software Development, Manage unit tests, system tests, and regression tests, estimate work units, work within the swim lanes of our agile development process and learn how to be part of a team.
__Key Responsibilities__:
Your technical acumen will be utilized from day 1 where you will first be brought up to speed with our existing frameworks, stack, and the overall database design. You will be required and heavily relied upon to trouble shoot, deflect, and altogether prevent any hiccups from occurring. This is actually a fun job with autonomy, established trust, and open minds that seek out creative suggestions.
__Qualifications__:
- Proven success in translating business requirements into product
- Proven success in translating business requirements into product plans
- Experience with and a commitment to Agile development methodologies
- Ability to motivate and inspire others through collaboration and influence
- Strong relationship management, strategy development, project management, problem-solving and change management skills
- Committed to the highest standards of excellence and integrity
__Requirements__:
Masters graduate with a keen passion towards Software Development (Application Security, Information Security, Network Security) and Networks.
## Technical Skills:
__Programming__: Java - Core, Spring, and other frameworks | Web Services | Bash | .NET Core 2 or later with C# | Entity Framework | Identity Server 4 | Ionic 4 or later | Microsoft SQL Server Web
| HTML | CSS | JS |
__Tools/API__ : Proficiency in working with Amazon Web Services offered tools.
__Networks__:
__Technologies__ : | BGP | EIGRP | OSPF | MPLS | TCP | IP |
__Security__:
__Technologies__ : | TLS | Authentication (OAuth, Kerberos, MAC) |
| Confidentiality ( AES, 3-DES, RSA ) | Integrity ( SHA-1, SHA-2, MD5 ) |
__TooI/ API__ : | nmap | Nessus | Backtrack | Java Crypto Library |
OS : | Windows | Linux (Arch, Ubuntu)
__Job Types__:
Part Time Internship
__Pay__:
$20.00 per hour paid Monthly (invoices required and W-9 required)
__Work Location__:
Fully Remote
__Hours per month__:
20-40
__Internship Compensation__:
- Pay
- College Credit
- Cause of a Kind Swag
__Company's website__:
[Cause of a Kind](https://www.causeofakind.com "Cause of a Kind Website")
__Company's Social pages__:
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/ "Instagram Page")
- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/causeofakind "Facebook Page")
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind "LinkedIn Page")
- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/causeofakind "Twitter Page")
__COVID-19 Precaution(s)__:
- Remote interview process
- Virtual meetings
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/developer-internship
# Google Research : SEO Near Me
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2021-02-17
When you think of SEO, what comes to mind? Have you been looking for an SEO partner, agency, college kid who claims to know a bit about SEO? Do you realize that the most recognizable brands on earth are investing MILLIONS a year in the people, process, and technology needed to support a healthy organic search marketing strategy? Do you believe that there are dedicated professionals to the discipline of SEO that make massive full-time salaries as specialists? We figured. Keep reading.
Somewhere along the way, during your quest to identify THE marketing strategy that is going to increase your revenue, sustain year over year revenue growth goals, and drive tons and tons of google traffic to your website, the topic of SEO was haphazzardly passed along to you, "to check out".
Ill bet that Google search was daunting, overwhelming and likely, even more useless and confusing than those three little letters, S.E.O.
# [Google Search](https://www.google.com/ "Google Search Page") : "SEO Near Me"
You'll return an ocean of people and small businesses, claiming they can help you. Best of luck with your evaluation process, and even more wishes for good luck in the engagement with them.
## What is SEO?
The other guy will tell you some [wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization "wikipedia, what is seo") definition.
> Search Engine Optimization is the action of changing elements on a website page in order to match a consumers interest in your product, service, or solution.
Well, we would like to agressively challenge that.
## Ask us, What is SEO? Go ahead.
[Search Engine Optimization](https://www.causeofakind.com/the-salon/seo-in-3-2-1-go "Search Engine Optimization Article") here at Cause of a Kind, is fundamentally, operating your marketing strategy and all business decisions strictly influenced by listening to the Voice of the Consumer.
Let that sink in.
> Listening to the Voice of the Consumer
When we analyze your business, we analyze your industry, your competition, your position amongst your peers and your current qualified conversation with your consumer audience. When we take a look at a competitor for example, we are able to understand, what likely drives business to your competitors website, likely leading to their revenue goals.
## Wouldn't you like to crack your competitors secret "SEO" code?
It isn't a secret at all. But wouldnt you like to know?
SEO is truly about listening. It is the influence of optimizations to your existing marketing strategy. If you do not have an existing marketing strategy, YOU ARE IN LUCK. SEO now has the luxury of developing a foundation for your business built on listening to your consumer audience, your peers, your industry, your competition.
If we are really listening to our consumer audience, our competition, our industry best practices, and our peers, SEO should reframe the way we think about:
- Brand Identity, Logos and Style Guides
- Brand Voice and Mission
- Website and Visual Collateral
- Social, Email, Paid Search, Direct Mail, Advertisement, Radio, Television, etc
- Software Innovations and Business Efficiencies
- Product, Service and Solution Research and Development
- Market Research and Investor Relations
- Public Relations and Brand Management
- And So Much More...
Oh, and another assumption, (just from our many many years of experience with organizations of all industries, shapes, sizes and goals) I bet you also read this and are thinking,
"My business is unique. No one could possibly understand." This is also __FALSE__.
Please consider zooming out. Your industry is Business to Business, or Business to Consumer, or Consumer Packaged Goods, or eCommerce, or Healthcare, or Technology, Hospitality, Education, Retail, Financial and so forth. If you think your specific business is some earth shattering new idea never seen before, remember, there is someone out there that is researching the product service or solution you offer right now, and they are looking for you and your very unique specialized business. Or you wouldn't be here with this terrific idea, looking for more customers and a secret weapon marketing strategy. Prove me wrong.
Good luck. Let us know how we can help.
[Contact Us!](https://www.causeofakind.com/contact "Contact Us")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/seo-near-me
# Long Island Broadcast Commercial
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2021-01-29
When we actually double click into healthcare, we can understand the path so many patients take which ultimately, may lead them to a short or long-term rehabilitation facility for one reason or another. With COVID-19, the downstream effect of an overwhelmed hospital system, lingering chronic symptoms, and the requirement of skilled nursing and around the clock care, make a rehabilitation center, an inevitable part of the healthcare journey.
It is no secret that the COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted one specific industry, most notably.
> HEALTHCARE
When we actually double click into healthcare, we can understand the path so many patients take which ultimately, may lead them to a short or long term rehabilitation facility for one reason or another. With COVID-19, the downstream effect of an overwhelmed hospital system, lingering chronic symptoms and the requirement of skilled nursing and around the clock care, make a rehabilitation center, an inevitable part of the healthcare journey.
Rehabilitation centers, nursing facilities, extended care facilities, and so forth, arguably host the most fragile of patients. Those that have been impacted by the windy road of life. Some facilities, opened their doors, in the most desperate of times, through a global pandemic, to give resources and care to all those in need.
Ultimately the price of this generosity was unfathomable loss. Record rates of fatality, a deflated and mournful staff and an administrative team with alot of explaining to do.
Eventually. when the dust settles, we #takebacktomorrow. One of our long term partners reached out to us in their time of need, looking to create a broadcast commercial that would capture the true ethos of [Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation](https://www.coldspringcare.com/ "Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation Website"). This facility was hit particularly hard in Syosset, New York, and the administrative team wanted to take the narrative into their own hands.
Introducing: #coldspringstrong
A Cause of a Kind Production in collaboration with [The Resource Room](https://theresourceroom.tv/ "The Resource Room Website"). Partnering with Director of Photography, David "[Brick](https://www.davebrick.com/ "Dave Brick Website")" Brickley and Editor,[ Adrianna Merlucci](https://www.amerlucci.com/ " Adrianna Merlucci Website").
Broadcast Commercial:
Social PSA:
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/broadcast-commercial
# Search Marketing During a Pandemic :: SMX London 2020
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2020-10-09
Co-Founder Justin Abrams takes the SMX London 2020 stage at the heigh of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Joined by Matthew Kay, Head of Operations at Aira out of the UK. The topic of the conversation was Identifying Content Opportunities And Measuring Its Effect On The Customer Journey.
At the beginning of 2020, the world could have never been prepared to navigate a global pandemic. It was a scene saved for hollywood. An environment of uncertainty, resilliance, and adaptability. As a Search Marketing consultant working with the most recognizable brands on earth, the pandemic brought some organizations to their knees and some to their all time highest performance.
While organizations adapt to a new normal at the beginning, there was opportunity to reimagine the consumer journey through search marketing. Understanding the needs of the consumer and the shift in sales motion and the informational pathway for B2B, specifically.
Joined by [Matthew Kay](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewkay87/ "Matthew Kay , Head of Operations"), Head of Operations at [Aira Agency](https://www.aira.net/ "Aira Agency") in the UK, Justin navigates a discussion regarding the shift in strategy for the B2B marketing mix at the first virtual [SMX London 2020](https://marketinglandevents.com/smx/ "SMX London 2020") marketing conference.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/search-marketing-during-a-pandemic
# Virtual Tours through a Pandemic
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2020-10-08
Especially within the industry of nursing, healthcare, rehabilitation, and patient treatment facilities, the need to adapt to a new normal of inbound patient and family experiences has been critical. Working with Philosophy Care and the Park Avenue Extended Care facility, we are proud to present a virtual tour, through a pandemic, in response to an inability to offer in-person walkthrough and tours to families and considering patients.
Especially within the industry of nursing, healthcare, rehabilitation, and patient treatment facilities, the need to adapt to a new normal of inbound patient and family experiences has been critical. Working with Philosophy Care and the [Park Avenue Extended Care](https://www.parkavecare.com/ "Park Avenue Extended Care") facility, we are proud to present a virtual tour, through a pandemic, in response to an inability to offer in-person walkthrough and tours to families and considering patients.
Prominently located directly in the middle of the "Little City by the Sea" in Long Beach, New York, Park Avenue Extended Care serves a broad community providing a diversity of rehabilitative and nursing [services](https://www.parkavecare.com/our-services "Park Avenue Extended Care Services").
As a long term partner and client of Cause of a Kind, [Philosophy Care Centers](https://www.philosophycare.com/ "Philosophy Care Centers") have evolved to operate a multitude of rehabilitative and nursing [facilities](https://www.philosophycare.com/our-facilities "Philosophy Care Centers") throughout Long Island, New York and the greater New York Metro area.
As the business navigates the challenges of a pandemic, especially around the pre-admissions process, a critical step that inbound and considering patients and families commonly request are a tour or walkthrough of the facility they are considering. Navigating limitations, these facilities have adapted, explored creative alternatives to virtual tours and socially distant inbound experiences to adopt a virtual tour experience that represents the quality of the experience, the staff and the facility that a patient or family would experience.
Cause of a Kind is proud to partner with some truly powerful industry creatives who allow us to produce the highest quality visual products. Thank you to our Director of Photography, [David " Brick" Brickley](https://www.davebrick.com "Director of Photography") and Film Editor, [Adrianna Merlucci](https://www.amerlucci.com/ "Editor"), for once again producing an impactful final product.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/virtual-tours-through-a-pandemic
# Thou Shalt Not Build a Website Without Content
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2020-10-02
Here at COAK, we made a bold decision. Copy writing is no longer an optional service for website projects. It was a bold move, and one we did not take lightly. Though we have lost contracts over it, we are sticking to it and here's why.
My first job out of college was at Enterprise Rent-a-Car as a Management Trainee. This is a fancy way of saying I worked the counter, fulfilling rental orders. Back then, we offered an economy car option that always came without power windows. The difference between the economy option and the next size up was often only a few dollars per day. Still, almost everyone chose the economy option when booking. Why? Well it seems there are two main reasons for this.
When you are booking a car and not driving it, something as simple as power windows doesn't seem like a big deal. Most of the time people don't even notice this is missing from the feature list. This was in 2010. Most people didn't realize manufacturers even made cars with roll down windows. I imagine some people reading this don't even know what roll down windows are. If a person is astute enough to notice this difference, they think, *well it's only a rental who cares?*
Most of the time we as agents tried to point this out and offered to make the upgrade on the lot. This would benefit us as an up sell but most of the time customers still didn't feel like this was worth it. Unless the car was bigger or had some other more flashy feature the few dollars a day didn't seem worth it.
The problem with this comes upon return. Without fail we asked every customer to rank their experience on a scale of one to five (five being the best). On the back end of this question we knew two things. One, that customers ranking service a five out of five were return customers 70% of the time. Two, customers ranking service a four out of five were return customers 30% of the time. The drop off from a five to a four is massive. Trying to correct this difference at the end of the rental was essential to the business.
When it came to most customers giving a four, they usually didn't have a specific reason for it. People driving economy cars often couldn't pin down the why the service was good and not great. When it came to our back-of-the-napkin math on this, economy vs. compact made a big difference. We started to prefer to give away a compact car rather than let a customer leave with roll down windows. It subconsciously leaves a bad taste in a customers mouth, they don't love it, but they can't pinpoint why.
What does this have to do with copy writing? Copy writing as a service is like power windows. Almost every customer sees that option and says, "I can handle that part myself, I know how to write." It saves them some money, but it also straps them with a burden they aren't prepared to bear.
Writing great web copy often takes a lot of time and a lot of research. We begin with a complete competitive, keyword analysis across the customers' industry. Our team uses this information not only to inform what to write, but also where it needs to live on the website. Our copywriters are working as long as or longer than our design team. All to ensure we meet the information architecture needs *before* we build.
Contrast this with when a client decides to handle copy themselves. We still do the competitive keyword analysis, but instead hand it off to the client. The problem is, client's cannot *see* the information architecture in abstract space the way a seasoned copywriter can. They also have their day job to do, the one they are actually paid for. Copy writing becomes a disjointed activity and saddles clients with weekend overtime hours. This strain shows in the quality of the output and we have to push designs with Greek text to the client. Clients then resort to trying to match word counts rather than focusing on the quality of the words. When development begins, it's often premature. Features get built that never see the light of day because the content never comes. The project timeline gets stretched out. Our team stresses to meet deadlines, only to find they are weeks ahead of the copy needs of the project. This ends up being a bad deal for everyone and a sour taste develops.
In the end, clients are happy with the final output. They are not happy with the amount of work it took to get there. They feel exhausted and overworked. The output is good but not great. Senior stakeholders, do not see the pain because they are not the ones that bear it. It's their own salaried employee doing free overtime, so why not save the money? This question is easy to answer when you are not the one living the experience and in over your head.
At some point car manufacturers stopped sending economy cars without roll down windows. Customers could no longer make this distasteful choice. The lesson still remains, these tiny cuts create small differences in satisfaction. This become huge differences when it comes time to choose your service again. We have decided to make the same decision as the car manufacturers. Copy writing is a must for every, single content-first website, no questions asked. We're willing to die on that hill because the results speak for themselves.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/thou-shalt-not-build-a-website-without-content
# SEO and Accessibility with Heroku
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2020-08-11
SEO has become the digital nucleus around which websites are being developed. Far from being simply about search results, SEO work centers around accessibility, site performance, branding, and more. Increasingly, the gap between SEO work and frontend development is shrinking. Justin Abrams and Michael Rispoli from Cause of a Kind, a Long Island, NY based digital agency specializing in full stack development from an SEO first methodology, share how the two halves of marketing and programming are essential in helping websites stand apart from their competition.
Eric Chen is an engineer on [Heroku's](https://www.heroku.com/ "Heroku Home Page") Ecosystem team. With him are Justin Abrams and Michael Rispoli, who run Cause of a Kind. Cause of a Kind helps organizations with their SEO strategy and implementation; Justin engages with the brands on a marketing level, and Michael looks after their frontend development. The goal for SEO has evolved beyond just having the right metadata appear in search results. It's also about understanding how to make better business decisions, both through marketing strategies as well as organizational and technical planning to create products that serves consumer's needs.
From the Internet's beginnings, SEO has been about helping search bots crawl sites through keywords. The thinking went that the better your metadata, the more likely your website was going to appear higher in search results. But these days, SEO is more about how users navigate sites. Justin and Michael explain how if you create a site with a user's experience in mind, the search bots and algorithms will rank you more favorably. You can use proper semantic HTML, provide accessibility through labels and aria tags, or define consistent URL routes; but you can also minimize frontend JavaScript dependencies to ensure that your page loads quickly.
Organizations are investing more in frontend experiences more than ever before, from SPAs to even providing virtual and augmented reality experiences. Michael believes that developing sites with an SEO-first mindset almost inherently leads to a better product, because your performance and accessibility improvements will be noticeable to your users, even if you're trying to get better search ranks. In the end, both marketing needs--getting people to visit your site--and frontend development concerns--making sure people can use your site--are no longer two distinct issues.
[Heroku Code [ish] PodCast - SEO & Accessibility](https://www.heroku.com/podcasts/codeish/83-seo-and-accessibility "Heroku Code [ish] PodCast - SEO & Accessibility")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/seo-and-accessibility
# Search & Interior Design: 4 Ways Interior Designers can Benefit from Search Engine Optimization
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2020-04-13
Search & Interior Design: 4 Ways Interior Designers can Benefit from Search Engine Optimization
By Justin Abrams, Founder, Cause of a Kind
The invitations for lavish cocktail parties and the excitement of trade shows that once flooded your Inbox at this time of year – opportunities to network and find inspiration – even simple meetups, have screeched to a halt. The dinner parties your clients were famous for hosting within their circles – a chance for their friends to admire your work – are postponed indefinitely. [Barry Dixon](https://barrydixon.com/ "Barry Dixon") said it best, “A room should start a conversation before people actually start exchanging words”, but what happens when those conversations have all moved to virtual hangouts for the foreseeable future? The very nature of your business has always relied on the ability to see, feel, and interact with the physical environment, and word of mouth has always served you well.
While times are uncertain and luxuries appear lost, marketing feels ambiguous and almost insensitive, until you consider your consumer. With homeowners spending more time in their residence than ever before, the design industry is uniquely positioned to influence and even capitalize on its ability to reinvent the meaning of “home”. If Market trend predictions are correct, people will be compelled to “feather the nest” and create a sanctuary for themselves and their families. The question to ask yourself is, when the dust settles and the world finally gets back to a new normal, will your business be positioned to meet their needs?
The well-diversified designers and savviest of firms have adopted a marketing strategy that focuses on the end-consumer’s needs and expectations, designing a multi-channel marketing experience that promotes vision and brand awareness. However, there are many more that just cannot find their digital identity, or seemingly don’t have the time or the tools to leverage it for market share.
Use this slow period to set up your practice for digital success with four key concepts:
__Identify your target audience__
- There are a multitude of methods we can all use to understand our target audience. This is deeper and more specific than just understanding your existing customer base.
- Maintaining the face to face experience, is now proven to not be a business requirement. With the rise in virtual meetings, our ability to identify and connect with a wide and diverse consumer audience is apparent now more than ever.
- To identify your audience, deeper than your current customer base, requires the use of tools.
- If you have a website, consider the integration of [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console/about "Google Search Console") as a suite of tools allowing you to understand what brings people to your website.
- Identifying the topics and content on your website that your visitors value the most, which will allow you to hyper focus your effort to the consumer persona.
- Consider a free [YouTube Education](https://www.youtube.com/user/googleanalytics "YouTube Education") to become an expert in your own market data.
- Additional suites such as [Google Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/provision/#/provision "Google Analytics") and [Google My Business](https://www.google.com/business/ "Google My Business") are also critical data visualization tools that allow you to finely understand your digital value.
- [If you don't have a website](https://www.causeofakind.com/the-salon/i-dont-need-a-website "If you don't have a website"), but you have the time to consider additional marketing opportunities, consider the fact that the website is no longer a luxury or a “nice to have”. It is a core fundamental of your consumer’s journey.
__Test the audience with content and measure engagement__
- Email marketing
- One of the strongest, direct to subscriber, marketing methods out there. A critical expectation of your devoted customers and constituents. Take the opportunity to drive unmatched value. Use the email to humanize the brand and create social value, deeper than just the typical newsletter.
- Offer prescriptions, advice and concepts that are based on research and audience mapping
- Leverage the analytics that come along with email marketing automation solutions to identify open rates, and consistent loyalists.
- Deliver surveys to the email base to gauge their needs and understand the value they expect from your knowledge.
- Ensure a [Call To Action](https://www.klaviyo.com/blog/email-cta-best-practices "Call To Action") exists as part of the email. It is hard enough to get people to open and read the email. Ensure there is an action that brings them deeper into your business.
- Paid search
- During times of economic uncertainty, [accuracy matters the most](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ppc-best-practices/274019/ "PPC accuracy matters the most"). Companies spend obscene amounts of revenue to generate attention that may not even convert to new revenue. However, some organizations rely heavily on paid strategies through Google Adwords, which can not simply, come to a halt.
- Consider the absolute refinement of paid spend.
- Reduce the risk and focus on the highest converting terms. - Reposition wasted spend in support of terms that are proven to drive the most traffic and conversions to your site.
- Consider working with a Paid Strategist that can help you identify the ROI of paid search to ensure the financial requirement maps to new revenue.
- [Paid Social](https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-advertising/ "Paid Social")
- Social media platforms are clearly focused on attention. Depending on the platform, ie; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, etc, the ability to strategically identify and drive value to your target demographics has never been more critical and, more affordable.
- Listen to engagement data.
- Hyper focus on the demographics that engage with your content.
- Platforms provide a wealth of data to support the strategy.
- [SEO](https://www.causeofakind.com/the-salon/seo-in-3-2-1-go "SEO")
- Arguably the Dark Horse of Digital marketing, but unarguably, the most critical.
- Search Engine Optimization is the fundamental understanding of your consumer audience. Identifying the consumer experience and optimizing your website as the authority in specific spaces.
- Search Engines, whether it is a paid strategy or an organic strategy, are responsible for driving ALL web attention at one point or another through nearly all consumer journeys.
- Strategically fine tuning the website to ensure its position as Expert- Authoritative - Trustworthy is critical. A core fundamental of the minimum expectations of a consumer or future customer.
- Deploying a marketing strategy with an SEO first mentality, ensures extreme accuracy in all marketing efforts. SEO is fundamentally focused on the voice of the consumer and can support the journey towards becoming a customer.
__Focus on Essential Thought Leadership__
- Every consumer is looking for the absolute best products, services and solutions available to them. The need to identify Expert - Authoritative - Trustworthy content throughout the consumer journey is absolutely critical.
- If you are truly an artisan of your craft, you have a depth of knowledge that is trapped within your own creative mind, release it in ways that your audience will benefit from. Provide endless value, with zero expectation other than creating incredibly deep and rich experiences that clearly differentiate you in your competitive market place.
- Elevate and nurture your network, focused on expanding your contact list and forming new partnerships. Consider virtual meetups, roundtable discussions, panel events and even simple brainstorming sessions that will allow you to lead your market and set a foundation for your future.
__Spend the time to humanize the business__
- If you feel compelled, identify a potential social or environmental connection to your business.
- The goal is not to become a non-profit, or suddenly begin doing work to raise money or awareness, but to simply align your personal and professional thought leadership with well rounded examples of your efforts and position.
- The goal is to offer a bit of humanity as part of your highly curated and personalized touch to your face to face business strategy. It is not necessary to declare a non-profit or charitable partnership, rather simply, to lead your community in awareness and the intersection of your knowledge and humanity.
During times of uncertainty, the smartest marketing strategies are free or highly intentional with little to no waste or excess. Utilize the channels and content you already have to create an organic digital foundation that represents your unique brand. Optimizing your existing presence, be it your website, social platforms or cross promotional opportunities, will elevate your searchability and increase brand awareness. When the health crisis is under control and economic prosperity returns, you can feel confident that you’ve adapted to the digital space like a pro.
Co-Published by [Alyssa Abrams](https://www.alyssaabrams.com/cause-of-a-kind "Alyssa Abrams | Cause of a Kind")
## How Can We Help?
### Say Hello@causeofakind.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/4-ways-interior-designers-can-benefit-from-SEO
# Listen First: 4 Ways to Maximize ROI
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2020-03-31
The voice of the consumer matters more than you might think...
__Where Shall I Go Today?__
Consumer journeys are constantly evolving. Every season (and these days, every second), consumers are influenced, impacted, educated or mesmerized by the products, services and solutions available within the marketplace. Businesses struggle to stay ahead of these inevitables by investing a massive amount of money into acquisition streams that are difficult to measure and generate limited ROI. In other words, it’s money — and time — not well spent.
__Not Just A Numbers Game__
Turning to the data is critical when identifying your target audience and pinpointing their needs through their consumer journey. But just as important is listening to the voice of your consumer. Limited forced ad spend in a pay-to-play, pray-and-spray strategy is incredibly costly and unsustainable. What you must understand is your brand's organic potential, your customer’s expectations for your brand and measure that first before paying for acquisition. Here are a few tips to get you started:
1. __Free Web Tools__: There are plenty out there that can help you understand your audience:
- Research trends in the market utilizing [Google Trends](https://trends.google.com/trends/?geo=US "Google Trends")
- Understand your competition surrounding those trends with [Google Anonymous Ad Preview Tool ](https://ads.google.com/anon/AdPreview "Google Anonymous Ad Preview Tool ")
- Listen to your website's analytics with [Google Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/provision/#/provision "Google Analytics") and [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console/about "Google Search Console"), both which offer tremendous insight into the current performance of your website
- Ask your customer what they think of your brand, their purchase habits, where they spend their time, etc., with [Survey Monkey](https://www.surveymonkey.com/ "Survey Monkey") or [Google Forms](https://www.google.com/forms/about/ "Google Forms"), easily customizable tools that allow you to collect data from the people you most want to hear from
2. __Be Genuine:__ Humanity wins every time. If you wonder why you aren’t connecting with your audience on your website or social channels, take a look at your messaging. Are you speaking in a friendly, relatable way? And moreover, are you putting your audience first in your message? If your content talks more about your brand than how your brand can help those you serve, you’ve already lost.
3. __Develop a Personality Brand:__ Just because you’re a brand or a large company, doesn’t mean you can’t have a distinct voice. In fact, you need that more than ever to stand out from the clutter. Consumers are desperate for connection and nothing creates a stronger affinity than messaging they can relate to. Something that sends a signal that this company understands what that consumer needs.
- Are you messaging around your Content Pillars (and do you even have any)?
- Are you still aligned with your mission and vision?
- Do you have a strong brand positioning statement that instantly tells your audience what you stand for and how you can help them?
- Is your tone of voice consistent?
All of these help solidify your [Personality Brand](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-personality-danielle-zeitlen-hughes/ "Personality Brand") and result in stronger, deeper connections with your audience.
4. __Invest In a [Strong Organic Footprint](https://www.causeofakind.com/the-salon/seo-in-3-2-1-go "Strong Organic Footprint"):__ Create a meaningful web experience with content focused on and around your brand. Through the consumer journey, independent of a specific industry or vertical, at some point, your consumer will turn to Google in search of information. Investing heavily in a content strategy with the goal of being the trusted source for consumers is paramount, and creates an incredibly stable web presence and ultimately, brand affinity.
Are you listening to your consumer? Because they want to hear from you.
_____________________________________________________________________________
__Danielle Hughes__ is the Chief Personality Officer of [More Than Words Marketing](http://personalitybrand.me "More Than Words Marketing"). She helps people and the brands that target them to develop their Personality Brand, creating content that sounds like you and giving you the space to truly be yourself in your messaging.
__Justin Abrams__ is the Chief Executive Officer of [Cause of a Kind](https://www.causeofakind.com "Cause of a Kind"); a long island based boutique digital marketing agency specializing in custom digital experiences focused on the organic consumer experience. Justin partners with some of the most recognizable brands on earth, working with digital marketers to drive digital strategy.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/4-ways-to-maximize-roi
# How do I maintain traffic and revenue from my website during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2020-03-12
Normally, when we see "hot trends", Organic Search Marketing doesn’t typically react as quickly as Social or Paid or Email as an acquisition and awareness strategy. But every now and then Search reacts. Ultimately, its because the consumer is reacting.
Normally, when we see "hot trends", Organic Search Marketing doesn’t typically react as quickly as Social or Paid or Email as an acquisition and awareness strategy. But every now and then Search reacts. Ultimately, its because the consumer is reacting.
With the current state of the world, COVID-19 is demonstrating unprecedented movement in e-comm and retail, travel and hospitality, entertainment, fashion, medicine and so much more. The shelves are clearing for products related to hygiene, sanitation, cleanliness and prevention. The impact to travel and hospitality, which is directly dependent upon foot traffic, entertainment in all forms from museums and galleries to the largest of sporting events and festivals, medical and helthcare services and institutions crippled by rapid influx of demand and lack of supplies and real estate, and so many more industries are and will continue to be impacted for some time.
As mentioned in [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-13/coronavirus-will-change-how-we-shop-travel-and-work-for-years?utm_campaign=news&utm_medium=bd&utm_source=applenews "Coronavirus will change how we shop, travel and work for years."), "Coronavirus will change how we shop, travel and work for years". In this moment companies will need to redefine the way that they interact with their consumer audience. Organizations will need to adapt their strategies to focus on aquisition models that understand what their consumer audience is turning to their brand for. Listening to the highly competitive environment and understanding where tomorrow's customer might be.
All websites have access to a suite of google tools that help companies understand their consumer audience. Everything from [Google My Business](https://www.google.com/business/ "Google My Business"), to [Google Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/ "Google Analytics"), to [Google AdWords](https://ads.google.com/ "Google AdWords"), to [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/ "Google Search Console") and more.
For example, native to [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console/about "Google Search Console") is the day over day [Organic Clicks and Impressions](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7042828?hl=en "Organic Clicks and Impressions") data, which should absolutely be consulted. The business can use this to prioritize the types of products, services and solutions their consumers are most likely to turn to them for, and allow content strategies to target consumers in these moments that matter, to provide the information the consumer expects and needs. This can also be combined with a cross channel strategy, ensuring that the keywords generating engagement are paid for, socialized, email blasted and advertised with precision. Limiting waste of revenue is critical during times of web duress. Organizations should double down on the engagement that drives their bottom line and think strategically about targeting wider and deeper audiences.
Creating a website from the start with a consumer focused, [SEO first design](https://www.causeofakind.com/the-salon/search-first-design "SEO First Design") would be ideal, but what about organizations that are pumping significant funding into paid aquisition strategies? Organizations are being forced to reduce spend rapidly, to preserve revenue, but also to strategically focus on demographics of consumers. If your company put a hault to paid aquisition, would your company persist with organic attention alone?
Prioritizing SEO and Consumer Optimized Content Strategies at the organizational level can truly help brands identify their target audience. In times of web and commerce uncertainty, brands need to hyper focus on their value to the consumer, first.
COVID-19 may be a brief incident, disrupting global business, but reacting with a consumer first approach and listening to the data related to the products, services and solutions they care about in the moments that matter is now more paramount than ever before.
The goal is to focus on the content you qualify for related to this moment in time. Associate your products, services and solutions to the consumer by strategically understanding their needs as they relate to your brand. Medical centers my need to design more mobile care options. Hotels my need to diversify their strategies to focus on local communities and "around town" content to stimulate local travel. Fashion companies may need to innovate into bacteria-free materials and new manufacturing regulations focusing on sanitation. Restaurants may need to explore vaster delivery services and offer incentives to patrons stimulating foot traffic. An the list goes on and on and on.
Protect your organic bottom line.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-do-i-maintain-traffic-and-revenue-from-my-website-during-covid-19
# Search First Design
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2020-03-01
When you ask most designers what the most important part of design is, a textbook response is *empathy*. I’ve pondered this question quite a bit over the years and have arrived at the bold conclusion that while this is in fact a pillar at the foundation of design, it is not where I begin a project.
When you ask most designers what the most important part of design is, a textbook response is *empathy*. I’ve pondered this question quite a bit over the years and have arrived at the bold conclusion that while this is in fact a pillar at the foundation of design, it is not where I begin a project.
After almost a decade in the field and working at a few agencies before founding my own I’ve seen design, marketing, and development work as largely siloed departments. Sure there are standup and meetings and open office plans to facilitate some collaboration, but it was more of a tension than a collaboration. Toward the end of a project requests came from rocketing in from marketing and the development team complained furiously certain aspects of the design could not be completed on time.
When starting Cause of a Kind, I knew this was something that I wanted to do differently. Being both a designer and a developer (albeit more of a developer at heart) I was able to feel the tension in my own head between the two disciplines. Working closely with Justin on projects every day, our SEO guru, we had to collaborate from the start. We sat down and would do keyword research, run lighthouse reports, run crawlers and do competitive analysis together before we ever opened a Sketch file or wrote a single line of code.
Our approach was radically changing the way that I had approached design before. At most places we would ask about the brand, a little about their competitors, maybe do a few surveys with potential customers to learn a bit about the brand itself. The problem was on the other side of the room the same customer was paying our marketing department to give them deeper insights into these same things. We’d design for where the brand was, and marketing was planning to take the brand to where they wanted to go.
As we conducted our keyword research and started looking for places where the lexicon gave way to low competition and high demand I was able to see the holes in the market. Where this brand could position themselves that others were not, and how they could structure their content and website to serve the intent of their users. This is where **search first design** is born, intent.
Understanding first what your users are looking for allows you to build that pillar of empathy first. Too often we say we are trying to improve the user experience, and using that as a blanket term for “I’m going to make something pretty.” The fact is this is playing the fiddle before tuning it. It may be pretty, but it somehow misses the mark for the business parties and their users.
When we start with search first, we learn first what people are looking for, and then we see how to bring the brand closer to that ideal. Most businesses are migrating from old sites and platforms, that have designs that are essentially out-of-the-box templates cobbled together to fit the brand. Despite it being 2020, many small to medium sized businesses especially are just dipping their feet into getting the digital experiences they deserve. When we work on a design from scratch, starting with what we *think* we know about the customer is never as good as starting with what the customer is telling us. This is at the heart of search.
I’ll be adding more case studies of how we put this into practice in a practical sense, but in the meantime, designers, hang out with your marketing department sometime, you might be surprised at what you learn.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/search-first-design
# SEO in 3. 2. 1... GO!
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2019-07-18
What is the best SEO strategy for my existing website? The age-old question for a continuously moving target. Gut check time!
# SEO in 3.2.1.FAIL!
Over the years we have seen every possible tool, audit technique, ideation and content development strategy,local visibility, technical best practices, common pitfalls and every possible cross channel digital failure you can think of. Every savvy way that agencies can come up with in order to move the needle for your business metrics. So, why hasn’t worked for your organization?
Most likely, at the inception of your partnership with any agency or consultant, a benchmark of your current performance will be recorded. Typically a checklist of common pitfalls and digital metrics are reviewed, such as:
- How is each channel contributing to the overall performance of the business?
- What are the KPI’s used to determine performance reporting?
- Are efforts in marketing actually mapping to ROI?
From there the ability to understand current performance and technical risk would typically be a critical component. Essentially, “popping the hood” to take a look at the inner workings of the digital machine. Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), such as:
- Evaluate the current keyword footprint
- Run a comprehensive technical audit to uncover errors preventing indexation or rank
- Identify competition and understand gaps in your own visibility or content opportunities to fill consumer needs
Using a variety of tools or even enterprise level platforms to help with visibility reporting, research, monitoring metrics, storytelling and the cutting edge of digital insights. This is all incredibly valuable and should, in theory, lead to lift.
> Ask yourself, __“why has none of this worked?”__
It's quite simple actually. The website you are optimizing, adding new content to, fixing technical issues on and hoping to the Google Gods that its performance improves,In reality, is an under-performing, painfully slow and antiquated web experience, that is not designed to perform in the current digital marketplace.
[Search is evolving over 500 times a year.](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-algorithm-history/ "Google Algorithm History") Algorithms that penalize performance, favor authority and look specifically for consumer metrics. Consider your environment. Optimizing junk, will yield junk results.
At some point, a business will need to evaluate the root of the scenario. There is only so much that the same old site can improve upon. Think about it as a car engine; there is only so far that you can push a standard v4 engine. If the goal is speed and power (a primary rank factor), at some point, the only option is to swap the engine for a better foundation to continue building upon.
Its the harsh reality of an ever evolving digital landscape.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/seo-in-3-2-1-go
# What is a headless CMS?
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2019-07-17
We talk a lot about headless architecture here. It’s something that I first discovered about three years ago when looking for a more flexible solution to more traditional CMS solutions like Wordpress and Drupal. Customers were beginning to demand sites that were better, more interactive, and behaved more like what they saw in native applications. I often found myself spending more time trying to make client requests and designs fit into the platform than building the features themselves.
We talk a lot about headless architecture here. It’s something that I first discovered about three years ago when looking for a more flexible solution to more traditional CMS solutions like Wordpress and Drupal. Customers were beginning to demand sites that were better, more interactive, and behaved more like what they saw in native applications. I often found myself spending more time trying to make client requests and designs fit into the platform than building the features themselves. There were also great technical improvements coming to the world of web development from cloud deployed backends to radically fast and interactive javascript frameworks. The traditional CMS was struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of change, and we wanted to offer our clients the best in class. The traditional monolithic CMS model that I grew up with was crumbling.
A headless CMS (content management system), at it's simplest, is a CMS that only concerns itself with content management. Where monolithic CMS's (Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla & Shopify) allow you to both manage content and design a website, a headless CMS is just a home for your content. That content can then be access via API (application programming interface) to be delivered to any website, mobile app, internet of things application, etc. Clients can still update their data, without the fear that something they do will break the designs, and with a far more searchable and easier to navigate interface.
On the development side, even our smallest clients get a version controlled code base, a deployment pipeline, a node server environment, and a template and CMS that is customized to their business. No more FTP'ing files and just pushing things live, no more bugs with templates and plugins that didn’t quite work right. Most importantly no more frustrated emails from clients trying to figure out how to update that image in that slideshow plugin on the services page. With version control, testing, a lightning fast server, and a professional deployment pipeline, multiple developers can work on the same features without overwriting each other, properly test their work, and stage changes easily for clients to review before pushing them live. For that matter we could have as many staging environments as we needed all without duplicating any code bases.
From the client perspective Contentful can be configured to match the lingo of their business. I could set it up with models that reflected the naming conventions of their business as well as add helper text to every field so it was abundantly clear what would be updated. If clients ever couldn’t find where a piece of text was in the CMS, the solve was easy, just copy and paste it in the search bar and Contentful will tell you exactly where that line of text is. Clients were less frustrated now that they didn’t have to worry about breaking a template or clicking through ambiguous menus to find something.
Performance is the next reason for this change. Fact is a monolithic CMS is not going to be able to compete with a lightweight website that is configured just for what the site's purpose is. Wordpress is a Swiss Army Knife solution, it does a lot of things well, but when it comes to code performance your site should only have what is needed and discard the rest. Our motto here is a site is complete not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to remove. We pride ourselves on the performance of our sites and it was something that despite my best efforts I could never get to the levels I wanted to with a monolithic system.
> Our motto here is a site is complete not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to remove.
Contentful also has a robust image CDN that allowed for URL based transformation of images. Instead of using background images and creating multiple asset sizes, you can specify a width, height and cropping behavior, and get back exactly what the template called for. They even have an option to center people’s faces so now clients can upload whatever aspect ratio they want and the template handles the rest. This type of functionality was something only my enterprise clients had when using tools like Scene7. Now this is democratically available to all. This makes image implementations more accessible, performant, and easier to manage for all parties.
If you still aren’t sold on the headless model just take a look at what [Drupal](https://www.drupal.org/docs/8/api "drupal api"), [Wordpress](https://developer.wordpress.org/rest-api/ "wordpress api"), and [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/plus/solutions/headless-commerce "Headless shopify") have been up to for the last few years. All of them have been building out API access to their content to allow users to free themselves from their monolithic architectures. In fact we love using the Shopify API for e-commerce, this way we get the best of both worlds, a world class e-commerce transaction platform, and a pro-grade site architecture and development pipeline with zero design restrictions. The future is headless and the benefits are far greater than simply allowing developers to use fancy new frameworks. Modern build pipelines, easy to manage staging and development environments, code safety, ease of use, and performance are just the beginning of what we can begin to offer everyone not just enterprise businesses.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/what-is-a-headless-cms
# Speed is Mission Critical
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2019-07-17
After many years in the business of building websites, time after time we are asked some variation of: “what is the most important factor to consider when building, re-designing, or optimizing a web experience?”
Photo by [Emil Jarfelt](https://unsplash.com/@emiljarfelt?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText "Emil Jarfelt") on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/search/photos/lightning?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText "Unsplash")
After many years in the business of building websites, time after time we are asked some variation of: “what is the most important factor to consider when building, re-designing, or optimizing a web experience?” We would be hard pressed to tell you that any one factor trumps any of the many considerations to take into account when building a digital experience. That being said, there is one factor that transcends the disciplines of marketing, user experience, and development. It’s the one thing that google bots and your users cringe at universally--a slow website.
More often than not, the tension between building a fast site and a beautiful site ends up pushing us toward sluggishness. The increasing demand from users for interactive media and gorgeous photography is costly to performance. This is made even worse when businesses become dependent on older, monolithic e-commerce and content management systems of the past. This puts us in a tenuous balancing act of what matters more, another few milliseconds of load time or that vivid, expressive imagery? Maybe it’s that video you spent thousands producing for your brand, or that wonderfully interactive experience you saw on a competitor’s site. What we have found more often than not, is these tradeoffs don’t have to be a zero sum game. Oftentimes it’s the technology the business feels bound to that is holding it back from having a fast AND beautiful site. But first, let’s zoom out for a moment and see how speed affects not just your user’s experience, but your discoverability by search engines.
Search engines run the digital world. According to Google, we are now within the mobile age. There are fundamental rank factors, that access the value of the experience your website provides to the human consumer. Your website should accommodate all walks of life and be accessible to anyone that visits it. In this sense Google is not just assessing the effectiveness information but also the delivery of that information. When it comes to ranking deliverability, especially on mobile, there is one metric that has risen to prominence, speed.
With Google’s algorithm now ranking your mobile performance first, you can guarantee, despite all of your best SEO efforts of the past, if the site is slow, it’s not going to perform as well as you hope. Remember, every website has two primary customers, the human and the robot, and they are dependent upon one another. If your rank drops, so does your discoverability. The robot has zero emotion. It cannot see your beautiful site design nor the hard work you put into your photography or video assets--it just sees heavy network calls and slow time to render. It has no idea how amazing your retargeting strategy is, only your time on site metrics and conversion performance.
Google is so dedicated to mobile speed that they created their own open source specification for building mobile optimized web pages. Google refers to this as [AMP ( Accelerated Mobile Pages)](https://developers.google.com/amp/ "amp") and provides a code base for sites to utilize as well as all the justification in the world for its requirement. In reality, we do not need to use Google's AMP specification as long as we deliver on a speedy experience for all users. AMP is just a tool to help get us there, but it’s not the only way.
Speed is not just important for SEO and discoverability. There have been numerous studies done now that showcase the importance of speed as it relates to your users bounce and conversion rates. As we can see in the following study on [Section’s blog](https://www.section.io/blog/page-load-time-bounce-rate/ "section's blog") bounce rate greatly increases for real users for every second of increase that your pages take to load. When page speed is 2 seconds bounce rates average around 9.6%, compared to 32.3% when page speed hits 7 seconds. This adds insult to injury because not only was your site harder to discover, it was too slow to tolerate. Users are also more likely to spend more time on site when the load between pages is quick and seamless. In the same study, Section found users visited an average of 5.6 more pages when load times were 2 seconds as opposed to 7 seconds. This shows as little as five seconds is critical to your user retention.
From [Section.io](https://www.section.io/blog/page-load-time-bounce-rate/ "section.io blog")
With all this talk about heavy assets it’s a common thought that brands have to dump all of their gorgeous assets in favor of super-light, text-only experiences. This is not the case. Today we have incredible infrastructure for content delivery that can distribute assets around the world and serve them at lightning speed. With today's content delivery infrastructure there is no excuse. The only thing holding most businesses back is reliance on the old self-hosted, monolithic platforms of the past like Wordpress, Joomla, Shopify and Magento. Things like performant content distribution networks, microservices, and cloud infrastructure were not available at an affordable cost to most--this era is now over.
Enter the headless content management system. We advocate for breaking up the monolithic structures of yore in favor of a microservices approach. This doesn’t mean we throw out all of the platforms of the past--it just means we want to configure them differently. Instead of building your website on top of a platform like Shopify, we simply interact with its API for transactions. Instead of self-hosted assets and content, we use an optimized content infrastructure like Contentful to serve media and content around the world using state of the art content distribution networks. Instead of serving your entire website from the same sluggish server we serve only what’s needed from a location that is as close to the current user as possible. You can have a site rich with media and have it blow the footer off of your competitors in speed. This makes both Google’s bots and your users happy.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/speed-is-mission-critical
# Crossing the Chasm: Cannabusiness
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2019-07-09
Emerging markets have one thing in common at their core. Consumer trajectory. Understanding where the consumers attention will be in the near future is the art of the go to market strategy. Developing a web experience to compliment is critical.
Crossing the Chasm: Cannabusiness
It's the very definition of a paradigm shift in common culture. A schedule 1 drug, driving the most undervalued and yet widely lucrative industry, arguably of the last 100 years.
However, its history and taboo nature has prevented marketers from tackling the problem. How do we educate traditional consumers on the topic of cannabis and disrupt the current and common medical, fitness and pharmaceutical norms? Digital preparedness and Increased Visibility.
Working with cannabusinesses of different sizes and business initiatives, it is clear that there is a deficiency in experience developing and executing marketing strategy, digital exposure, and web innovation. Organizations see the boom coming in regulation and business limitation, but have not positioned themselves to be prepared. CBD is widely accepted in the United States at this time, despite its heavy regulatory limits. Organizations are scrambling for web presence and differentiation from competitors. Recreational legalization is spreading wildly and companies have to make the decision to either develop a digital marketing strategy for the impending shift, or get left behind. Should they cross the chasm?
How do we educate traditional consumers on the topic of cannabis and disrupt the current and common medical, fitness and pharmaceutical norms?
Digital preparedness and Increased Visibility
This emerging market requires proper positioning:
- cutting edge web experiences
- valuable user focused and search engine focused content
- interactive user experiences
- consumable multi media to engage with all potential customer journeys
- eCommerce experience
- thought leadership
- micro influencer engagements and publication
- social exposure and curated convertible content
- brand identity and continuity through all phases of the digital transformation
-
The day is coming, when free enterprise includes cannabis. The organizations that position themselves in advance of “Eastward Expansion” will benefit greatly when regulation shifts. How are you positioning your cannabusiness in an emerging market?
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/crossing-the-chasm-cannabusiness
# "I dont need a website"
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2019-07-09
Whether you believe your business needs a website, a better website, or a revolutionary website, the common denominator is, yes, you need a website in this current marketplace. Your customer expects it, your business depends on it, and the longevity of your goals and business commitments, depends on it.
Its 2019. Here is how the world currently works, and WILL NOT being going backwards.
Currently, life is full of decisions. In digital, we call them, [Micro Moments](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/micro-moments/micro-moments-understand-new-consumer-behavior/ "Micro Moments"). At almost all times, we are looking for information. We either want to know something, go somewhere, buy something or we want to do something. Whether we are looking for a doctor or a coffee shop, a mechanic or a salon, you need to consider ways to differentiate your business. In urban or suburban, densely populated retail environments, this is even more pressing.
*How do you differentiate a nail salon or barber shop or tattoo parlor or doctors office from the 20 other competitors within spitting distance or each other?*
Today, people research your business before making a decision. Time is precious and people are moving faster than ever. We have access to a computer at all times with our mobile devices and have the ability to make more accurate decisions that fit our personal lifestyles.
__Fact:__ Your business is judged, at some point or another, by its web presence and user experience.
In very few scenarios; speakeasies, underground concerts or clubs, exclusive experiences, might not want a website. In reality, your website is the face of your business, and the central hub for your entire marketing strategy.
[Digital Epicenters](https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/09/update-online-marketing-strategy-10-tips.html "Digital Epicenters")
Think about this. You are running some kind of acquisition marketing strategy. Whether its old school penny savers, mailers, email blasts, flea markets or farmers markets or maybe it is a sophisticated strategy incorporating a full digital marketing and acquisition campaign. Regardless of your commitment to marketing, it ALL funnels to your website. The gatekeeper to your business.
What if you don't have a website at all, or that website is sub-par and difficult to gain information or perform an action on? Trust that at some point, your business is judged by your website.
Remember, life is made up of these Micro Moments. Think about your own life experience; where do you find information? Whether you use the internet or not, yourself, chances are, your customer definitely uses it.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/i-dont-need-a-website
# Adaptive Vs. Responsive: The Spectrum Problem
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2014-08-01
My first fully responsive project was building the front-end of what would be a large human resources website. Being a novice in the responsive craft at the time, I read everything that I could in order to adopt the best possible solution. I researched CSS frameworks, fluid grids, and popular screen resolutions. Then I came across a strange term, adaptive design.
# Adaptive Vs. Responsive: The Spectrum Problem
My first fully *responsive* project, was building the front-end of what would be a large human resources website. Being a novice in the *responsive* craft at the time, I read everything that I could in order to adopt the best possible solution. I researched CSS frameworks, fluid grids, and popular screen resolutions. Then I came across a strange term, *adaptive design*.
After some research it was clear that there was some discrepancy within the development community as to what exactly was the difference between the two. Despite being thoroughly confused after a few hours of research, ultimately I came to the understanding that adaptive design meant a site was to be built for a set predetermined screen resolutions or breakpoints. *Responsive* design, on the other hand, meant the site would cover all possible screen resolutions, with seamless breakpoints.
The problem I found with that particular project was that I was handed three designs, at three breakpoints (1152px, 768px, 480px), but the layouts changed so much that it was clear my *responsive* project was in fact destined to be adaptive. Hell bent on meeting the true *responsive* definition, I was left to fill in the middle ground and learned a lot as I struggled to extrapolate the design and make the transition between resolutions appear seamless.
After battling the frustration of that first project, I had come to the conclusion there were two options, a fixed width layout, or a fully *responsive* solution. *Adaptive* just felt like a dirty word to me. I wanted the site to move like liquid, casually filling it’s container perfectly at every browser resize. Then I learned about timelines, cost constraints, and client interference.
A fully responsive site usually requires a full redesign of the previous site, and last minute changes can leave you tearing your hair out in frustration as your beautiful liquid mercury terminator get’s shredded to bits. You don’t always get the option of a full redesign, and you don’t always get the option of executing your vision completely.
What many clients want, is something in the middle–something that makes both money and it’s launch date.
__The Spectrum Problem__
Today I work integrating third party software modules into e-commerce sites, where the term responsive has become a buzz word. The question in scoping conversations is always posed, “*is your site responsive*?” And a response of yes from an ecom director or marketing coordinator can mean just about anything from a completely fluid layout to a separate mobile (m.dot) template.
From a designer / developer perspective the correct rhetoric would be *is your site adaptive or is it responsive?* However, does this really cover it? Are all sites that are mobile optimized sitting within one of these two predefined camps?
The short answer is *no*.
What I have found is that most mobile optimized sites today (and I specify mobile optimized because some people still forgo mobile all together) exist on a spectrum. Much like in geometry, where a square is technically a rectangle which is also a parallelogram, but not the other way around–responsive sites are adaptive and are also mobile optimized, but not necessarily vice versa.
In the space of mobile web development, we encounter a wide array of hybrid solutions. If we try to define the whole of the mobile web in two camps, then we leave out the gray areas that exist, we lose the ability to scope a project effectively, speak intelligently with our clients, and get the full picture to our development team.
But where do we begin finding out what approach or combination of approaches were used?
## Device or Window-Size Detection
There are two main ways that a website decides how to adjust its layout.
__1. Device Detection__: Triggers new code based upon the device being used. This can either be done on the client-side by media queries in the CSS, or server-side code.
__2. Window Size__: Triggers based upon the size of the browser window. This is typically done on the client-side using media queries in your stylesheet, but is also achievable, though inefficient, using javascript.
When a site relies upon device detection, we are looking at a site firmly on the adaptive end of the spectrum. When we look at window-size, we begin to tip towards the responsive end of the spectrum, but may not be all the way there yet.
Take a look at the below CSS to see how this would look in standard media queries.
```
/* Device Detection */
@media screen and (min-device-width: 768px) and (max-device-width: 1024px) { ... }
/* Window Size Detection */
@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { ... }
```
Not too much of a difference there, but in terms of behavior, `min/max-width` will work when the browser is resized, whereas `min/max-device-width` requires a mobile device or simulator to trigger. For this reason device detection is often the most bothersome to work with. It also does not account for a user using a smaller browser window on their desktop or laptop, causing an annoying horizontal scroll. For the best user experience, and adherence to true responsive design principles we are seeing window-size detection become most popular.
But then how do we define these terms simply?
## The Spectrum Defined
Going back to the geometry example, what I propose are a few major definitions, or buzz words if you will, each nesting within one another like Russian matryoshka dolls. A spectrum allows us to see the gray areas created as sites bring themselves into the mobile era.
__Mobile Optimized__
This encompasses any site with even the most primitive of mobile capabilities–all the way up to full on digital liquid mercury. It’s just vague enough to show you have a clue where the current trends are going, but not specific enough to be presumtuous of anything ground-breaking. It shows the existence of a strategy, albeit it may be a poor one. A client solely in this category and none of the others will typically have a separate mobile site or single m.dot template.
__Adaptive__
Adaptive design takes the approach of setting the template to shift at predetermined widths or breakpoints. Traditionally this could either be done by serving up a new templates based upon device detection, or through media queries utilizing the same template.
The advantage of serving separate mobile templates is that each device is served only the content optimized for that device with nothing extra loaded. Images, styles, and HTML are only that which is required–this is not the case when we move over to responsive. That being said, the media query method is gaining favor–with faster development times and being closer to responsive on the spectrum of mobile design.
When done by media query, adaptive sites can either specify device-width or window-width, but the site will appear to snap at the specified breakpoints to the next layout. One can see that in the adaptive definition alone there is a spectrum, but it’s beginning to narrow.
If you are on a desktop, take a look at [this example](http://jsfiddle.net/mrispoli24/E2xsr/6/embedded/result/). I’ve made the break points a bit more drastic to emphasize the effect but be sure to take a look at how the Site content snaps to the next width. I used the window-size detection method so you can simply resize your browser window rather than load in a device.
__Responsive__
Responsive design means that the site will respond to any device constraints thrown at it. It involves the use of percentages for element and font size, fluid grids, and will scale the layout according to window-width not device-width. This is the latest craze in web design as it is the most forward thinking by ensuring consistent layout despite the myriad of new devices and screen sizes released each year.
The criticism here is that the site is not serving up only what is required for that device–potentially resulting in a loss of performance. The advantage being, one template can fit any device or window size possible, without a loss of user experience.
Does this mean that a responsive site is not also adaptive? No, it most certainly is adaptive, it’s just more graceful than other adaptive methods. But is an adaptive site also responsive? Not necessarily.
If you are on a desktop, take a look at [this example](http://jsfiddle.net/mrispoli24/9L9wk/8/embedded/result/). When you resize the window, you can see that rather than snapping to specific points, a fluid grid scales on it’s own, reconfiguring the layout when necessary at smaller resolutions.
Traditionally that would cover it for definitions, but I would like to add one more…
__Fluid Responsive__
This is the stuff web applications are made of, and what I consider to be the holy grail of web design. It’s often not possible for more complex sites to achieve this status but it is becoming more popular with time. This is the digital liquid mercury I refer to, just pure unicorn blood. These sites will scale infinitely relying wholly on window-size detection just like their responsive parent, however they will never shift layout as is common with fluid grids. They often have to maintain a single column throughout, much like this blog, as two columns in a smart phone gets awful cumbersome.
Again, if you are on a desktop, [see this example](http://jsfiddle.net/mrispoli24/L5tDz/embedded/result/). As you can see the two colums scale infinitely without any change in layout. This type of site only works for very specific applications, as e-commerce sites in particular often have many different elements that would be better suited to the responsive design principle, but not full fluidity. Though rare, it is worth noting this type of site as it requires extra care to achieve this.
## For The Visually Inclined
Here is a graphic to showcase the above definitions. If you are an account or project manager and in the business of scoping projects, the development time will typically increase as you go from left to right on the spectrum.
You can also check out [this video](http://teamtreehouse.com/library/build-a-responsive-website/introduction-to-responsive-web-design/fixed-fluid-adaptive-and-responsive-2) on [teamtreehouse.com](http://teamtreehouse.com/) for some additional clarity.
## In Conclusion
These definitions in themselves do not clear up the multitude of methods or combination of methods used on the web today. I have seen partially responsive sites down to a certain width where they switch to an m.dot layout; and sites that scaled all the way down to mobile using a fluid grid but when loaded into a device pull up a completely different template. Hence the need to understand this as a spectrum rather than trying to categorize every site into two distinct categories. This is especially important when asked to scope a project, whether it be a full site rebuild, or a module living inside an existing layout.
The jumble of different ways businesses have attempted to bring their site into the mobile revolution is not influenced simply by purity of development but also by cost and usage constraints. Often we like to divide things into black and white, but there is a big gray area today in the mobile web, and the sooner we recognize it, the sooner we can adapt our business practices to it.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/adaptive-vs-responsive-the-spectrum-problem
# The Loan Nobody Remembers Taking Out
Every we will fix it later was a loan, and the interest comes out of your team's week forever. Here is the balance most owners never see.
There is a sentence that gets said in every growing company, and it always sounds responsible.
"Let us just ship it now and fix it properly later."
It sounds like pragmatism. Like a team making a smart call under pressure, choosing momentum over perfection. And sometimes it is exactly that. But here is what almost nobody in the room understands in the moment. That sentence is not a decision to move fast. It is a loan application. And the loan gets approved instantly, every single time, at an interest rate nobody bothered to read.
The technical name for it is technical debt, which is a shame, because the word technical makes owners assume it is an engineering concern they can safely ignore. It is not. It is one of the most financial things in your entire business. It just never shows up on a statement.
[](https://www.causeofakind.com/#contact "Book a Systems Audit")
Here is how the interest gets paid. Every shortcut, every later, every quick fix that quietly became permanent, makes the next change a little harder. So your team spends more and more of its time not building new things, but working around the old shortcuts. The research on this is remarkably consistent. Developers spend around a third of their working week, roughly 13 of 40 hours, just servicing technical debt rather than building anything new (https://technicaldebtcost.com/productivity). McKinsey puts the total weight of it at 20 to 40 percent of the entire value of a company's technology estate, with a meaningful slice of every new project budget quietly diverted to servicing old debt before a single new thing gets built (https://fullscale.io/blog/technical-debt-quantification-financial-analysis/).
Read that as an owner, not as an engineer. You think you have a team of six. If a third of their week goes to interest, you effectively have a team of four, and you are paying for six.
And here is the part that makes debt so dangerous. It compounds. It gets more expensive over time, never less. A shortcut that would take one week to fix today can take three months to fix in two years, because in the meantime you built ten more things on top of it, and now all of them have to be unwound just to reach the original problem (https://www.classicinformatics.com/blog/technical-debt-the-real-cost-and-how-to-reduce-it).
I saw this described perfectly in a case that stuck with me. A logistics company had an order system built back when they ran eight trucks. Years later, running sixty, they went to add a routine new feature. It was estimated at six weeks. It took fourteen, because the foundation had been built for a company a fraction of their size, and every step forward meant fighting decisions made years earlier by people solving a much smaller problem (https://bitvea.com/en/blog/true-cost-of-technical-debt). Nobody did anything wrong. The shortcuts made complete sense in the year they were taken. They just never stopped charging interest.
Here is the reframe that matters most. The debt did not accumulate in the code. It accumulated in the decisions. The deadline you approved. The roadmap that left no room to go back and clean up. The dozen reasonable we will deal with it laters, each one sensible on its own, that added up to a balance nobody is tracking and everybody is paying.
And occasionally, the whole bill comes due at once. Southwest Airlines lost more than a billion dollars in 2022 when an aging scheduling system, deferred and patched for years, finally buckled under a winter storm and stranded the airline for days (https://bitvea.com/en/blog/true-cost-of-technical-debt). That is what deferred maintenance looks like when it stops being a slow leak and becomes a flood. It almost never announces the date in advance.
When we sit down with a company at Cause of a Kind, one of the first things we try to find is not what they want to build. It is how much of their team's week is already gone before anyone builds anything. How many hours of every day are spent paying interest on decisions made years ago. That number is usually a shock, and it is usually the most honest financial figure in the whole business.
So here is the wisdom, and it reaches far past software.
Speed you cannot sustain is not speed. It is borrowing. There is nothing wrong with taking on debt deliberately, in code or in life, as long as you know that you did it and you have a plan to pay it down. The real danger is the debt you took without noticing, the balance that grows in the dark while you keep making minimum payments in the form of your best people's time. Everyone carries some. The winners are simply the ones who know their number.
If your team keeps saying that a small change will take far longer than it should, and you cannot understand why something so simple has become so hard, you already have your answer.
That is not slowness.
That is interest, and it has been compounding for years.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-loan-nobody-remembers-taking-out
# The Demo Is Not the Destination: What AI Building Tools Actually Hand You
AI tools let anyone build a working proof of concept in an afternoon. That is a gift. It is also not a business. Here is the gap nobody warns you about.
I want to start with something I genuinely believe. We are living through the single best moment in history to be a person with an idea and no engineering degree. If you can describe what you want in plain English, a model will hand you something that runs. That is wild. That is beautiful. I am not here to throw cold water on it.
In early 2025, Andrej Karpathy gave this whole movement a name. He called it [vibe coding](https://x.com/karpathy/status/1886192184808149383), describing a style where you lean into the flow and almost [forget that the code even exists](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/vibe-coding). And it caught fire fast. By the spring of that year, roughly a quarter of the startups in a single Y Combinator batch reported that more than 95 percent of their codebase was generated by AI ([source](https://aiadventureclub.substack.com/p/vibe-coding-is-the-future)). The floor that used to keep regular people out of software building has dropped through the basement.
So here is my love letter and my warning, all in one post.
## The floor dropped. The ceiling did not move.
The thing AI building tools are spectacular at is getting you to a demo. You prompt, it scaffolds, you get a screen that looks like the thing in your head. That feeling is intoxicating, and you should chase it. Build the proof of concept. Show your spouse. Show your future customers. Validate the idea before you spend a dollar.
But a demo and a company are two different animals, and the distance between them is exactly where most first time founders get hurt.
Addy Osmani, who leads developer experience at Google Chrome, put language to this better than anyone. He calls it the seventy percent problem. AI can rapidly produce something like [70 percent of a working application](https://addyo.substack.com/p/the-70-problem-hard-truths-about), the scaffolding and the obvious patterns. The trouble lives in the final 30 percent. The edge cases. The integration with real systems. The security. The part where it has to work when a stranger who is not you, on a phone you have never seen, on a network you do not control, hammers on it at two in the morning.
Osmani has a phrase for what you are actually holding after a great vibe coding session. He calls it [house of cards code](https://zed.dev/blog/ai-70-problem-addy-osmani). It looks like a building. It is held together with duct tape behind the scenes.
## Most things do not fail because they were built badly
Now, I do not want you to read all that and think the lesson is "AI bad, hire engineers." That is lazy and it is wrong.
My business partner and COAK cofounder Mike Rispoli wrote a piece a while back called [On Building Bad Ideas](https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/on-building-bad-ideas), and there is a line in it I quote constantly. He reminds us that most software does not fail because it was poorly built. It fails because it set out to solve a problem that was not big enough.
Sit with that for a second, because it reframes the whole AI conversation. If your idea is wrong, AI just lets you build the wrong thing faster and cheaper. That is actually a feature. Use these tools to find out you are wrong before you raise money, before you quit your job, before you ask anyone to bet on you. The proof of concept is the cheapest market research you will ever run.
The danger is not building the demo. The danger is mistaking the demo for the destination.
## Where this is going
The next time someone tells you they built their whole product over a weekend and they do not need a developer, believe the first half. They probably did build something real. Then ask them the second half of the questions. What happens when you have a thousand users. What happens when a customer's data leaks. What happens when you want to add the feature that actually makes you money and the model keeps breaking the three features that already worked.
That second half is the 30 percent. It is where defensible, scalable, and secure live. And it is the subject of the rest of this series.
For now, go build your bad idea. Find out fast if it is a good one. Just know that the moment it becomes real, the rules change, and the cousin in your corner will be the first to tell you so.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/the-demo-is-not-the-destination-what-ai-building-tools-actually-hand-you
# Strictly From Nowhere
Strictly From Nowhere is a podcast hosted by Justin Abrams, spotlighting early-stage founders and creative entrepreneurs as they share unfiltered stories of building from the ground up, navigating challenges, and turning vision into impact.
- [John Crickett | The Ai Landscape](/strictly-from-nowhere/john-crickett-on-the-ai-landscape.md)
- [Jerry Balentine, President of NYIT | Rebranding Long Island as Silicon Island](/strictly-from-nowhere/jerry-balentine-president-of-nyit-on-rebranding-long-island-as-silicon-island.md)
- [Youmie Jean Francois, Founder @ Flex n Fly | Don't Negotiate With Doubt](/strictly-from-nowhere/youmie-jean-francois-founder-flex-n-fly-or-dont-negotiate-with-doubt.md)
- [Jeremy Suriel, Founder & CTO @ Kustomer | Human-in-the-Loop Software](/strictly-from-nowhere/jeremy-suriel-founder-cto-kustomer-on-human-in-the-loop-software.md)
- [Steph Porter, Founder @ Ink&Iron | Social Media Is Dead, But PR Is Alive And Well](/strictly-from-nowhere/steph-porter-founder-ink-and-iron-on-social-media-is-dead-but-pr-is-alive-and-well.md)
- [Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, Founder @ WatchMojo | Content is King, But Distribution is Queen](/strictly-from-nowhere/ashkan-karbasfrooshan-founder-watchmojo-on-content-is-king-but-distribution-is-queen.md)
- [Bart Lewin | The Power of Non Equity Financing](/strictly-from-nowhere/bart-lewing-on-the-power-of-non-equity-financing.md)
- [Pete Sacco | The Bridge Between Humans & Ai](/strictly-from-nowhere/pete-sacco-on-the-bridge-between-humans-and-ai.md)
- [TJ Pietre | The Future of Design Systems](/strictly-from-nowhere/tj-pietre-on-the-future-of-design-systems.md)
- [Chris Fenton | What Does It Mean To Be Valuable?](/strictly-from-nowhere/chris-fenton-or-what-does-it-mean-to-be-valuable.md)
- [Kiko Zang, Founder @ CHOMP | Is Perception Actually Reality?](/strictly-from-nowhere/kiko-zang-founder-chomp-on-is-perception-actually-reality.md)
- [J.J. Kelley | The Only Thing Standing In Your Way Is You](/strictly-from-nowhere/j-j-kelley-on-the-only-thing-standing-in-your-way-is-you.md)
- [Kim Bode, Founder @ 8THIRTYFOUR | Embrace Your Super Power](/strictly-from-nowhere/kim-bode-founder-8thirtyfour-on-embrace-your-super-power.md)
- [Andrew Fine, Co-Founder @ SEI | Replace Useless Content With Useful Content](/strictly-from-nowhere/andrew-fine-co-founder-sei-on-replace-useless-content-with-useful-content.md)
- [James Hamilton, Founder @ Dubble.gg | What the Heck is Clipping?](/strictly-from-nowhere/james-hamilton-founder-dubble-gg-on-what-the-heck-is-clipping.md)
- [Jim Kitchen | The Future of IoT and Smart Homes](/strictly-from-nowhere/jim-kitchen-on-the-future-of-iot-and-smart-homes.md)
- [Lawrence Krubner | Ai in LegalTech](/strictly-from-nowhere/lawrence-krubner-on-ai-in-legaltech.md)
- [Joshua Brown | Architecting Professional Courses](/strictly-from-nowhere/joshua-brown-on-architecting-professional-courses.md)
- [Alex Salazar, CEO & Co-Founder @ Arcade.dev | The Future of Ai Governanace](/strictly-from-nowhere/alex-salazar-ceo-and-co-founder-arcade-dev-or-the-future-of-ai-governanace.md)
- [Jessi Szurek | Transforming Financial Services with AI](/strictly-from-nowhere/jessi-szurek-on-transforming-financial-services-with-ai.md)
- [Oshri Cohen | The Real Role of the CTO](/strictly-from-nowhere/oshri-cohen-on-the-real-role-of-the-cto.md)
- [Alesha Taylor, Founder @ G2G Intelligence | The Power of YOU in an AI World](/strictly-from-nowhere/alesha-taylor-founder-g2g-intelligence-on-the-power-of-you-in-an-ai-world.md)
- [Zechariah Thomas, Founder of Swift Hockey | Disrupting Hockey ](/strictly-from-nowhere/zechariah-thomas-founder-of-swift-hockey-on-disrupting-hockey.md)
- [Philip Kiely | Inference Engineering](/strictly-from-nowhere/philip-kiely-on-inference-engineering.md)
- [Roger Henley | The Future of Human AI Symbiosis](/strictly-from-nowhere/roger-henley-on-the-future-of-human-ai-symbiosis.md)
- [Joseph Beauchamp, Founder @ Beauchamp Team Growth Solutions | Hire For The Culture](/strictly-from-nowhere/joseph-beauchamp-founder-beauchamp-team-growth-solutions-on-hire-for-the-culture.md)
- [Nnenna Ndukwe, DevRel | The Future of Ai Engineering is Code Quality](/strictly-from-nowhere/nnenna-ndukwe-devrel-on-the-future-of-ai-engineering-is-code-quality.md)
- [Ryan Estes, Investor, Founder & Creator | Entrepreneurship as a Creative Pursuit](/strictly-from-nowhere/ryan-estes-investor-founder-creator-on-entrepreneurship-as-a-creative-pursuit.md)
- [Damon Gatison, SVP @ Synthesis, Inc. | AI and The Future of Finance](/strictly-from-nowhere/damon-gatison-svp-synthesis-inc-on-ai-and-the-future-of-finance.md)
- [Nat Berman, Founder @ The Be Better Movement | How To Build a Personal Brand](/strictly-from-nowhere/nat-berman-on-how-to-build-a-personal-brand.md)
- [Lyle Ciardi, Founder @ Feel Golf | His Walk Unspoiled By The Little White Ball](/strictly-from-nowhere/lyle-ciardi-founder-feel-golf-on-his-walk-unspoiled-by-the-little-white-ball.md)
- [Drs. George and Danielle Christakis, Owners, Wellness First | Business Partners : The Yin To My Yang](/strictly-from-nowhere/drs-george-and-danielle-christakis-owners-wellness-first-on-business-partners-the-yin-to-my-yang.md)
- [Ash Hess | Build With The Exit In Mind](/strictly-from-nowhere/ash-hess-on-build-with-the-exit-in-mind.md)
- [Dan Pratl, Founder @ Quadron | The Future of Verification](/strictly-from-nowhere/dan-pratl-founder-quadron-on-the-future-of-verification.md)
- [Joe Leo, Founder @ Def Method | When Breaking Things Is Expensive](/strictly-from-nowhere/joe-leo-founder-def-method-on-when-breaking-things-is-expensive.md)
- [Cathy Hickman, Co-Founder @ SafeAgent | Innovate from Experience](/strictly-from-nowhere/cathy-hickman-co-founder-safeagent-on-innovate-from-experience.md)
- [Ben Guo, Cofounder @ Zo Computer | The Cloud PC for the AI Era](/strictly-from-nowhere/ben-guo-cofounder-zo-computer-on-the-cloud-pc-for-the-ai-era.md)
- [Daniel Pratl, Founder @ Quadron | Take the Bull By The Horns](/strictly-from-nowhere/daniel-pratl-founder-quadron-on-take-the-bull-by-the-horns.md)
- [Ben Howdle, Author of The First CTO | Becoming The First CTO](/strictly-from-nowhere/ben-howdle-author-of-the-first-cto-on-becoming-the-first-cto.md)
- [Michael Bromley and David Hock, Founders @ Vendure.io | Don't Innovate On Stuff That Doesn't Matter](/strictly-from-nowhere/michael-bromley-and-david-hock-founders-vendure-io-on-dont-innovate-on-stuff-that-doesnt-matter.md)
- [Raul Proenza, Founder @ Atomic Coders | You Still Need The Fundamentals](/strictly-from-nowhere/raul-proenza-founder-atomic-coders-on-you-still-need-the-fundamentals.md)
- [James Colistra, Founder @ Wonderfish | Speak Your Dreams Into Reality](/strictly-from-nowhere/james-colistra-founder-wonderfish-on-speak-your-dreams-into-reality.md)
- [Scott Werner, Founder @ Sublayer | From Recession to Reinvention](/strictly-from-nowhere/scott-werner-founder-sublayer-on-from-recession-to-reinvention.md)
- [Chris Hobson, Founder @ Hobbs Pickles | The Pursuit of Pickle Perfection](/strictly-from-nowhere/chris-hobson-founder-hobbs-pickles-on-the-pursuit-of-pickle-perfection.md)
- [Adam Creeger, CTO @ Slate | Systems and Swarms](/strictly-from-nowhere/adam-creeger-cto-slate-on-systems-and-swarms.md)
- [Mooly Beeri, Founder @ BetterSoftware.dev | Excellence in Software Delivery](/strictly-from-nowhere/mooly-beeri-founder-bettersoftware-dev-on-excellence-in-software-delivery.md)
- [Will Sentance, Founder @ Codesmith.io | The Future of Software Engineering](/strictly-from-nowhere/will-sentance-founder-codesmith-io-on-the-future-of-software-engineering.md)
- [Will Ruben, Founder @ Workmate | The Hard Part Isn't Building, It's Distribution](/strictly-from-nowhere/will-ruben-founder-workmate-on-the-hard-part-isnt-building-its-distribution.md)
- [Irina Nazarova, CEO @ Evil Martians | Building Better Software With Rails](/strictly-from-nowhere/irina-nazarova-ceo-evil-martians-on-building-better-software-with-rails.md)
- [Mitchell Jones, Founder @ Lava | 1% Better Every Day](/strictly-from-nowhere/mitchell-jones-founder-lava-on-1-better-every-day.md)
- [Jordan Sachs, Founder @Sunday Cap | Adversity Creates Opportunity](/strictly-from-nowhere/jordan-sachs-founder-sunday-cap-on-adversity-creates-opportunity.md)
- [Dave Macolino, President & COO @ Shore Group | Hire For The Will, Not The Skill](/strictly-from-nowhere/dave-macolino-president-and-coo-shore-group-on-hire-for-the-will-not-the-skill.md)
- [Max Hill | Everything Is A Sale](/strictly-from-nowhere/max-hill-on-everything-is-a-sale.md)
- [Carole Hussey, Co-Founder @HHS Connect | Unwavering Commitment to Cause](/strictly-from-nowhere/carole-hussey-co-founder-hhs-connect-on-unwavering-commitment-to-cause.md)
- [Phil Kovacs, Founder & CEO @Flight School | Failure Is Data](/strictly-from-nowhere/phil-kovacs-founder-and-ceo-flight-school-on-failure-is-data.md)
- [Spencer Cook, Founder @ Sober in 40 | From Prison to Purpose](/strictly-from-nowhere/spencer-cook-founder-sober-in-40-on-from-prison-to-purpose.md)
- [John Crickett, Founder & CTO @ Coding Challenges | Stop Making Excuses, and Network](/strictly-from-nowhere/john-crickett-founder-and-cto-coding-challenges-on-stop-making-excuses-and-network.md)
- [Chuck Moxley & Nick Paladino, Co-Hosts @ The Frictionless Experience | Top Hacks For The Modern User Experience](/strictly-from-nowhere/chuck-moxley-and-nick-paladino-co-hosts-the-frictionless-experience-on-top-hacks-for-the-modern-user-experience.md)
- [Patrick Gilbert, CEO @ AdVenture Media | Digital Arbitrage Is Dead](/strictly-from-nowhere/patrick-gilbert-ceo-adventure-media-on-digital-arbitrage-is-dead.md)
- [A Ruby Gem for Optical Character Recognition (OCR)](/strictly-from-nowhere/a-ruby-gem-for-optical-character-recognition-ocr.md)
- [Larry Siedlick | Entrepreneurship is a Lifelong Craft](/strictly-from-nowhere/larry-siedlick-on-entrepreneurship-is-a-lifelong-craft.md)
- [Natalie Kaminski & Igor Alexandrov , Co-Founders @ JetRockets | No One Cares How ITs Made, Only That It Works](/strictly-from-nowhere/natalie-kaminski-and-igor-alexandrov-co-founders-jetrockets-on-no-one-cares-how-its-made-only-that-it-works.md)
- [Nir Zavaro, The Business Catcher | Chances Are, Your Business Is Doing It Wrong](/strictly-from-nowhere/nir-zavaro-the-business-catcher-on-chances-are-your-business-is-doing-it-wrong.md)
- [Derek Peterson, Founder @ Soter Technologies | Discipline and Determination Create Unstoppable Entrepreneurs](/strictly-from-nowhere/derek-peterson-founder-soter-technologies-on-discipline-and-determination-create-unstoppable-entrepreneurs.md)
- [Gershon Morgulis, Founder @ Imperial Advisory | What Does it Really Mean to Build a Financially Sound Business?](/strictly-from-nowhere/gershon-morgulis-founder-imperial-advisory-on-what-does-it-really-mean-to-build-a-financially-sound-business.md)
- [Andrew Gazdecki, Founder & CEO @ Acquire.com | If You Build It, Will They Come?](/strictly-from-nowhere/andrew-gazdecki-founder-and-ceo-acquire-com-on-if-you-build-it-will-they-come.md)
- [Matheus Ramos | Software Delivery Excellence](/strictly-from-nowhere/matheus-ramos-on-software-delivery-excellence.md)
- [Jesse Wroblewski | Marketing for Supervillains](/strictly-from-nowhere/jesse-wroblewski-or-marketing-for-supervillains.md)
- [Michael Reyes , Area Developer at KidStrong | Strong Kids, Strong Future](/strictly-from-nowhere/michael-reyes-area-developer-at-kidstrong-on-strong-kids-strong-future.md)
- [Pete Sacco | Yesterday is a Memory, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift, Which is Why it is Called the Present](/strictly-from-nowhere/pete-sacco-on-yesterday-is-a-memory-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-and-today-is-a-gift.md)
- [Why Lovable Ain't So Loveable](/strictly-from-nowhere/why-lovable-aint-so-loveable.md)
- [Hank Watt, Co-Founder @ Natures Wild Berry | When Life Hands You Lemons, Eat A Berry](/strictly-from-nowhere/hank-watt-co-founder-natures-wild-berry-on-when-life-hands-you-lemons-eat-a-berry.md)
- [ Mike Rispoli, Co-Founder & CTO Cause of a Kind | Ruby on Rails is the Holy Grail](/strictly-from-nowhere/mike-rispoli-co-founder-and-cto-cause-of-a-kind-on-ruby-on-rails-is-the-holy-grail.md)
- [Ryan Reilly, Sales Coach & Business Developer | YOU Are Your Own Worst Enemy In Entrepreneurship](/strictly-from-nowhere/ryan-reilly-sales-coach-and-business-developer-on-you-are-your-own-worst-enemy-in-entrepreneurship.md)
- [Holly Moscatiello, Co-Founder @ The Balance Project | Technology Is Rotting Your Childs Childhood](/strictly-from-nowhere/holly-moscatiello-co-founder-the-balance-project-on-technology-is-rotting-your-childs-childhood.md)
- [Kaiwei Tang, Co-Founder @ Light | A New Phone for a Reimagined Future](/strictly-from-nowhere/kaiwei-tang-co-founder-light-on-a-new-phone-for-a-reimagined-future.md)
- [Ryan Bloom, Co-Founder @ Urban Bonfire | The Difference Between A House And A Home](/strictly-from-nowhere/Ryan-Bloom-Co-Founder-Urban-Bonfire-on-The-Difference-Between-A-House-And-A-Home.md)
- [Sean Steigerwald, Co-Founder @ CustomerIQ | Your Customer Experience Deserves Better From You](/strictly-from-nowhere/sean-steigerwald-co-founder-customeriq-on-your-customer-experience-deserves-better-from-you.md)
- [Renato Villanueva, Co-Founder @ Parallel | Running Out of Money is Certain Death](/strictly-from-nowhere/renato-villanueva-co-founder-parallel-on-running-out-of-money-is-certain-death.md)
- [Justin Lund, Founder @ PROPEL | Getting Your Head Right for Business](/strictly-from-nowhere/justin-lund-founder-propel-or-getting-your-head-right-for-business.md)
- [Stephen Robles | Creating a Podcast and YouTube Channel from ZERO-To-Market](/strictly-from-nowhere/stephen-robles-or-creating-a-podcast-and-youtube-channel-from-zero-to-market.md)
- [Rakesh Bhargava, The Unemployable Entrepreneur](/strictly-from-nowhere/rakesh-bhargava-the-unemployable-entrepreneur.md)
- [Jimmy Rios, Founder of Rios Business Advisors | Forging a Financial Future for Entrepreneurs](/strictly-from-nowhere/jimmy-rios-founder-of-rios-business-advisors-on-forging-a-financial-future-for-entrepreneurs.md)
- [Cause of a Kind Engineering Team | Adopting and Adapting to AI for Customers](/strictly-from-nowhere/cause-of-a-kind-engineering-team-on-adopting-and-adapting-to-ai-for-customers.md)
- [Adam Chaimberg, Founder @ Aera Sports | Disrupting the Category of Watersports](/strictly-from-nowhere/adam-chaimberg-founder-of-aera-sports-on-disrupting-the-category-of-watersports.md)
- [Brian Fletcher, Co Founder @ Build FM | Building an Ai First Engineering Consultancy of the Future](/strictly-from-nowhere/brian-fletcher-co-founder-of-build-fm-on-building-an-ai-first-engineering.md)
- [Dean Curtis, CEO @ Ingage.io | Building a People First Tech Company](/strictly-from-nowhere/dean-curtis-ceo-ingage-io-on-building-a-people-first-tech-company.md)
- [Jonathan Willbanks, Founder @ Arterra Pet Science | The Pursuit of Pet Longevity](/strictly-from-nowhere/jonathan-willbanks-founder-arterra-pet-science-on-the-pursuit-of-pet-longevity.md)
- [Rosanna Santiago, Founder @ Wild Vines Marketing | Navigation the Marketing Landscape](/strictly-from-nowhere/rosanna-santiago-founder-wild-vines-marketing-on-navigation-the-marketing-landscape.md)
- [Charlie Cimitile, Co-Founder @ Day 1 Distro | Building a B2B Business in the Cannabis Industry](/strictly-from-nowhere/charlie-cimitile-co-founder-day-1-distro-on-building-a-b2b-business-in-the.md)
- [Sam Tooley, Founder @ Alpha Fit Club | The Business of Fitness](/strictly-from-nowhere/sam-tooley-founder-alpha-fit-club-on-the-business-of-fitness.md)
- [Cristobal Murrilo, Founder @ Selk'bag | Customer Led Innovation](/strictly-from-nowhere/cristobal-murrilo-founder-selkbag-or-customer-led-innovation.md)
- [Mike Fata, Co-Founder @ Manitoba Harvest (exited) | Finding the Rhythm of Entrepreneurship](/strictly-from-nowhere/mike-fata-co-founder-manitoba-harvest-exited-or-finding-the-rhythm-of.md)
- [Jaime Barrientos, Founder @ Acuity Risk Consultants | Navigating the Insurance Industry](/strictly-from-nowhere/jaime-barrientos-founder-acuity-risk-consultants.md)
- [Joely Leidner, Founder @ Jobs By Joely | Navigating Staffing and Recruiting Today](/strictly-from-nowhere/joely-leidner-founder-jobs-by-joely-or-navigating-staffing-and-recruiting.md)
- [Jeremy Bower, Founder @ Givr Packaging | The First Impression of Product Packaging](/strictly-from-nowhere/jeremy-bower-founder-givr-packaging-on-the-first-impression-of-product.md)
- [Michelle Bakels, Co-Founder @ ReactMiami | Building a People First Culture](/strictly-from-nowhere/michelle-bakels-co-founder-of-reactmiami-building-a-people-first-culture.md)
- [Jarett Bellucci, Founder @ Bellucci Productions | The Evolution of Video and Content](/strictly-from-nowhere/jarett-bellucci-founder-bellucci-productions-or-the-evolution-of-video.md)
- [Olivia Ludington, Founder @ Ludington Media | Public Relations and the Customer Experience](/strictly-from-nowhere/olivia-ludington-founder-ludington-media-or-public-relations-and-the.md)
- [Mark Kravietz, Founder @ ALINE Wealth | Building a Business with the Future Top of Mind](/strictly-from-nowhere/mark-kravietz-founder-aline-wealth-or-building-a-business-with-the-future.md)
- [Ravi de Silva, Founder @ de Risk Partners | From Compliance to Entrepreneur](/strictly-from-nowhere/ravi-de-silva-founder-de-risk-partners-or-from-compliance-to-entrepreneur.md)
- [Don MacKinnon, Co-Founder & CTO @ Searchcraft.io | From Military Brat to Tech Entrepreneur](/strictly-from-nowhere/don-mackinnon-co-founder-and-cto-searchcraft.md)
- [John Sampogna, Founder @ Wondersauce | Building A Durable Web Agency](/strictly-from-nowhere/john-sampogna-founder-wondersauce-or-building-a-durable-web-agency.md)
- [Rob Dugan, Founder @ Seek One Art | The Business Behind Contemporary Art](/strictly-from-nowhere/rob-dugan-founder-seek-one-art-or-the-business-behind-contemporary-art.md)
- [Komal Devjani, Co-Founder @ Callista Media | Guerrilla Marketing Unleashed](/strictly-from-nowhere/komal-devjani-co-founder-callista-media.md)
- [Michael Fisher, Founder @ Rotten | Feed Your Freak with Candy](/strictly-from-nowhere/michael-fisher-founder-rotten.md)
- [Jochem Van Der Veer, Founder @ TheyDo | The Art of Sales and Customer Retention](/strictly-from-nowhere/jochem-van-der-veer-founder-theydo.md)
- [Berkley Frei, Founder @ RockGarden.io](/strictly-from-nowhere/berkley-frei-founder-rockgarden-io.md)
- [Brian McAuliff, Founder @ Bri-Tech](/strictly-from-nowhere/brian-mcauliff-founder-bri-tech.md)
- [Neil Lockhart, Founder @ AmeriConstruct](/strictly-from-nowhere/neil-lockhart-founder-americonstruct.md)
- [TJ Pitre, Founder @ Southleft](/strictly-from-nowhere/tj-pitre-founder-southleft.md)
- [Lucas Roquilly, CTO @ OpenVC.app](/strictly-from-nowhere/lucas-roquilly-cto-openvc-app.md)
- [Will Nitze, CEO @ IQBar | The Evolution of a Brain Food Company](/strictly-from-nowhere/will-nitze-ceo-iqbar.md)
- [Geoff Bruskin, CEO @ White Tiger Connections](/strictly-from-nowhere/geoff-bruskin-ceo-white-tiger-connections.md)
- [Andrew Brown, CEO @ Toolfetch](/strictly-from-nowhere/andrew-brown-ceo-toolfetch.md)
- [Patrick Bardsley, CEO @ Spectrum Designs Foundation](/strictly-from-nowhere/patrick-bardsley-ceo-spectrum-designs-foundation.md)
- [Joe Fier, Founder @ Hustle & Flowchart](/strictly-from-nowhere/joe-fier-founder-hustle-and-flowchart.md)
- [Dalwin Garcia, Founder @ Blue Anchor Properties](/strictly-from-nowhere/dalwin-garcia-founder-blue-anchor-properties.md)
- [Jimmy Feeman, Co-Founder @ NoBaked Cookie Dough](/strictly-from-nowhere/jimmy-feeman-co-founder-nobaked-cookie-dough.md)
- [Jake Karls, Chief Rainmaker @ Mid-Day Squares](/strictly-from-nowhere/jake-karls-chief-rainmaker-mid-day-squares.md)
- [Maximus Greenwald, CEO @ Warmly.ai](/strictly-from-nowhere/maximus-greenwald-ceo-warmly-ai.md)
- [Shawn Hamilton, Founder @ Conduiit](/strictly-from-nowhere/shawn-hamilton-founder-conduiit.md)
- [Tobey Wyatt, Founder @ Motherlode](/strictly-from-nowhere/tobey-wyatt-founder-motherlode.md)
- [Theodore Massilon, Founder, NOM Studios | NOM Media](/strictly-from-nowhere/theodore-massilon-ceo-nom-studios-or-nom-media.md)
- [Nir Zavaro, Chief of Happiness - Author, Founder, Storyteller](/strictly-from-nowhere/nir-zavaro.md)
- [Michelle Wild, Founder & CEO @ BEST Connections](/strictly-from-nowhere/michelle-wild.md)
- [Tiffany Slowinski, CEO @ Team Spark Advisors](/strictly-from-nowhere/tiffany-slowinski.md)
- [Randy Herbertson, Principal @ The Visual Brand](/strictly-from-nowhere/randy-herbertson.md)
- [Donnie D'Amato, Founder @ Design Systems House](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-donnie-damato.md)
- [Jesse James Wroblewski, Founder @ Generations Beyond | The Marketing Supervillain](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-jesse-james-wroblewski.md)
- [Mike D'Angelo, Former President and COO of Compliance Science](/strictly-from-nowhere/mike-dangelo-former-president-and-coo-of-compliance-science.md)
- [Sarah Vilenskiy, Founder & CEO of Blossom Essentials](/strictly-from-nowhere/sarah-vilenskiy-founder-and-ceo-of-blossom-essentials.md)
- [Wes Henderson & James Gallagher, Co-Founders of TakeTatt](/strictly-from-nowhere/wes-henderson-and-james-gallagher-co-founders-of-taketatt.md)
- [Karl Runft, CEO of House Crunch](/strictly-from-nowhere/karl-runft.md)
- [Winsome Kirton, CEO of Heard.io](/strictly-from-nowhere/winsome-kirton.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Lucas Coniker](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-lucas-coniker.md)
- [Dave Benson, Founder @ SuperQuickQuestion](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-dave-benson.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Todd Blumberg](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-todd-blumberg.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Dilmer Valecillos](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-dilmer-valecillos.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Lily Ray](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-lily-ray.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Anna Chahuneau](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-anna-chah.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Barry Schwartz](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-barry-schwartz.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Stacy Kutyepov](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-stacy-kutyepov.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Madeline Zhang](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-madeline-zhang.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Tara Kleinhans](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-tara-kleinhans.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Adriana Brownlee](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-adriana-brownlee.md)
- [HERO Spotlight: Julien Jarry](/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-julien-jarry.md)
- [HERO Spotlight: Alex Puccio](/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-alex-puccio.md)
- [HERO Spotlight: Sophia Pavelle](/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-sophia-pavelle.md)
- [HERO Spotlight: Savannah Cummins](/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-savannah-cummins.md)
- [HERO Spotlight: Jesse Burke](/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-jesse-burke.md)
- [HERO Spotlight: Gillian Levy](/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-gillian-levy.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Ariane Resnick](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-ariane-resnick.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Tobi Deckert](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-tobi-deckert.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Angy Eiter](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-angy-eiter.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Jenna Hogg](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-jenna-hogg.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Sarah Uhl](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-sarah-uhl.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Lizzy Asher](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-lizzy-asher.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Sara Jagielski](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-sara-jagielski.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Tommy Caldwell](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-tommy-caldwell.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: HaeJun Jeon](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-haejun-jeon.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: John Weber](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-john-weber.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Kait Bykowicz](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-kait-bykowicz.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Erika Bergman](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-erika-bergman.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Catherine Capon](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-catherine-capon.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Xiuhtezcatl Martinez](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-xiuhtezcatl-martinez.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Patrick Bardsley](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-patrick-bardsley.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Kate Williams](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-kate-williams.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Alison Marras](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-alison-marras.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Alessio Bariviera](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-alessio-bariviera.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Maggie Sheerin](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-maggie-sheerin.md)
- [An Open Letter To Our Government](/strictly-from-nowhere/an-open-letter-to-our-government.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Nadia Redel](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-nadia-redel.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: J.J. Kelley](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-j-j-kelley.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Aja Nikiya](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-aja-nikiya.md)
- [Searching for Silence and Solitude in Utah](/strictly-from-nowhere/searching-for-silence-and-solitude-in-utah.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Mitch Hedlund](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-mitch-hedlund.md)
- [What Snows of Kilimanjaro?](/strictly-from-nowhere/what-snows-of-kilimanjaro.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Alexandra Kahn](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-alexandra-kahn.md)
- [HEROES Spotlight: Danielle "Dee" Esposito](/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-danielle-dee-esposito.md)
- [Take Back Tomorrow | Lessons](/strictly-from-nowhere/take-back-tomorrow-lessons.md)
# John Crickett | The Ai Landscape
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-09-03
As of this recording, all three AI providers went down. So we recorded a podcast instead.
Mike Rispoli sits back down with John Crickett, founder of Coding Challenges, for his second appearance. No origin story this time. Just two people who run their own businesses talking honestly about what building software actually feels like right now.
John built apps in C++, Rust, Zig, Go and Swift in the last month. He had never written a line of Swift. He also spent four hours building a working Mac app and then weeks fighting Apple bureaucracy to ship it.
We get into:
- Why nobody wants to learn a programming language anymore, and whether that is fine
- Mike's two day experiment writing code entirely by hand, and what it revealed about the old economics
- The agent that quietly created a GitHub Action in his personal account to route around a Cloudflare bug
- Why "just tell it what not to do" is terrible advice, and the elephant problem behind it
- Codify your values, not your prohibitions
- Why sound type systems beat TypeScript when an agent is the one writing
- The salaried engineer and the business owner have completely different token math
- Multi agent factories, and why Mike's collapsed back down to two
- When a rewrite is malpractice and when it is obviously correct
- Scope creep, and why it stopped being a conversation
Connect with John:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncrickett/
X: https://x.com/johncrickett
Coding Challenges: https://codingchallenges.fyi
CTO Confidential is part of the Strictly From Nowhere podcast experiment. New episodes weekly.
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/john-crickett-on-the-ai-landscape
# Jerry Balentine, President of NYIT | Rebranding Long Island as Silicon Island
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-08-14
Ask a plumber if he needs AI and he will tell you he puts pipes together.
Now imagine software that reads his schedule, tells him what to load in the truck before he leaves, predicts what each job will need, and reorders the day so the quick ones clear early. Same guy. Same pipes. Completely different business.
In this episode of Forward to Extraordinary, Justin Abrams, @cuzzinjustin , sits down with Dr. Jerry Balentine, fifth president of New York Institute of Technology, @nyitview . Born in Germany, trained in emergency medicine in the South Bronx, and the guy who said yes when two bosses said no to opening an urgent care center on Rikers Island. Three industries later, he runs a university.
This one is for Long Island, and for anybody who thinks innovation is something that happens somewhere else.
We get into:
- Why AI is an opportunity for Long Island, not a disruptor
- A minor in AI open to nursing, accounting, and architecture students
- Students who are years ahead of their professors and their president
- The 39 student startups on campus and the building New York Tech gave them
- Why the talent Long Island breeds keeps leaving, and what would make it stay
- Built with AI versus uses AI, and why Main Street is closer to this than it thinks
- If you have never failed on a project, you have not done enough projects
- Three careers, one discovery: the problems are always the same
Learn more about New York Tech: https://www.nyit.edu
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jerry.balentine/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-balentine-41139082/
New York Tech website:
Office of the President: https://www.nyit.edu/about/leadership/president/
Full bio page: https://www.nyit.edu/bio/president/
Forward to Extraordinary is part of the Strictly From Nowhere podcast experiment. New episodes weekly.
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jerry-balentine-president-of-nyit-on-rebranding-long-island-as-silicon-island
# Youmie Jean Francois, Founder @ Flex n Fly | Don't Negotiate With Doubt
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-31
She saw a man praying in an airport and thought, that looks like downward dog. That thought became a company.
In this episode of Forward to Extraordinary, Justin Abrams sits down with Youmie Jean Francois, founder and CEO of Flex-N-Fly, The Flex Bags, and The Flex-N-Fly Foundation. Former professional backup dancer. Private pilot. Speaks four languages. Haitian born and New York City raised.
She was set to launch inside JFK in April 2020. Then the world closed. She lost her investors, pivoted into physical product, and the bags kept the whole thing alive.
This one goes somewhere deeper than a business story. Youmie talks openly about building an entire successful life from inside survival mode, and what happened when she finally got to put that down.
We get into:
- The airport moment that started everything
- Why survival mode might be the best time to start a business, and the cost of staying there
- Manifesting from your full self instead of from desperation
- Losing her cat, and realizing she was grieving the last piece of her old life
- Freedom that arrives before you feel ready for it
- Being your own worst enemy, and refusing to negotiate with doubt
- Increasing your surface area for luck
- Inside the Flex-N-Fly Foundation: aviation access, free wellness in Washington Square Park, and an intergenerational program pairing elders with youth
Connect with Youmie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambitiousyf/
Website: https://hernameisyoumie.com
Flex-N-Fly: https://flexnfly.com
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/youmie-jean-francois-founder-flex-n-fly-or-dont-negotiate-with-doubt
# Jeremy Suriel, Founder & CTO @ Kustomer | Human-in-the-Loop Software
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-30
Before software as a service had a name, Jeremy Suriel was burning customer service software onto CDs and mailing it to enterprises.
In this episode of CTO Confidential, Mike Rispoli sits down with Jeremy Suriel, cofounder and CTO of Kustomer. Jeremy has been building in this space since 1997, starting with chat servers for GeoCities and Lycos, then a widget company Mark Cuban backed and AOL acquired, then Assistly, which Salesforce bought and turned into Desk.com.
Nearly thirty years of watching the same fundamentals survive every platform shift.
We get into:
- Chat servers, Java applets, and shipping software on physical media
- Why they took the worst offer on the table because it came from Mark Cuban
- Pivoting a virtual desktop into a widget business over margaritas
- Why AI should drive and humans should approve
- The 10 percent of customer conversations where brand loyalty actually gets built
- What proactive support looks like when it works
- Why pricing is the boring problem blocking the exciting features
- Where junior engineers get real experience in an AI native world
- What Jeremy actually screens for when hiring now
Connect with Jeremy:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremys/
X: https://x.com/jeremysuriel
Kustomer: https://www.kustomer.com
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jeremy-suriel-founder-cto-kustomer-on-human-in-the-loop-software
# Steph Porter, Founder @ Ink&Iron | Social Media Is Dead, But PR Is Alive And Well
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-30
Public relations used to mean one shot at one placement in one publication and hoping it landed.
In this episode of Forward to Extraordinary, Justin Abrams sits down with Steph Porter, founder of ink&iron PR. Steph started as a theater major, pivoted to communications on the advice of a campus counselor, and built a career running campaigns for brands like Walmart and Tim Hortons before leaving corporate to build her own shop in Grand Rapids.
She calls herself a commsager. She would do this work for free.
This one takes a hard left partway through into something more personal. Both Justin and Steph open up about the loss and adversity behind their reason why, and how that becomes the thing that actually keeps you showing up.
We get into:
- From performing arts to PR and the counselor conversation that changed everything
- Create once, publish everywhere, and why one placement should become ten assets
- Intentional media over mass media, and why podcasts and newsletters now outperform the press release
- SEO, and now GEO, when people search you through AI
- Real media training, which is mostly just finding a person's actual passion
- Never being satisfied and the pursuit of mastery
- The entrepreneur who never fully turns off
- Why your reason why is your unique superpower
Connect with Steph:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephporter/
ink&iron PR: https://inkandironpr.com
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/steph-porter-founder-ink-and-iron-on-social-media-is-dead-but-pr-is-alive-and-well
# Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, Founder @ WatchMojo | Content is King, But Distribution is Queen
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-29
What does it take to build one of the largest channels on YouTube without ever raising a dollar?
In this episode of Forward to Extraordinary, Justin Abrams sits down with Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, Founder and CEO of WatchMojo. Ashkan bet on YouTube in 2006 when people at conferences thought he was out of his mind. He bootstrapped through a lawsuit, a cash crunch, and years of quiet building before the business ever broke even.
This one goes deep on the mechanics of attention, the honest role of luck, and why the future belongs to operators who actually understand people.
We get into:
- Why the best entrepreneur is a good social scientist
- Vision, ambition, execution, persistence, luck, and timing
- Why content is king but distribution is queen
- Build the product first or build the audience first
- The Sound Mojo experiment and what the backlash taught him about timing
- Prophets as the original entrepreneurs
- Why people skills are the last real moat
- Why there are no limits unless you set them or let someone else set them for you
Connect with Ashkan:
X: https://x.com/ashkan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashkank/
WatchMojo: https://www.youtube.com/WatchMojo
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/ashkan-karbasfrooshan-founder-watchmojo-on-content-is-king-but-distribution-is-queen
# Bart Lewin | The Power of Non Equity Financing
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-24
Mike sits down with Bart Lewin, a four decade technology veteran, serial entrepreneur with seven startup exits, and a consultant who helps small tech companies grow. Bart is building a practice around a model most founders have never considered. Non equity financing.
The idea is simple and powerful. Instead of chasing tiny subscriptions while diluting your equity to raise venture capital, license the know how you already built to enterprises that will pay premium prices for it. You keep your equity, build a moat around your IP, validate the product, and fund your next plateau without giving away the farm.
They also get into why you should never fall in love with your merchandise, how trust wins million dollar projects that no one finds on Google, the move from time and materials to value based pricing, and why wisdom is knowing when you are done.
A grounded, honest conversation about building a business you actually love.
Topics covered:
- Non equity financing for SaaS
- Do not fall in love with your merchandise
- Networking and million dollar projects
- Fractional CTO, focus on sales not funding
- Find your unfair advantage
- Wisdom is knowing when to stop
Website: https://www.bartlewin.com
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/bart-lewing-on-the-power-of-non-equity-financing
# Pete Sacco | The Bridge Between Humans & Ai
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-23
Mike sits down with Pete Sacco, founder and CEO of PTS Data Center Solutions, author of The Bridge and Living in Bliss, and an investor in frontier technology including Extropic and Lemurian Labs. Pete is an ex theoretical physicist turned electrical engineer who has spent nearly three decades designing and building data centers.
Pete makes the case that two technologies will define this century. Artificial intelligence, and us. Machines handle optimization, pattern recognition, and the gathering work. Humans handle meaning, judgment, and discernment. He calls it the bridge, and he argues the relationship ahead is symbiotic rather than adversarial.
They dig into the history of every technology that unburdened us while quietly building a new cage, why the doomers have been wrong for five hundred years, and the chip that runs at room temperature and is ten thousand times more energy efficient than a GPU.
Then the hard question. Where do young people break in when the moat keeps getting higher? Pete has a direct answer.
Topics covered:
- The two pieces of thinking
- AI making us smarter, not dumber
- AI as the next Macintosh
- The energy efficiency revolution
- Teaching old engineers the new tools
- From having everything to being miserable
Website: https://www.petesacco.com
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/pete-sacco-on-the-bridge-between-humans-and-ai
# TJ Pietre | The Future of Design Systems
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-23
Mike sits down with TJ Pitre, Product Architect for Design Systems and AI at Figma and the founder of Southleft, a design systems consultancy trusted by teams at NASDAQ, Caterpillar, Indeed, and IBM.
TJ explains why sprinkling AI into a design system without proper context creates chaos rather than speed. His framing sticks with you. You are safe while you are walking the AI. The moment it gets ahead of you, you have lost the thread. He walks through FigmaLint, the validator his team built to bulletproof components before handoff, and makes the case that design systems are really just context for the machine.
They also get into the reverse design systems workflow that starts from vibe coded products, why Meta's Asterix points at a design system as an API, the Tailwind versus classic CSS debate, and whether off the shelf component libraries still matter.
Then the honest agency talk. Loving the work more than the business, giving away your best tools for free, and the million dollar question every founder hits.
Topics covered:
- AI chaos in design systems
- Walking or swimming with AI
- Design systems as agreement
- FigmaLint and design system quality
- The million dollar question
- Embrace the cringe
Website: https://southleft.com
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/tj-pietre-on-the-future-of-design-systems
# Chris Fenton | What Does It Mean To Be Valuable?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-22
Justin sits down with Chris Fenton, veteran Hollywood executive and author of Feeding the Dragon. Chris spent seventeen years as president of DMG Entertainment, produced or supervised twenty one films including Iron Man 3 and Looper, and teaches the business of cinematic arts at USC.
Chris shares the philosophy that shaped his colorful career. Life is a lottery, so own as many tickets as you can. Every person, every lesson, and every failure is a ticket in the drawing. He and Justin get into chasing opportunity instead of passion, why your network is only worth the currency you can give back, and why money alone will never make you happy.
They also dig into the thing every creator wrestles with. Authenticity over clicks, the brutal role of consistency, and why staying true to your mission beats chasing the algorithm.
Plus, Chris makes the case for American made film, an industry that employs three million Americans, and his new movie Bad Counselors.
Topics covered:
- Harvesting life's lottery tickets
- Pursue opportunity, not passion
- Networking as the currency of trust
- Money cannot buy happiness
- Authenticity over clicks
- Consistency is the key to success
Website: https://badcounselors.com
https://fenton-ibsc.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-fenton-chinaexpert/
Plate & Ponder Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2dZxONorGM2NHrW2VyixF2?si=de026db061ce46bd
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/chris-fenton-or-what-does-it-mean-to-be-valuable
# Kiko Zang, Founder @ CHOMP | Is Perception Actually Reality?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-10
Justin sits down with Kiko Zang, cofounder and CEO of Chomp, a consumer technology company that captures anonymous human opinion to help people understand themselves and each other.
Drawing on a life across four continents and five industries, Kiko blends psychology, technology, and AI to build products rooted in real human behavior.
They dig into one of the biggest problems of the digital age. The person sitting next to you lives in a completely different reality, fed by a completely different algorithm, and the platforms have no incentive to bring those worlds together. Kiko explains the wisdom of the crowd algorithm behind Chomp, the difference between what we believe and what we predict others believe, and why every fact was once just an opinion.
Then it gets real. Making decisions out of fear, why confidence trumps competence, knowing when to part ways with a cofounder, and how one shared question can bring people back together.
If you build products or care about how humans actually connect, this one is a trip.
Topics covered:
Bridging perception and reality
The wisdom of the crowd algorithm
Crowdsourcing reality
Overcoming fear in decision making
Confidence over competence
The belief graph that connects people
Website: https://chomp.fyi
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kikozang/
https://x.com/KayZizzle/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/kiko-zang-founder-chomp-on-is-perception-actually-reality
# J.J. Kelley | The Only Thing Standing In Your Way Is You
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-09
Justin and Mike welcome back [JJ Kelley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-j-kelley "JJ Kelley"), part of the Strictly From Nowhere origin story ten years ago.
JJ is a five time Emmy nominated director, creative producer, and showrunner working across premium nonfiction, branded entertainment, and cinematic storytelling. His work spans National Geographic, Disney Plus, Netflix, Discovery, Prada, Apple, Outside, Delta Air Lines, and WSJ Magazine. He has directed on Deadliest Catch, shot for Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold, and paddled from Alaska to Seattle in a homemade kayak. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and a Fellow of The Explorers Club.
This one goes deep on the craft. JJ argues there is almost no real barrier to entry anymore, that the phone in your pocket is enough, and that the only thing between you and the work is the story you tell yourself. He and Mike get into why AI will not replace filmmakers and why the same forces will reshape software.
Then the personal stuff. Building other people's dreams. Working behind the camera without needing the credit. And why you should never be greedy with your success.
Topics covered:
- From farm to filmmaker
- Create with what you have
- AI is incremental change, not revolution
- Why AI will not replace filmmakers
- Holistic filmmaking and supporting roles
- Overcoming self limiting doubts
https://www.instagram.com/jjkelleyfilm/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-j-kelley
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3237043/
https://www.youtube.com/@PaddleToSeattle
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/j-j-kelley-on-the-only-thing-standing-in-your-way-is-you
# Kim Bode, Founder @ 8THIRTYFOUR | Embrace Your Super Power
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-09
Justin sits down with Kim Bode, founder and CEO of 8THIRTYFOUR, a communications and learning company, and the creator of Big Deal Energy. Kim is a Forbes Top 200 PR founder who built her entire company on one idea. People buy from people, not logos.
They get into why the billable hour model is broken, how relationships beat transactions every time, and how to stand out without being eccentric. Kim shares the handwritten note habit that has landed her more business than any ad, and Justin explains the two dollar bill he leaves in every pocket.
Then Kim tells one of the most jaw dropping survival stories we have had on the show. An embezzlement that nearly destroyed her business, a brutal fight for justice, and how she rebuilt something bigger on the other side. Her motto is tattooed on her arm. Find comfort in the uncomfortable.
If you are a founder trying to build something human in an AI world, this one is for you.
Topics covered:
People buy from people, not logos
Standing out without being eccentric
Handwritten notes and the two dollar bill
From secretary to CEO
Embracing failure for growth
Finding comfort in the uncomfortable
https://8thirtyfour.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimbode/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/kim-bode-founder-8thirtyfour-on-embrace-your-super-power
# Andrew Fine, Co-Founder @ SEI | Replace Useless Content With Useful Content
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-08
Justin sits down with Andrew Fine, cofounder and CEO of SEI, the premium content agency behind the Genius Series. Andrew's mission is simple and enormous. Replace useless content with useful content.
They get into what it actually takes to build the next TED. Andrew explains why clipping is a tactic and not a strategy, how his team over indexes on ideas and kills anything that does not clear their internal gates, and why he built real sets and full production instead of taking the easy virtual route.
Then it gets personal. Justin opens up about shipping content every single day and never looking back at the data, the pull of legacy, and the one formula that stopped him cold. Performance equals Potential minus Interference.
If you make content, build a brand, or run a business in the age of AI, this one is a masterclass in intention.
The Four Questions to build any brand:
1. What do you want to be known for?
2. Who do you seek to serve?
3. What is your promise?
4. Why would someone follow you?
Topics covered:
- AI is here to stay, not a hype cycle
- Clipping as a tactic, not a strategy
- The deep content hypothesis
- Setting clear content goals and levers
- Mastering the production pipeline
- Performance equals Potential minus Interference
https://seicomesei.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcfine/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/andrew-fine-co-founder-sei-on-replace-useless-content-with-useful-content
# James Hamilton, Founder @ Dubble.gg | What the Heck is Clipping?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-07-01
Justin sits down with James Hamilton, founder of Dubble and a software engineer by trade, to unpack clipping, the fastest rising strategy in digital advertising.
Clipping takes one long piece of content and turns it into hundreds of short clips that flood every feed.
A million views for a few thousand dollars instead of a Super Bowl spot for millions. James explains how the model works, how brands like Stake built empires on it, and why volume plus data beats one perfect ad every time.Then the real debate. Can AI do this yet?
The answer is sharper than you think. AI is unstoppable at linear content and finds key moments in seconds. But curation, taste, and the emotional throughput that makes a stranger stop scrolling still belong to humans. The last mile stays human.They also get into 20x engineering output with agents, why judgment beats speed, how Netflix engineers your attention, and how to ride a trend instead of trying to move culture alone.
Topics covered:
- What clipping actually is
- Billboard marketing for the digital age
- Why AI cannot curate
- 20x output with AI agents
- Finding trending opportunities
- Netflix and the science of attention
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamilton-james/
https://dubble.gg/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/james-hamilton-founder-dubble-gg-on-what-the-heck-is-clipping
# Jim Kitchen | The Future of IoT and Smart Homes
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-06-27
The game is already over. You just do not realize it yet.
In this episode of CTO Confidential, [Mike Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/ "Mike Rispoli") sits down with Jim Kitchen, a fractional CPTO with three decades of experience building hardware, shipping standards, and managing successful exits. Jim has been in the trenches since 1998, working in telecom infrastructure, creating the TR-69 standard that still powers broadband provisioning, and co-founding the Matter IoT standard that now has over 900 companies involved.
We dig into how standards and infrastructure shape entire industries. Jim shares the pattern he has seen repeatedly: an innovation arrives, infrastructure catches up slowly, and then suddenly everything flips. It happened with broadband. It happened with home security. It is happening right now with AI and renewable energy.
The conversation spans electric vehicles (the game is already over), battery swap technology, why Texas is quietly leading the renewable energy revolution, and what it means to build orchestration tools in an industry still finding its footing.
Jim breaks down the fractional CPTO challenge: balancing product vision and technology delivery in organizations where those functions have collapsed. He also addresses the real crisis happening now: teams shipping features three times faster than they used to, breaking every downstream process from product planning to sales enablement to customer support.
This is a conversation about fundamentals, generalism, and keeping your hands on the tools even as technology accelerates.
What we cover:
- Origin story: Telecom, TR-69 standard, 75 million home activations
- Home security innovation in an industry frozen since the 1980s
- Building ecosystems and the power of standards
- Matter IoT standard and removing friction from consumer choice
- Why walled gardens ultimately lose to open systems
- The infrastructure lag: when innovation outpaces adoption
- Electric vehicles and the already-decided game
- Renewable energy in Texas leading the nation
- Battery swap technology for instant EV refueling
- AI as infrastructure challenge, not just a tool
- Fractional CPTO work and the collapsed product/technology divide
- Acceleration breaking downstream processes
- Product delivery pipelines in the AI era
- Testing, quality, and avoiding bugs at scale
- Local control at the edge versus cloud-to-cloud integration
- Matter gateway and bridging legacy protocols
- The renaissance of generalism over specialization
- Building and shipping, always
- Ian Banks Culture series as optimistic future vision
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jekitchen/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jim-kitchen-on-the-future-of-iot-and-smart-homes
# Lawrence Krubner | Ai in LegalTech
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-06-26
Legal tech is still using keyword search. That is a massive waste of what AI can actually do.
In this episode of CTO Confidential, Mike Rispoli sits down with Lawrence Krubner, CTO of Scorealytics, to dig into the frontier problems that AI is now making possible to solve. Lawrence has been building on the web since 2002, and his perspective on how each generation dismisses the next is eye-opening.
We talk about why minimalism matters when AI removes the need for it, how antagonistic agents from different LLMs can verify information with high confidence, and why open-source models are often better than frontier models when you have the right architecture. Lawrence shares how legal tech is wasting AI by treating it as a fancy search tool instead of using it to extract nuanced meaning from unstructured text.
This is a conversation about managing AI-generated code, the importance of forward deployed engineers, and the languages that were designed for the problems AI is now solving.
What we cover:
- Origin story from early web days to CTO at Scorealytics
- Every generation of programmers dismisses the next
- AI as the newest wave of simplification
- Ruby on Rails and frameworks that play well with AI
- Managing what to review in auto-generated code
- Strategic code review and decision points
- Junior engineers and training in the AI era
- Scorealytics and legal tech innovation
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/lawrence-krubner-on-ai-in-legaltech
# Joshua Brown | Architecting Professional Courses
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-06-25
The most successful people in the world are not in college. They are learning from other people. The question is: where are you learning from?
In this episode of Forward to Extraordinary, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/) sits down with [Josh Brown](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkbrownofficial/ "Josh Brown"), a course creator, educator, and CTO who has worked across every vertical from technical theater to corporate to teaching to building education businesses. Josh shares his framework for designing courses that actually work, why most online education fails, and the singular thing that separates people who build thriving education businesses from those who build products nobody buys.
We dig into reverse engineering courses from the end result backward, filtering out fluff that only adds noise, building communities that retain members, and why most entrepreneurs are chasing the wrong thing before they have validated the right thing. Josh also talks about micro niche success, authentic content in the age of AI, and the mastermind groups that actually matter.
This is a conversation about building products people want, keeping things simple, and surrounding yourself with people who will tell you the truth.
What we cover:
- Origin story from technical theater to teaching to courses
- The fallacy that college is the only path to success
- The bookend build framework for designing courses
- Why fluff kills online education programs
- Retention through community and engagement
- Asking for help as a strength, not a weakness
- Reverse engineering course success from the end result
- Validating ideas before investing time and money
- Micro niche success and specificity
- Authentic content in the age of AI
- Research based platform selection versus guessing
- The syndication strategy that works for you
- Simple wins versus chasing complexity
- Masterminds and surrounding yourself with honest people
- Being a CTO for a membership business at scale
- Rent versus build platforms and liability
Website: https://jkbrownofficial.com
Company: https://epiccourseagency.com
Playbook: https://coursesellingplaybook.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkbrownofficial/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/joshua-brown-on-architecting-professional-courses
# Alex Salazar, CEO & Co-Founder @ Arcade.dev | The Future of Ai Governanace
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-06-19
The most important circle in any startup is demand. If you do not nail that, technical feasibility and business viability do not matter.
In this episode of Forward to Extraordinary, Justin Abrams sits down with Alex Salazar, CEO and co-founder of Arcade.dev, an AI agent orchestration platform for enterprises. Alex shares the playbook that works: spotting non-consensus opportunities, refusing to ask customers what they want, using fake products to test demand, and knowing when to kill ideas fast.
__What we cover:__
- Non-consensus opportunities and betting before they become obvious
- Why demand matters more than feasibility or business viability
- Do not ask customers what they want, show them problems instead
- Using fake products to validate demand without writing code
- False positive and false negative feedback
- Price discovery through customer conversations
- Feature soup kills products, use reduction not addition
- Delegated user authorization for agent security
- AI guardrails versus governance
- Culture as customer excellence and world-class talent
- Hire slow, fire fast
- Recruiting talent as founder priority
https://www.arcade.dev/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsalazar/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/alex-salazar-ceo-and-co-founder-arcade-dev-or-the-future-of-ai-governanace
# Jessi Szurek | Transforming Financial Services with AI
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-06-12
The gap between what technology can do and what an organization will actually accept is where the real work happens.
In this episode of CTO Confidential, Mike Rispoli sits down with Jessi Szurek, Associate Partner at Synthesis, an AI native consulting firm focused on financial services and enterprise transformation. Over 17 years in technology consulting, Jessi has seen the industry shift from waterfall methodologies to agile, from low-code platforms to AI, and from paper-based requirements to digital transformation at scale.
We dig into what it actually takes to implement AI in highly regulated financial environments, why proprietary data becomes the real competitive advantage, and how the non-deterministic nature of AI creates challenges in domains where consistency is non-negotiable. Jessi shares insights on building trust with stakeholders, the importance of user adoption over technology selection, and why the human element remains irreplaceable in finance.
This is a conversation about consulting with integrity, understanding your clients beyond the surface, and building solutions that people will actually use.
What we cover:
- Origin story from architecture to AI strategy and governance
- How AI disrupted the low-code and no-code platform market
- Implementing technology in highly regulated financial environments
- The non-determinism problem in AI for finance
- Proprietary data as the actual competitive moat
- Why quick wins and MVPs matter in consulting
- User adoption as the real measure of success
- The human touch in wealth management and financial advisory
- AI's design limitations and the commoditization of mediocre design
- Compliance, governance, and the layers of enterprise risk
- Career advice for a tough tech job market
- Finding your path when it is not linear
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessi-petrosino/
https://synthesis.inc/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jessi-szurek-on-transforming-financial-services-with-ai
# Oshri Cohen | The Real Role of the CTO
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-06-11
The tech industry just changed again, and if you are still thinking about it the old way, you are already behind.
In this episode of CTO Confidential, Mike Rispoli sits down with Oshri Cohen , a fractional CTO who has been watching the landscape shift in real time. Over the course of this conversation, we unpack what it means to build products in an era where AI writes the code, how to think about technology selection when language no longer matters, and why the entire operational model of software companies needs to be rethought.
We get into the honest comparison between Claude and GPT, why programming languages might become irrelevant, and how managing AI agents is completely different from managing human teams. Oshri shares his approach to scaling development work through agentic systems, why product managers need to stop writing tickets and start understanding customers, and what it really takes to build something meaningful in this moment.
This is not theory. This is what the work looks like right now.
What we cover:
The CTO role and why it is the most misunderstood position in tech
How AI fundamentally changed the fractional CTO business model
Claude Code versus GPT: a developer's honest perspective
Why programming languages might be approaching obsolescence
Building architecture decisions with LLMs as the primary tool
Ruby on Rails, Go, Elixir, and why readability matters to AI
Managing multiple AI agents instead of human developers
Return on investment beyond revenue metrics
Product management in the age of AI developers
Why customer satisfaction is the actual ROI
The future of junior developers in a generative AI world
Building something and taking real risks
https://www.linkedin.com/in/oshricohen/
https://oshricohen.me/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/oshri-cohen-on-the-real-role-of-the-cto
# Alesha Taylor, Founder @ G2G Intelligence | The Power of YOU in an AI World
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-06-03
When you work inside a major corporate transformation, you see the future coming. When you leave that job to build something for the people being left behind, you become part of it.
In this episode of Forward to Extraordinary, part of the Strictly From Nowhere network, we sit down with Alesha Taylor, founder of G2G Intelligence. A few years ago, Alesha watched her company get acquired by an AI technology firm. She got a front row seat to how automation and AI transformed operations, how less busy work meant more meaningful work, and how the small business owners struggling to keep up would soon be facing extinction without help. So she walked away from corporate and built a company to bridge that gap.
We dig into her zero to market story, what it means to pivot when the data tells you to, and why understanding opportunity cost became the thing that changed everything. Alesha shares hard won lessons about saying no to the wrong clients, protecting your time as your most valuable resource, and why differentiating yourself means understanding that you are your brand, not your company.
This is a conversation about finding your way through chaos, and why the struggle is more universal than any of us realize.
What we cover:
- Leaving corporate to serve the small business community
- What AI transformation looks like from the inside
- Pivoting based on data and the law of averages
- Understanding opportunity cost as a founder
- Why you have to be willing to walk away from the wrong deals
- The moment you realize you are your brand
- Building community around education and AI implementation
- Protecting your time as your most valuable resource
https://g2gintelligence.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ataylor1011/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/alesha-taylor-founder-g2g-intelligence-on-the-power-of-you-in-an-ai-world
# Zechariah Thomas, Founder of Swift Hockey | Disrupting Hockey
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-05-28
What does it take to build a business in a hundred year old industry when you are young, bootstrapped, and going head to head with billion dollar giants?
In this episode of Forward to Extraordinary, part of the Strictly From Nowhere network, we sit down with Zechariah Thomas, founder and CEO of @SwiftHockey . A former pro hockey player from Oshawa, Ontario, Zechariah turned a problem he lived every season, sticks that cost a fortune and broke constantly, into a mission driven company built to make the sport more accessible and affordable.
We get into his zero to market story, why content volume became his single greatest competitive weapon, and how he survives a business that operates week to week with bills stacked on bills. Zechariah shares hard won lessons on financial literacy, building a team rather than a family, and why he believes entrepreneurship is not for everyone. It is an honest, unfiltered look at the grit behind the accolades.
What we cover:
- The zero to market story behind Swift Hockey
- Why content and distribution beat venture capital
- Treating your company like a team, not a family
- Embracing pressure as a tool for growth
- Why financial literacy is the skill founders wish they had sooner
- Going up against hundred year old giants as a young founder
- The daily calculated gamble of running a business
If you are building something against the odds, this conversation is for you.
https://swifthockey.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zechariah-thomas
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/zechariah-thomas-founder-of-swift-hockey-on-disrupting-hockey
# Philip Kiely | Inference Engineering
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-05-25
What happens when the technology adoption curve compresses from decades into a couple of years?
In this episode of CTO Confidential, we sit down with Philip Kiely, software developer at Baseten and author of Inference Engineering, to unpack the economics, careers, and engineering reality behind running AI in production.
We get into why inference is not the money losing operation everyone assumes it is, why most applications do not need a frontier model at all, and how owned intelligence has gone from a multi year project to something a team can build in days or weeks. Philip also makes the case that inference engineering is the next great career in software, and that the field is young enough for newcomers to become experts fast.
We close on something that applies to every builder and founder. The best career advice is not about networking. It is about becoming someone people want to connect with.
What we cover:
- Why the AI adoption curve moved from decades to years
- Debunking the myth that inference runs on negative margins
- Task specific models and the future of specialized intelligence
- Why you almost never need the whole model
- How owned intelligence became realistic for normal teams
- Inference engineering as the next career frontier in software
- Why a background outside of computing can be an advantage
- Career advice, book recommendations, and a few thoughts on House of Leaves
Connect with Philip Kiely:
Website: philipkiely.com
Inference Engineering book: https://www.baseten.co/inference-engineering
Find Philip on LinkedIn and X as @philipkiely
If you build software, lead a team, or run a company, this conversation is worth your time.
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/philip-kiely-on-inference-engineering
# Roger Henley | The Future of Human AI Symbiosis
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-05-21
Roger Henley joins Mike for a deep dive on AGI, consciousness, and the future of humanity. From building neural networks to understanding what truly separates us from machines.
What we unpacked:
- Defining AGI. It's not just doing 80% of human work. True AGI requires continuous learning, temporal awareness, and something we don't fully understand yet. LLMs are tools. Not there.
- Can AI discover general relativity? If you gave an LLM all human knowledge up to Einstein, could it make the leap? That's the question that matters.
- LLMs are tools, not conscious. They're predicting the next token. Full stop. Stop anthropomorphizing. They're bright. They're helpful. They're not thinking.
- Math as God's language. The more you learn about mathematics and physics, the more you feel the fingerprint of something intentional. Not an accident.
- AI's impact on education. Slow learning matters. Fundamentals first. Roger won't let his 12-year-old use AI for coding because you need to learn by hand first.
- Intellectual curiosity is everything. When hiring developers, Roger looks for one thing: insatiable curiosity. That matters more than credentials.
- Elon's short-sighted view. The idea that universal income just means endless consumption at Walmart misses what actually drives humans. Hiking. Climbing. Creation.
Every generation thinks the end is near. We're just in a different iteration of the same struggle. It's actually a pretty good time to be alive.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerehenley/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/roger-henley-on-the-future-of-human-ai-symbiosis
# Joseph Beauchamp, Founder @ Beauchamp Team Growth Solutions | Hire For The Culture
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-05-15
Joseph Beauchamp teaches leadership development. His thesis: most leaders don't understand the pieces of their own leadership that actually work.
__What we unpacked:__
- Leadership styles are tools, not fixed identities. Use the right tool for the moment. Most leaders get stuck with one hammer for everything.
- Culture doesn't establish itself. It drifts. A 1% change in trajectory compounds into massive misalignment over years.
- Hire for culture. Train for competence. You can teach someone their job. *You can't train core values.
- Belief and action must align. If you say customer first but act otherwise, your team feels the violation.
- Everyone is muddling through. The difference between who grows and who doesn't isn't secret knowledge. It's staying in self-development, reading, going to conferences, getting mentors.
- Inspiration beats force. People buy you before they buy your idea. Real leadership energy comes from genuine values and the desire to serve.
Prepare for growth before you need to. If you know challenges are coming, train now. Practice now. Get mentorship now.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYMpcDzZe2JCKwuYSrUxq8A
https://www.beauchampteam.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-a-beauchamp-mba-ms-42348072/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/joseph-beauchamp-founder-beauchamp-team-growth-solutions-on-hire-for-the-culture
# Nnenna Ndukwe, DevRel | The Future of Ai Engineering is Code Quality
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-05-07
We're talking with Nnenna Ndukwe, lead of developer relations at Qodo, about building a career in tech and why code quality is the biggest problem in the AI era.
Nnenna moved to Boston with her last dollars and worked her way into tech. Her story reveals something most engineers miss: non-technical skills matter as much as the code.
__What we unpacked:__
- Hand coding is non-negotiable. AI is easier. That's why you need to do the hard thing first.
- AI is making junior developer mistakes at massive scale. Build faster but the code becomes fragile.
- Code quality is the bottleneck. Your MVP used to take 3 months. Now a week. But maintenance becomes impossible.
- Personal manifesto drives authentic content. Document your values. Run all content through that lens.
- DevRel matters more now. As AI products multiply, the ability to communicate value is the differentiator.
- The industry has a responsibility to junior engineers. Entry-level disappeared because there's no time to train. That's shortsighted.
- Prompting AI is becoming art. You learn by listening to output. The English changes subconsciously.
- Math needs history. Fundamentals grounded in context stick better than formulas.
- Public speaking is vulnerability first. Show up weird. The right people connect.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nnenna-ndukwe/
Designing Data-Intensive Applications: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/designing-data-intensive-applications/9781098119058/
Building Evolutionary Architectures: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/building-evolutionary-architectures/9781492097532/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/nnenna-ndukwe-devrel-on-the-future-of-ai-engineering-is-code-quality
# Ryan Estes, Investor, Founder & Creator | Entrepreneurship as a Creative Pursuit
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-05-07
In this episode of CTO Confidential, Mike Rispoli sits down with Ryan Estes — investor, founder, creator, and former founder of podcast guest booking agency Kitcaster, which scaled to a $2M annual run rate before being acquired.
Ryan shares his origin story from music, MySpace-era marketing, failed product experiments, and agency life to building a holding company of service, software, and media businesses. We talk about what it really takes to build sellable companies, why distribution matters more than ever, the danger of chasing revenue for its own sake, and how ambition, family, creativity, and lifestyle all collide in entrepreneurship.
This conversation covers product-market fit for service businesses, the difference between building to sell and building to last, why “bad ideas” deserve a place to live, and what young entrepreneurs should understand before jumping into the game.
In this episode:
- Ryan’s path from music to entrepreneurship
- Building and selling Kitcaster
- Why distribution is now the real moat
- Product-market fit in service businesses
- Failed ideas, timing, and creative experiments
- The “sneaky millionaire” business model
- Ambition, family, and knowing what enough looks like
- Advice for young founders entering the job market
- Why bad ideas and good ideas come from the same place
Resources:
Ryan Estes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estesryan/
Kitcaster: https://kitcaster.com/
Built to Sell by John Warrillow: https://a.co/d/02apZopT
Traction by Gino Wickman: https://a.co/d/01dhuxI6
Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman: https://a.co/d/01xnvwJO
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/ryan-estes-investor-founder-creator-on-entrepreneurship-as-a-creative-pursuit
# Damon Gatison, SVP @ Synthesis, Inc. | AI and The Future of Finance
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-05-06
AI is changing financial services — but not in the way most people think.
In this episode of CTO Confidential, Mike Rispoli sits down with Damon Gatison, SVP and Head of North America at Synthesis, to talk about how AI, data, governance, and emerging investment products are reshaping wealth management, asset management, and financial services.
We get into why AI is not just “ChatGPT for finance,” how proprietary models are helping advisors make better decisions, the importance of data governance and cybersecurity, and why human accountability still matters when machines start making recommendations.
Damon also shares lessons from 25+ years in financial services, including career advice for young professionals entering a tough job market.
In this episode, we cover:
- How AI is being used in wealth management and asset management
- Why financial advisors need better data, not just more tools
- The risk of AI commoditizing advice
- Crypto, ETFs, private markets, and exotic investment products
- Data governance, cybersecurity, fraud, and compliance
- Why customized AI models matter in financial services
- The future of investing, regulation, and financial education
- Career advice for young professionals and engineers
Guest: Damon Gadison
SVP & Head of North America at Synthesis
Links:
Synthesis: https://www.synthesis.inc
Damon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damon-gatison
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/damon-gatison-svp-synthesis-inc-on-ai-and-the-future-of-finance
# Nat Berman, Founder @ The Be Better Movement | How To Build a Personal Brand
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-04-29
We sat down with Nat Berman, the guy behind the Be Better movement.
He's been building online since Yahoo GeoCities. He built a sports blog that grew so fast he quit his job after nine months. He ran 25 different websites at one point. Now he's focused on personal branding and building community.
But this episode isn't just about personal branding. It's about authenticity. It's about what happens when you stop trying to be someone else and just be yourself online.
__What we unpacked:__
- Your personal brand is an insurance policy on yourself. Build it early. Build it real.
- Content creation is just living. You don't need a shortage of ideas. You need courage to press publish.
- Own your audience from day one. Newsletter. Community. Something. Don't build on platforms you don't own.
- Platforms always change. LinkedIn reach goes down. Instagram gets saturated. YouTube evolves. You have to diversify. But diversify the platform, not the message.
- It's as hard to get one dollar as it is a thousand. It's a measurement of value.
- Monetizing your brand doesn't have to be the goal. Impact comes first. The money follows.
- Act on your hunches. Every few years something tells you to try something new. Listen to that voice.
- TikTok and Instagram use a platform cycle. Give you massive reach to get you addicted. Then pull back and make you pay. It's inevitable. Prepare for paid advertising.
- Your personal brand gives you optionality. You never start from zero again. Everything you build in the future will leverage what you've already created.
Be authentic online. Be exactly who you are offline. That's the competitive advantage.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanielberman/
https://www.instagram.com/realnatberman/
https://thebebettermovement.com/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/nat-berman-on-how-to-build-a-personal-brand
# Lyle Ciardi, Founder @ Feel Golf | His Walk Unspoiled By The Little White Ball
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-04-29
We sat down with Lyle Ciardi, the guy behind Feel Golf and the Golf Trip With A Stranger series.
His story is the definition of Forward to Extraordinary.
He spent time in prison. Got out. Put himself through college. Built a seven-figure solar business. And then at 30, decided to quit everything to play golf and tell stories.
What started as accountability turned into something much bigger. He went to Europe for three weeks with 40 followers. Played golf in Rome, Florence, Venice, Bulgaria, Slovenia. Came back and started posting reels. Now 24K followers. No paid ads.But the real play is Golf Trip With A Stranger. Cinematic mini-documentaries filmed with guys from film school.
Real stories. Real people. Real golf. Using the game to explore mental health, grief, addiction, redemption.
### What we unpacked:
- Your past doesn't disqualify you. It qualifies you. Lyle's been to prison, closed seven-figure deals, visited 30 countries. That complexity is the story.
- Creator golf is different. It's not about PGA tours or professional drama. It's about people. Real people with real lives finding healing through the game.
- Quality over volume. When your page grows organically, when people actually care about your story, you don't need to spam content. You can be intentional.
- Golf is therapy. Golf is business. Golf is connection. It's four to five hours of vulnerability with a stranger.
- The universe attracts what you're aligned with. Stop pushing. Start showing up. Consistency plus passion equals magnet energy.
Episodes dropping soon: Guatemala, Myrtle Beach, Eugene, Saratoga. All stories that need to be told.
@CertifiedGcorp
https://www.feel.golf/
@feelgolf__
@certified.gcorp
@golfwithastranger
@lylelyle_crocodilee
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/lyle-ciardi-founder-feel-golf-on-his-walk-unspoiled-by-the-little-white-ball
# Drs. George and Danielle Christakis, Owners, Wellness First | Business Partners : The Yin To My Yang
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-04-24
[Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") sat down with Drs. Danielle and George Christakis from [Wellness First](https://wellnessfirstjunobeach.com/ "Wellness First") , a concierge medical practice in Juno Beach, Florida.
This is a story about the fork in the road. The moment you decide to build something on your own terms.
Danielle saw the traditional medical system and rejected it. She learned under Dr. Holly Hadley, built equity, and took over the practice. Now she owns her own business and practices medicine her way, hand in hand with her life and business partner.
George was finishing a master's degree in creative writing when he realized he wanted to become a doctor. At 31. Started med school at 35. Finished residency at 42. Today they're partners in business and life.
What we unpacked:
- Learning under someone else before you own. Nobody teaches business in medical school. Danielle learned on someone else's dime.
- The emotional side of leadership. Your energy sets the tone for your team. You can't have a bad day because they feel it.
- Staff retention is everything. If your people aren't right, nothing else matters.
- Business partnership. If you want to go far, go together. They're better because of each other.
- The concierge model. 200 patients per doctor instead of 2500. Direct access. Real care centered on the patient.
- Growing without losing the magic. How do you scale something built on relationships.
visit them at [wellnessfirstjunobeach.com](https://wellnessfirstjunobeach.com "wellnessfirstjunobeach.com")
This is an episode about rejecting the default path and what it costs to lead a small team with intention.
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/drs-george-and-danielle-christakis-owners-wellness-first-on-business-partners-the-yin-to-my-yang
# Ash Hess | Build With The Exit In Mind
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-04-03
[Ash Hess](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ash-hess/ "Ash Hess") has been in the profession of firearms since 1995. He changed how one million soldiers in the United States Army shoot guns. He wrote the doctrine. He ran the marksmanship school. He deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. And then he retired and had to figure out how to turn all of that into a business.
He built a competitive shooting match company called Kona 5 Performance from a single $15,000 event into a $150,000 a year operation with 75 events across 17 states. Then he drove it into the ground. And he is honest enough to tell you exactly why.
He built it for love of the game. Not as a business. He built the product he wanted. Not the product his customers needed. He hit the valley of despair where the business was too successful to ignore but not profitable enough to hire help. And he lost interest in his own customer base.
In this episode we unpack every lesson from that journey. Why you should never build a business without an exit strategy. Why the difference between a product and a company will make or break you. Why you must protect your ideas legally before you tell a single person. And why the fear of failure is the only thing actually stopping most people.
### Key Takeaways
- Build for exit, not for love of the game. If you cannot see the exit strategy, do not start until you can.
- The valley of despair is real. Your business makes too much to quit and too little to hire. That is where most companies die.
- Protect your ideas before sharing them. Someone with more money will beat you to market and beat you in court.
- Every soldier who tells a jump story is already a salesman. You have been selling your whole life whether you realize it or not.
- Do not be afraid to crash into the ground. The data you collect from failure is worth more than the comfort of never trying.
- Social media is your free sales channel. The fear of being visible is the only thing between you and your next opportunity.
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/ash-hess-on-build-with-the-exit-in-mind
# Dan Pratl, Founder @ Quadron | The Future of Verification
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-04-03
[Daniel Pratl](https://www.linkedin.com/in/danpratl/ "Daniel Pratl") joins [Mike Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/ "Mike Rispoli") on [CTO Confidential](https://www.youtube.com/@strictlyfromnowherepodcast/podcasts "CTO Confidential") to go deep on the technical and philosophical architecture behind [Quadron](https://quadron.tech/ "Quadron"). This is a different conversation from his Forward to Extraordinary episode. This one is about the systems, the incentives, and the infrastructure that needs to exist if we are going to make human expertise the most valuable asset class in a world flooded with AI generated noise.
They cover the hollowing out of open source from the bazaar era to corporate capture by Kubernetes and the hyperscalers. The Nebraska problem and why modern digital infrastructure still runs on obligation and fascination. Why AI contributions are actually making open source worse. How speculation can be used as a language of conviction to build credibility markets around real humans.
Mike and Dan also get into the Web3 parallels, why the crypto millionaire stories never matched reality, how trade secrets could replace patents as the dominant IP structure, and why the next Enron level event might come from people who faked their way through expertise with AI tools.
This is a conversation about what happens when every layer of the stack becomes programmable, including incentives, and what that means for software engineers, lawyers, doctors, and anyone who has ever put their name on the line.
### Key Takeaways
- Open source moved from the bazaar to corporate capture. The people who felt the original pain aged out and the incentive structure was never built.
- AI contributions are flooding open source repos with noise. Maintainers are closing off contributions because volume without judgment is destructive.
- You cannot trust AI to verify AI. The human in the loop is not a bottleneck. The human is the product.
- Speculation is not gambling. It is the language of conviction. Quadron is building credibility markets where you back your expertise with real stakes.
- Trade secrets are the new cap table opportunity. Patents cost $100K and tell the world exactly how to go around you. Auditable evidence trails change the game.
- Find a mentor. The biggest sea change in software development history is happening right now and the best way through it is experienced and new perspectives working together.
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/dan-pratl-founder-quadron-on-the-future-of-verification
# Joe Leo, Founder @ Def Method | When Breaking Things Is Expensive
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-04-03
[Joe Leo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jleo3/ "Joe Leo") built a Rails consultancy for 12 years — here's what he'd do differently
Mike sits down with Joe Leo, founder of [Def Method](https://www.defmethod.com/ "Def Method") and co-author of The Well-Grounded Rubyist, to talk about what it really takes to run a software agency long-term — and why niching down, building in public, and falling in love with the work matters more than chasing the big exit.
They get into:
Why Def Method went all-in on Ruby on Rails modernization (and why 2025 is their best quarter in years)
The real reason layoffs aren't about AI efficiency
What agentic security actually looks like — and why we don't have a model for it yet
How multi-agent workflows and docs-driven development are changing the way they ship
Why services businesses may actually be bigger in the age of AI, not smaller
Joe also shares how two years of posting on LinkedIn with zero signal eventually turned into a real pipeline, why he switched from Claude Code to Codex, and the one piece of advice he gives every engineer starting out today.
📚 Book rec: Mindset by Carol Dweck
🎙️ Check out Joe's podcast: Ruby AI Podcast
🔗 Find Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jleo3/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/joe-leo-founder-def-method-on-when-breaking-things-is-expensive
# Cathy Hickman, Co-Founder @ SafeAgent | Innovate from Experience
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-04-02
[Cathy Hickman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-hickman-a467a4140/ "Cathy Hickman") taught anatomy and physiology for 20 years in Dallas public schools. She watched 18 year olds walk into her classroom unsure of themselves and walk out ready for the world. Then she got her real estate license, went all in, and started building a career helping first time home buyers and veterans find their way.
Then one night she went to show a vacant property and someone opened the door from the inside. She called her husband Brian, a former SWAT associate commander turned corporate security professional, and he asked her a question that changed everything. What would you have done if that person grabbed you and took your phone?
That conversation led to [SafeAgent](https://www.safeagent.app/ "SafeAgent"), a wireless panic alert system that works with your smartphone and smartwatch. You check in when you arrive at a property. Your live location goes to your emergency contacts. And if something goes wrong, one button press dispatches through a live monitoring center straight to local police at your exact location.
In this episode we unpack the full journey from 20 years in education to real estate to bootstrapping a tech company with zero outside funding. We talk about the challenges of customer adoption, why the easy part is building and the hard part is selling, and how a teacher's instinct to serve became the foundation for a product that could save lives.
### Key Takeaways
- The barrier to entrepreneurship is not money or talent. It is you. Your own doubt is your biggest obstacle.
- It took a full career in education before the tech opportunity revealed itself. Patience and goodwill eventually show you the path.
- Bootstrapping forces financial discipline. Every decision is strategic, not frivolous. That is a superpower.
- Building the product is the easy part. Marketing and selling it is where most founders struggle.
- Your co-founder should complement your blind spots. Cathy brought the industry knowledge. Brian brought the security expertise.
- Do not look back and wonder what could have happened. The worst outcome is a failure you learn from. The real loss is the opportunity you never took.
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/cathy-hickman-co-founder-safeagent-on-innovate-from-experience
# Ben Guo, Cofounder @ Zo Computer | The Cloud PC for the AI Era
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-04-01
What if your AI had its own computer? Ben Guo, co-founder of Zo Computer, joins Mike to talk about building the cloud PC for the agentic era.
Ben's path to founding Zo is anything but ordinary — from studying neuroscience at Harvard, to building iPhone apps on a whim, to joining Venmo when it was just 20 people in New York, to spending 8.5 years at Stripe. Now he's co-founded Zo: a fully managed, elastic cloud computer that gives your AI a real environment to live in, build in, and operate from — without touching your local machine.
In this episode, Mike and Ben dig into:
- What Zo Computer actually is — and why "AWS for normal people" might be the best way to describe it
- Why OpenClaw on a VPS falls short and how Zo fills the gap with elastic, data-center-grade infrastructure
- Model agnosticism in practice — using OpenAI, Anthropic, open source models, or your own API keys (yes, including your Claude Max plan)
- Texting your computer — Zo's iMessage and Telegram integrations and what ambient computing really looks like
- The agentic app store — Zo's skill registry, Stripe Connect integration, and the emerging marketplace model
- AI and "eating your vegetables" — why Ben still browses his own code and what tasks he refuses to hand off to AI
- In-person vs. remote in the AI era — why Zo is hiring in Brooklyn and SF and what spontaneous collaboration still offers that async can't
- Pair programming's comeback — how mob programming becomes pure ideation when AI handles the keystrokes
- Book rec: The Timeless Way of Building by Christopher Alexander and what architecture theory has to do with great codebases
Whether you're a developer nervous about giving AI access to your production machine, or a non-technical person who just wants cloud computing to stop being intimidating — this episode is for you.
Resources:
🔗 Try Zo: zo.computer | zocomputer.com
X: https://x.com/0thernet
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/0thernet
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/ben-guo-cofounder-zo-computer-on-the-cloud-pc-for-the-ai-era
# Daniel Pratl, Founder @ Quadron | Take the Bull By The Horns
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-04-01
[Daniel Pratl](https://www.linkedin.com/in/danpratl/ "Daniel Pratl") went from law school during the Great Recession to the SEC to open source software to crowdfunding to crypto and now to building [Quadron](https://quadron.tech/ "Quadron"). Every single stop along the way taught him something he needed for what he is building today.
Quadron is a big bet on human beings being the most valuable asset class in the future. The thesis is that markets are about to unbundle the same way media did over the last 30 years. And when they do, your expertise, your reputation, and your verified body of work become the thing that markets are built around.
Daniel breaks down why AI makes human expertise more valuable not less, how verification infrastructure becomes the critical layer between information and trust, and why speculation is not gambling but the language of conviction when applied correctly.
We also get into the deeply personal story of how his mother's illness exposed the broken infrastructure around medical research access and how that experience planted the seed for everything he is building now.
This is a conversation about burning the boats, betting on yourself, and building the systems that keep humans at the center of a cyborg future.
### Key Takeaways
- AI makes the need for varied human experience more critical than ever. Machines cannot replicate brownfield creativity.
- De-risk while keeping your options open. When you find your asymmetric advantage, burn the boats and move fast.
- Do not build AI for accounting. Come up with something profound. Your vocabulary is the railroad track you are laying in front of you.
- The career as we understand it is going away. You will have many careers. Be deliberate about what you collect from each one.
- Verification is the critical layer. You cannot trust an AI to verify another AI. Humans are the last mile of judgment.
- Your expertise is an asset class. Build the narrative and the proof around it now because that is what the future will be built on.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danpratl/
https://quadron.tech/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist
https://coakstudio.com
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/daniel-pratl-founder-quadron-on-take-the-bull-by-the-horns
# Ben Howdle, Author of The First CTO | Becoming The First CTO
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-03-27
What does it actually mean to be a first-time CTO at a startup — and how is that role nothing like what most people expect?
In this episode, Mike sits down with Ben Howdle, author of The First CTO, to unpack five years of hard-won lessons across two fintech startups. Ben shares the raw, unfiltered truth about growing into the CTO title, why imposter syndrome nearly got in the way, and how admitting his weaknesses turned out to be his greatest strength.
In this episode:
- How Ben stumbled into software through factory automation and WordPress
- The difference between a startup CTO and an enterprise CTO (and why they're almost incompatible)
- Building your first team from your personal network — and why gut instinct still matters
- The "tech council" advisory board strategy for early-stage hiring
- Managing engineers across wildly different time zones
- Why the CTO role is more sales than engineering
- How AI is reshaping hiring, code review, and the value of "taste" and judgment
- What new engineers should be developing right now that has nothing to do with code
Ben's book, The First CTO, is written for anyone who just landed (or stumbled into) their first CTO role and wants the honest stories — not the polished LinkedIn version.
Resources
Pre-order The First CTO: https://benhowdle.im/first-cto-playbook/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-howdle/
Ben Howdle: https://benhowdle.im/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
Fin Forecasting - Never Lose Money On A Project Again
https://www.finforecasting.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/fin-forecasting
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/ben-howdle-author-of-the-first-cto-on-becoming-the-first-cto
# Michael Bromley and David Hock, Founders @ Vendure.io | Don't Innovate On Stuff That Doesn't Matter
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-03-26
[Michael Bromley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-bromley-ab1704156/ "Michael Bromley") started [Vendure.io](https://vendure.io/ "Vendure.io") as a solo open source project in 2017 because he looked around the e-commerce space and could not believe what he saw. The tools were outdated. The stacks were legacy. And nobody was building what developers actually needed. So he built it himself.
[David Höck](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhoeck/ "David Höck") found Vendure while running his agency and saw a raw diamond. The code was beautiful. The website was terrible. He reached out to Michael on LinkedIn in German not knowing the guy was British. And the rest is history.
Together they built Vendure into the enterprise e-commerce platform without the trade-offs. Open source at the core. Fully customizable. And intentionally boring. No hype cycles. No reinventing the wheel every release. Just software that works and keeps working.
In this episode we go deep on the zero to market journey, the decision to turn down VC money, the pivot from agency to product company, and why boring technology wins every single time.
### Key Takeaways
- Do not innovate on stuff that does not matter. Save your innovation for the 20% that sets you apart.
- Boring technology is a competitive advantage. Stability beats hype at enterprise scale.
- They turned down VC funding because it would have bent their vision to fit someone else's narrative.
- Bootstrap means you answer to yourself. That clarity is worth more than any check.
- The agency years were not wasted. Every hard project built the muscle that now powers the product.
- AI is a multiplier for product companies. They built three months of features that would have taken years before.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/michael-bromley-and-david-hock-founders-vendure-io-on-dont-innovate-on-stuff-that-doesnt-matter
# Raul Proenza, Founder @ Atomic Coders | You Still Need The Fundamentals
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-03-25
[Raul Proenza](https://www.linkedin.com/in/raulproenza/ "Raul Proenza") founder of [Atomic Coders](https://www.atomiccoders.com/ "Atomic Coders"), is an 18 year software engineering veteran who has seen every wave of tooling come and go. Now he is deep in the AI agent coding revolution and his perspective is one every engineer needs to hear. The fundamentals have never mattered more.
[Mike Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/ "Mike Rispoli") sits down with his longtime friend and colleague to unpack what agentic coding actually looks like in practice. Not the hype. Not the demos. The real day to day of using Claude Code, multi agent planning workflows, adversarial review processes, and CI/CD pipelines that actually protect your code before it ships.
They get into why engineers who skipped the basics are now paying for it, how Raul built a multi agent planning system where three independent agents create competing plans that get synthesized into one bulletproof solution, and why the bar for great software just went up for everybody.
This is a masterclass in how senior engineers are actually using AI to multiply their output without sacrificing quality.
### Key Takeaways
- AI does not replace your engineering fundamentals. It amplifies them. Great engineers get great output. Average engineers get average output.
- If you do not have CI/CD and automated testing, AI is going to create more problems than it solves.
- Raul's multi agent planning workflow uses three independent agents with different techniques, a devil's advocate agent, and a synthesis layer to produce battle tested plans.
- The bar for software quality is going up. If you can ship an MVP in a day, spend three more days making it exceptional.
- Classic software engineering books like Refactoring are more important now than ever. Architecture beats language knowledge.
- AI democratized building. But selling to real people is still the hard part.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/raul-proenza-founder-atomic-coders-on-you-still-need-the-fundamentals
# James Colistra, Founder @ Wonderfish | Speak Your Dreams Into Reality
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-03-25
James Colistra spent a decade at Forbes giving founders and CEOs a stage to tell their stories. Then one day an HR invite hit his calendar and it was all over. No warning. No explanation.
His eight year old daughter looked him in the eyes and asked, "Daddy, why did they get rid of you? You're the best." That moment broke him and rebuilt him at the same time.
James decided he did not need a big brand to do what he loved. So he built Wonderfish from nothing. What started as a marketing agency evolved into a podcast guesting and visibility platform helping founders get their stories heard across the media landscape.
In this episode we unpack the full zero to market journey. From building forts out of wheat fields in upstate New York to launching a ketchup company on Kickstarter to eventually finding his lane in what he calls visibility engineering.
Key Takeaways
Your story is your competitive advantage in the age of AI. No algorithm can replicate your lived experience.
Vulnerability is not weakness. The moment James started sharing his layoff story publicly, everything changed.
Volume and consistency beat perfection. You do not need the perfect show or the perfect post. You need repetitions.
Perception is reality. If you are not visible, you do not exist. Media shapes perception and AI is now the intermediary between media and humans.
Start before you are ready. James launched a tumbler brand, a ketchup company, and a marketing agency before finding the thing that stuck. Every attempt taught him something he needed.
You do not need permission to own your narrative. Stop waiting. Start telling your story now.
https://wonderfish.xyz/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescolistra/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/james-colistra-founder-wonderfish-on-speak-your-dreams-into-reality
# Scott Werner, Founder @ Sublayer | From Recession to Reinvention
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-03-20
[Mike Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/ "Mike Rispoli") sits down with [Scott Werner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/wernerscott/ "Scott Werner"), CEO of [Sublayer](https://www.sublayer.com/ "Sublayer") and creator of the [Works on My Machine](https://worksonmymachine.ai/ "Works on My Machine") newsletter. Scott runs [Artificial Ruby](https://www.sublayer.com/community "Artificial Ruby"), a meetup in NYC for engineers building with Ruby and AI.
Scott graduated in 2008 into the financial crisis. Graded standardized tests. Bartended. Did ATM call center support. Found Ruby and never looked back.
His philosophy: flexibility matters. If an idea takes two weeks to try, you won't try as many bad ideas as if it takes 20 minutes. Good ideas start looking like bad ideas. Ruby lets you experiment fast.
Mike switched back to Ruby because TypeScript was chewing up context with type errors. The language is concise. Readable. Perfect for AI.
Scott's latest project: a sci-fi newsletter about future jobs. "Warranty Void if Regenerated" explores software mechanics. The premise: 10 years from now, people vibe code their software. Things break. You need someone who thinks in systems to fix it.
__Topics covered:__
- TypeScript vs Ruby for AI development
- Suburbanization of code and cottage industry software
- Rails as the framework of IPOs
- Software mechanics as future job
- Volume advantage in agentic coding
- Reading classics with LLMs
- Gatekeepers are gone
- 37signals Once philosophy
If you're building with Ruby, training teams on AI, or thinking about the future of software, this is for you.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/scott-werner-founder-sublayer-on-from-recession-to-reinvention
# Chris Hobson, Founder @ Hobbs Pickles | The Pursuit of Pickle Perfection
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-03-19
Nobody should have crummy pickles in their fridge.
[CuzzinJustin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "CuzzinJustin") sits down with [Chris Hobson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismhobson/ "Chris Hobson"), founder of [Hobbs Pickles](https://hobbspickles.com/ "Hobbs Pickles"), to discuss building a cult brand in one of the most competitive CPG categories imaginable. From art director at top advertising agencies to selling out inventory in two days at Granville Island Market.
Chris started with a simple problem: he couldn't find a good refrigerated pickle in Vancouver. No deli vibe. No Lower East Side half-sour experience. Just shelf-stable mediocrity.
So he drew a pickle tasting bar on a napkin. Built a brand. Opened on Granville Island. And sold out in two days.
The market thought he was crazy. Just selling cucumbers? Wearing black ties and white shirts like Reservoir Dogs? But customers drove from Portland. Called from London. Flew in from Bangkok. Because nobody else was doing what Chris was doing.
Chris breaks down the Swiss Army knife mentality of entrepreneurship, navigating ego in creative industries, why autonomy as a kid built confidence to tackle problems, and how staying connected to customers keeps you grounded as you scale.
__Topics covered:__
- Building a CPG brand in a saturated category
- Why Chris couldn't find good pickles in Vancouver
- The pickle tasting bar concept and Lower East Side inspiration
- Selling out in two days and realizing it's viable
- Customers calling from around the world for specific flavors
- The Swiss Army knife mentality: honing skills to find perfection
- Art direction background and presenting to boardrooms
- Navigating ego and building rapport in creative industries
- Why autonomy as a kid built entrepreneurial confidence
- Answering the phone as founder and staying first line of defense
- Never compromising on quality as you scale
If you're building a brand, launching a CPG product, or trying to stand out in a competitive category, this episode shows you the playbook.
Nobody should have crummy pickles in their fridge. That's the goal.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/chris-hobson-founder-hobbs-pickles-on-the-pursuit-of-pickle-perfection
# Adam Creeger, CTO @ Slate | Systems and Swarms
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-03-19
Your ability to write code won't be the thing that earns you money anymore.
[Mike Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/ "Mike Rispoli") sits down with [Adam Creeger](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcreeger/ "Adam Creeger"), CTO of Slate and creator of [iloom.ai](https://www.iloom.ai/ "iloom.ai"), an orchestration tool for AI agents working with the likes of JIRA and Linear.
Adam's philosophy: sub-agents aren't about playing house. They're about context isolation. Not creating perfect front-end and backend developer personas. But using workflows to avoid context rot and get predictable results.
His approach with swarms? Every agent follows the same workflow: analysis, planning, implementation, code review, verification. Rigorous. Not crazy fast. Not token efficient. But it gives better end results and insulates you from model variance.
The tradeoff? You spend more tokens upfront. But you don't repeat work. And you get an audit trail showing exactly what the agent was thinking and why.
Adam also calls out the industry's broken relationship with issue trackers. Engineers used them for years. Then agentic coding arrived and everyone started littering repos with markdown files. The obvious place for context? The issue tracker.
__Topics covered:__
- Why Slate is positioned for AI content creation shift
- Sub-agents as context isolation, not role-playing
- Building agent swarms with strict workflows
- Rigorous processes insulate from model variance
- Issue trackers vs markdown files for agent context
- TDD with Claude and better unit tests
- Rails conventions preventing agent chaos
- Quality vs speed tradeoff disappearing with AI
- Why coding ability won't earn you money anymore
- Niche technical areas vs product engineering
- Designing interviews with AI in mind
If you're building with agentic coding or managing teams, this is required listening.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/adam-creeger-cto-slate-on-systems-and-swarms
# Mooly Beeri, Founder @ BetterSoftware.dev | Excellence in Software Delivery
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-03-18
Software engineers aren't going extinct. But the way we work is changing.
Mike sits down with [Mooly Beeri](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mooly-beeri/ "Mooly Beeri"), founder of [bettersoftware.dev](https://www.bettersoftware.dev/ "bettersoftware.dev") and 40+ year software veteran, to discuss software excellence frameworks, why Agile stopped working, and how AI accelerates technical debt at the same pace it accelerates code generation.
Mooly built the first Software Center of Excellence at Philips and now works with Mercedes, ZF, and Roche. His framework: every iteration must include conscious improvement of a single process step.
The problem with modern Agile? Teams skip improvement. Four weeks coding, two days testing, five minutes retrospective. Repeat. Results never improve.
AI makes this worse. Code generation is faster, but debugging takes 80% longer. Without guardrails, you're spiraling into chaos.
Mooly breaks down where AI actually works: debugging assistance, pattern detection, code review support, finding similar requirements. But humans must own the fix, the refactoring, the decisions.
Topics covered:
Why Agile implementations miss improvement
How AI accelerates technical debt without controls
The red traffic light problem: broken CI/CD everyone ignores
Why tests need definition of done and phasing policy
60% regression probability from one-line changes
Building a consultancy through network, not mass outreach
The two-year trust-building timeline for consulting
If you're building software with AI, running teams, or starting a consultancy, this episode is essential.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mooly-beeri/
https://www.bettersoftware.dev/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/mooly-beeri-founder-bettersoftware-dev-on-excellence-in-software-delivery
# Will Sentance, Founder @ Codesmith.io | The Future of Software Engineering
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-03-12
The rules of software engineering just changed. What does that mean for everyone trying to break in — or stay relevant?
In this episode of CTO Confidential, I sit down with Will Sentence — founder of Codesmith, fellow at Oxford, instructor at Frontend Masters, and the person whose JavaScript: The Hard Parts course genuinely changed the trajectory of my career. We get into the real conversations happening in engineering right now: the job market, the value of tacit knowledge, what AI actually changes (and what it doesn't), and where the next generation of builders is going to find their footing.
This one goes deep.
In this episode:
- Why "learn to teach it" is still the most powerful way to truly understand anything
- The gap between engineers who can wield AI tools and those who get burned by them — and what separates the two
- Why embodied AI and robotics may be where the next 10 million engineers build their careers
- The US Treasury's $118M modernization contract and what government work looks like in the AI era
- The broken job market: why 100 applications and no callbacks isn't your fault — and what to do instead
- Forward deployed engineering as the rising job title of our moment
- What interviews will look like as companies figure out what they're even hiring for
- The workforce development problem nobody in power is actually solving yet
Follow Will:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willsentance/
X: https://x.com/willsentance
Codesmith: https://www.codesmith.io/
Frontend Masters: https://frontendmasters.com/
Recommendations:
AI Engineering by Chip Nguyen: https://a.co/d/0gfV0OCf
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/will-sentance-founder-codesmith-io-on-the-future-of-software-engineering
# Will Ruben, Founder @ Workmate | The Hard Part Isn't Building, It's Distribution
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-03-06
[Will Ruben](https://www.linkedin.com/in/wruben "Will Ruben") spent nearly a decade at Meta building AI-powered products like Instagram Reels and content recommendations. Then he walked away to democratize something only executives get: an assistant.In this episode of [Forward to Extraordinary](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Forward to Extraordinary"), I sit down with Will to discuss his journey from building products for billions of users at Meta to founding [Workmate](https://www.workmate.com "Workmate"), an AI executive assistant designed to help busy professionals reclaim their time and sanity.
We dig into what it means to be entrepreneurial within a large organization, why being a builder is the clearest signal you're meant to be a founder, and how the cost of code dropping to zero changes everything about product development—except the hard part: distribution.
Will breaks down the difference between building and selling, why personal brand compounds every future effort, and how agentic collaboration is the next frontier of work. This is a masterclass in transitioning from big tech to startup life without losing your edge.
### Topics covered:
- Building AI products at Meta: Instagram Reels, content recommendations, and Moments
- What it means to be entrepreneurial inside a large organization
- The moment Will decided to leave Meta and start Workmate
- Democratizing executive assistants through AI: the Uber analogy
- How Workmate handles scheduling, calendar management, and team coordination
- Why distribution and conversion are harder than building
- The future of agentic collaboration and AI teammates
- Building personal brand as a compounding asset for founders
- Why being a builder is the clearest entrepreneurial signal
If you're building a product, contemplating a startup, or trying to figure out how to scale from first customer to real business, this conversation is for you.The cost of building is dropping. The cost of distributing isn't. Act accordingly.
Website: https://www.workmate.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workmatelabs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getaworkmate
X: https://x.com/workmate
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@getaworkmate
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@getaworkmate
X: https://x.com/willruben
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/will-ruben-founder-workmate-on-the-hard-part-isnt-building-its-distribution
# Irina Nazarova, CEO @ Evil Martians | Building Better Software With Rails
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-03-06
[Irina Nazarova](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonconstant/ "Irina Nazarova") went from investment banking to running [Evil Martians](https://evilmartians.com/ "Evil Martians"), one of the most respected Ruby on Rails agencies in the world.
In this episode of CTO Confidential, host [Mike Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/ "Mike Rispoli") sits down with Irina to discuss her journey from C++ engineer to CEO, why Rails is experiencing a renaissance with AI-powered development, and how Evil Martians monetizes open source projects like AnyCable while running a successful consultancy.
We dig into the imposter syndrome that nearly every engineer faces, why dynamic languages are better for fast experimentation than compiled languages, and how the dev experience with Rails outpaces JavaScript frameworks that constantly reinvent themselves.
Irina breaks down the business model behind open source infrastructure tools, why positioning your agency around customer verticals matters more than technology stacks, and how AI is making it possible to be more ambitious with smaller teams.
This is a masterclass in building sustainable businesses around open source, choosing the right tools for the job, and understanding that specialization creates value even in the age of AI.
### Topics covered:
- Irina's journey from C++ to Rails to running Evil Martians
- Why imposter syndrome affects almost everyone in tech
- The Rails renaissance driven by AI and agentic coding
- Dynamic languages vs typed languages: when each matters
- Why JavaScript frameworks constantly reinvent themselves
- How AnyCable monetizes open source infrastructure
- Positioning agencies around customer verticals, not tech stacks
- The boom and bust cycle of agency work and how to manage it
- Why durable streams and WebSockets matter for real-time apps
- Building better conventions for Hotwire and Turbo
- How StackBlitz became Bolt.new using web containers
- Why mission-critical infrastructure is the key to open source consulting revenue
If you're a CTO, agency owner, or engineer trying to understand how to build sustainable businesses around open source, this conversation gives you the blueprint.
Build with Rails. Build with agentic coding. Be more ambitious.
https://evilmartians.com/
https://anycable.io/
https://sfruby.com/
https://imgproxy.net/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/irina-nazarova-ceo-evil-martians-on-building-better-software-with-rails
# Mitchell Jones, Founder @ Lava | 1% Better Every Day
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-03-05
[Mitchell Jones](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchell-jones-333559a2/ "Mitchell Jones") went from a Goldman Sachs internship to building two FinTech companies. But the path wasn't linear, and it definitely wasn't easy. In this episode of Forward to Extraordinary, I sit down with Mitchell to discuss his journey from Dayton, Ohio to founding LendTable and now Lava, a payments platform designed specifically for AI companies navigating the complexity of subscription plus usage-based billing.
We dig into the reality of being an outsider in tech, how COVID nearly killed his first company four days after launch, the value of co-founders who challenge your assumptions, and why the most important skill in entrepreneurship is trusting your mechanics when everything feels like it's falling apart.
Mitchell's story is a masterclass in resilience, curiosity, and taking one step at a time even when you can't see the top of the mountain.
### Topics covered:
- Building FinTech companies as an outsider to Silicon Valley
- How COVID shut down investor conversations and nearly killed LendTable
- The importance of co-founders who expand your perspective
- Why effective systems beat hustle every time
- Navigating the wet blanket of business pressure
- The difference between pivoting with direction versus chasing squirrels
- How to find ideas by observing the world and talking to people
- Why AI makes it easier to prototype but harder to stay focused
If you're building a startup, wondering how to find a co-founder, or trying to figure out how to keep moving when the doors keep slamming shut, this conversation is for you.Keep your eyes on the road. Trust your mechanics. Take the next step.
Website: https://www.lava.so/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchell-jones-333559a2/
X: https://x.com/MitchJones_
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/mitchell-jones-founder-lava-on-1-better-every-day
# Jordan Sachs, Founder @Sunday Cap | Adversity Creates Opportunity
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-02-26
### Summary
In this episode, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Jordan Sachs](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-sachs-83324b8/ "Jordan Sachs"), a successful entrepreneur in the real estate industry. They discuss Jordan's journey from his early life in Scottsdale, Arizona, to his career in real estate, including the founding of Bold New York and the transition to California's real estate market. Jordan shares insights on overcoming market adversity, leveraging technology, the importance of company culture, and the value of partnerships. He emphasizes the need for entrepreneurs to control their own destinies and find fulfillment in their work.
### Takeaways
- Jordan Sachs emphasizes the importance of controlling your own destiny.
- He believes that life is too short to hate what you do.
- Jordan highlights the need to keep moving forward despite challenges.
- Trust and loyalty are crucial in partnerships.
- He encourages finding what makes you happy in your career.
- Jordan discusses the role of technology in transforming real estate.
- He believes that AI cannot replace human thought and creativity.
- Every industry has opportunities for entrepreneurship.
- Culture within a company starts with its people.
- Having a partner provides balance and diverse perspectives.
### Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Forward to Extraordinary
01:52 Jordan Sachs: The Journey Begins
04:35 The Birth of Bold New York
09:54 Expanding Horizons: From New York to Los Angeles
14:21 The Launch of Sunday Capital
17:47 Navigating Market Challenges and Opportunities
23:23 Leveraging Technology in Real Estate
27:46 The Importance of Culture and People
30:51 The Roots of Entrepreneurship
33:50 Partnerships: The Key to Success
36:17 Final Thoughts and Wisdom
https://www.sundaycap.com/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jordan-sachs-founder-sunday-cap-on-adversity-creates-opportunity
# Dave Macolino, President & COO @ Shore Group | Hire For The Will, Not The Skill
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-02-13
### Summary
In this episode of Strictly From Nowhere, host Justin Abrams interviews Dave Macolino, the president and COO of Shore Group. They discuss Dave's journey from his early life on the Jersey Shore to his extensive career in technology and entrepreneurship. The conversation covers the importance of adaptability in business, the role of technology in transforming operations, and the significance of hiring for potential rather than existing skills. Dave shares insights on risk-taking, learning, and the value of community in business, emphasizing the need to pay it forward and help others succeed.
### Takeaways
- Dave Macolino shares his journey from a small town to a successful career in technology.
- The importance of adaptability in the face of technological changes.
- Entrepreneurs should focus on hiring for will and potential rather than just skills.
- Risk-taking is essential for growth and learning in business.
- Community banks align with Shore Group's mission to help small businesses.
- The 10-80-10 concept highlights the importance of teamwork in entrepreneurship.
- AI is transforming the way businesses operate and deliver value.
- Building a strong team culture is crucial for long-term success.
- Paying it forward can create a positive impact in the business community.
- Continuous learning is key to staying relevant in a rapidly changing industry.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Journey
01:31
Dave's Early Life and Career Path
08:56
Transitioning to Entrepreneurship
10:37
The 10-80-10 Concept in Entrepreneurship
18:09
Adapting to Technological Changes
25:29
The Importance of Risk and Learning
33:05
Hiring for Will, Not Skill
37:38
Paying It Forward in Business
https://www.shoregrp.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davemacolino/
────────────────────────────────
LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172
iHeart Radio
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Patreon
http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere
CONNECT WITH US
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere
Website
https://strictlyfromnowhere.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
X
https://x.com/cuzzinjustin
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24
Website
https://www.cuzzinjustin.com
────────────────────────────────
FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/
X
https://x.com/michael_rispoli
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli
Website
https://michaelrispoli.com/
────────────────────────────────
CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
Website
https://www.causeofakind.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/
X
https://x.com/causeofakind
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind
Newsletter Signup
http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj
Newsletter Archive
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627
────────────────────────────────
OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core
OCR Ruby GEM
https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/
────────────────────────────────
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Long Island Technologists
https://www.longislandtechnologists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking
https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/
────────────────────────────────
Fin Forecasting - Never Lose Money On A Project Again
https://www.finforecasting.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/fin-forecasting
────────────────────────────────
Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/dave-macolino-president-and-coo-shore-group-on-hire-for-the-will-not-the-skill
# Max Hill | Everything Is A Sale
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-02-10
### Summary
In this conversation, [Mike Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/ "Mike Rispoli") and [Max Hill](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkhill1212/ "Max Hill") explore the intricacies of business development, networking, and the power of podcasting as a tool for lead generation. They discuss memorable networking strategies, the importance of LinkedIn, and the challenges of job searching in a competitive market. The conversation also delves into personal branding, the significance of in-person experiences, and the art of sales, including managing rejection and building trust. Humorous anecdotes from sales calls add a light-hearted touch to the discussion, while practical advice is shared on how to navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship and marketing.
### Takeaways
- Biz Dev is crucial for agency owners.
- Networking opens doors to opportunities.
- Podcasts are powerful for generating leads.
- Content creation is essential for visibility.
- Memorable strategies help you stand out.
- LinkedIn is a long-term play for credibility.
- Job searching is challenging in a noisy market.
- Building a personal brand takes time and effort.
- In-person experiences enhance learning and collaboration.
- Rejection is part of the sales process, learn to manage it.
### Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Biz Dev and Networking
07:26 The Power of Podcasting for Lead Generation
14:35 Leveraging LinkedIn for Business Development
20:19 The Importance of Personal Branding
23:13 Sales Strategies and Experiences
24:26 Humorous Sales Calls and Unique Business Ideas
26:36 Lessons from Early Sales Experiences
30:57 Navigating Rejection in Sales
36:54 Understanding Customer Needs and Building Trust
41:05 The Impact of Social Media on Sales and Marketing
46:59 Final Thoughts and Podcast Promotion
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/max-hill-on-everything-is-a-sale
# Carole Hussey, Co-Founder @HHS Connect | Unwavering Commitment to Cause
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-01-29
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with entrepreneur [Carole Hussey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolehussey/ "Carole Hussey"), exploring her journey from a challenging upbringing to becoming the founder of [HHS Connect](https://www.hhsconnect.com/ "HHS Connect"). The conversation delves into her early influences, career transitions, and the importance of networking and community in entrepreneurship. Carole shares her insights on navigating fear, embracing failure, and finding balance in life while pursuing her passion for helping others. The episode concludes with Carole's wisdom on taking leaps of faith and the personal growth that comes from stepping outside of one's comfort zone.
### Takeaways
- Carole's journey reflects the importance of resilience and adaptability in entrepreneurship.
- Networking and building relationships are crucial for success in business.
- Fear can inhibit personal growth, but taking risks can lead to new opportunities.
- Embracing failure as a learning experience is essential for growth.
- Finding a rhythm in life is more important than achieving perfect balance.
- Prioritizing health and personal relationships is vital for long-term success.
- Carole emphasizes the value of community in the health and human services sector.
- Continuous learning and curiosity drive personal and professional development.
- It's important to pivot and adjust strategies based on market needs.
- Staying focused on the core mission while being flexible in execution is key to success.
### Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Journey
01:42 Humanizing the Entrepreneur
03:28 Early Influences and Entrepreneurial Spirit
07:31 Career Path and Transition to Entrepreneurship
11:14 Building HHS Connect
15:36 Navigating Fear and Taking Risks
20:17 Understanding Failure and Resilience
27:51 Finding Balance and Rhythm in Life
33:24 Final Thoughts and Wisdom for Entrepreneurs
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/carole-hussey-co-founder-hhs-connect-on-unwavering-commitment-to-cause
# Phil Kovacs, Founder & CEO @Flight School | Failure Is Data
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-01-29
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with [Phil Kovacs](https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-kovacs-9b43a837/ "Phil Kovacs"), a serial entrepreneur and founder of [Flight School](https://www.flightschoolgo.com/ "Flight School"), to explore the journey of building businesses from the ground up. They discuss the importance of education, the psychology of founders, the significance of mentorship, and the value of learning from failure. Phil shares insights on niche marketing, the commitment to a business thesis, and the necessity of community support in entrepreneurship. The conversation emphasizes the need for resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges, ultimately highlighting the shared experiences of entrepreneurs navigating their paths to success.
### Takeaways
- Entrepreneurship is about building from zero to market.
- Education plays a crucial role in shaping entrepreneurial mindsets.
- Asking the right questions is essential for personal and professional growth.
- Learning from mistakes is a key component of entrepreneurship.
- Commitment to a business thesis is vital for success.
- Niche marketing can lead to a dedicated customer base.
- Strategic consultation and mentorship can provide invaluable support.
- Failure should be viewed as a learning opportunity, not an endpoint.
- Community and support networks are essential for entrepreneurs.
- Wisdom often comes from navigating challenges and failures.
### Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Personal Journeys
03:06 The Role of Education in Shaping Entrepreneurs
06:06 Current Ventures and Professional Roles
08:51 The Journey of Compounding Experience
11:48 Understanding the Psychology of Founders
14:39 The Importance of Commitment to the Thesis
17:11 Narrowing Down to a Niche
20:10 Exploring Levels of Niching in Business
24:58 Navigating Niches and Business Signals
28:02 The Role of Founder-Led Businesses
31:00 The Value of Mentorship and Strategic Consultation
37:28 Understanding Failure and Learning from Mistakes
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/phil-kovacs-founder-and-ceo-flight-school-on-failure-is-data
# Spencer Cook, Founder @ Sober in 40 | From Prison to Purpose
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-01-22
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") welcomes [Spencer Cook](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-cook-7947541a1/ "Spencer Cook"), founder of [Sober in 40](https://soberin40.com/ "Sober in 40"), to discuss his transformative journey from addiction to entrepreneurship. Spencer shares his personal experiences with addiction, the challenges he faced while building his business, and the innovative technology behind Sober in 40, an app designed to support individuals in their recovery journey. The conversation delves into the importance of accountability, the struggles of marketing a new product, and the impact of targeting the prison system to help those in need. Spencer emphasizes the significance of using past experiences for good and encourages listeners to seek help and find their purpose.
### Takeaways
- Spencer Cook's journey began as a survival mechanism.
- Pain and hardship can shape one's purpose in life.
- The importance of understanding addiction on a scientific level.
- Sober in 40 combines technology with behavioral psychology.
- The app offers personalized recovery programs based on user behavior.
- Building a business requires strong relationships and trust.
- Marketing in the addiction recovery space is challenging and costly.
- Targeting the prison system can help reduce addiction-related deaths.
- Success in recovery often requires a desire to change.
- Using past experiences can fuel a positive mission.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Personal Journeys
01:13
Spencer Cook's Transformation and Survival Story
03:36
Early Experiences with Entrepreneurship
07:36
The Impact of Addiction and Personal Change
10:22
The Birth of Sober in 40
12:01
The Science Behind Behavioral Psychology and Addiction
17:00
Technology's Role in Addiction Recovery
21:26
Challenges in Building a Business
25:44
Bootstrapping and Overcoming Obstacles
27:19
The Pressure of Entrepreneurship
29:09
Proving Credibility and Gaining Trust
32:01
Building Relationships Post-Incarceration
36:26
The Challenge of Marketing and Sales
42:25
Targeting the Right Audience for Impact
47:31
The Journey to Sobriety and Purpose
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/spencer-cook-founder-sober-in-40-on-from-prison-to-purpose
# John Crickett, Founder & CTO @ Coding Challenges | Stop Making Excuses, and Network
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-01-20
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") welcomes [Michael Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/ "Michael Rispoli") and [John Crickett](https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncrickett/ "John Crickett"), a seasoned entrepreneur and software engineer, to discuss the evolution of technology and entrepreneurship. The conversation begins with John sharing his early experiences in the tech industry, starting from the rudimentary internet of the late 90s to the rapid advancements that followed. He emphasizes the importance of being product-led and the necessity of understanding customer needs through direct engagement, which he learned during his time at an internet service provider. John recounts his journey from being a software engineer to starting his own consultancy, highlighting the challenges and lessons learned along the way.
As the discussion progresses, John shares valuable insights on networking and sales, stressing that successful entrepreneurship hinges on genuine curiosity and empathy towards potential customers. He advocates for the concept of Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), explaining how quick iterations and customer feedback can validate business ideas without risking significant financial loss. The episode wraps up with John encouraging listeners to focus on solving real problems in existing markets rather than chasing novel ideas, reinforcing that execution and understanding customer pain points are key to building a successful business.
### Takeaways
- "Sales is just talking to people."
- "The real validation is when somebody gives you money."
- "You can build a significant business by solving boring problems."
- "Networking is about being curious and interested in others."
- "Don't chase novel ideas; focus on execution and customer needs."
- "Every 26 people I spoke to, we got a customer."
- "MVP is maximum of two weeks from idea to execution."
- "If nobody's interested, you need to pivot quickly."
- "Engage with your target customers on platforms like LinkedIn."
- "You don't need a following to start networking; just be genuine."
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Episode
01:17
John Crickett's Early Experiences in Tech
09:33
Transitioning from Engineer to Entrepreneur
11:53
The Importance of Networking and Sales
24:01
Understanding Marketing and Customer Validation
34:46
The Value of Execution Over Novelty
39:26
Closing Thoughts and Where to Find John Crickett
https://twitter.com/johncrickett/
https://codingchallenges.fyi/
Newsletter: https://codingchallenges.substack.com/
And the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@codingchats
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/john-crickett-founder-and-cto-coding-challenges-on-stop-making-excuses-and-network
# Chuck Moxley & Nick Paladino, Co-Hosts @ The Frictionless Experience | Top Hacks For The Modern User Experience
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-01-09
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host Justin Abrams engages in a deep conversation with guests [Chuck Moxley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckmoxley/ "Chuck Moxley") and [Nick Paladino](https://www.linkedin.com/in/npaladino/ "Nick Paladino") , co-hosts of [The Frictionless Experience](https://www.thefrictionlessexperience.com/ "The Frictionless Experience"), about the intricacies of user experience, the power of podcasting in business, and the importance of incremental improvements in technology and marketing. They explore the entrepreneurial journey, the role of sales engineering, and how brands can optimize their user experiences to create lasting impressions. The discussion emphasizes the need for businesses to focus on the basics of user experience while also being open to innovation and iteration.
### Takeaways
- User experience encompasses all interactions before a product is used.
- The brand is defined by cumulative experiences, not just visuals.
- Incremental improvements are key to enhancing user experience.
- Start with familiar user experience patterns before innovating.
- Avoid innovating in critical areas like checkout processes.
- Building relationships is crucial in sales and marketing.
- Brands can iterate and improve their user experiences over time.
- Understanding user behavior is essential for effective design.
- Marketing plays a significant role in shaping user experience.
- The user experience should be optimized for performance and accessibility.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Podcast and Guests
02:27
Building from Zero: The Entrepreneurial Journey
05:48
The Power of Podcasting in Business
09:42
Sales Engineering: Bridging Technology and Business
14:13
User Experience: Defining the Modern Landscape
23:38
Building a Successful Podcast
26:26
Top Hacks for Modern User Experience
30:06
The Importance of Incremental Improvements
30:49
Brilliant Basics of User Experience
33:54
Learning from Big Brands
37:24
The Balance of Form and Function
41:31
User Experience Beyond Digital Interaction
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/chuck-moxley-and-nick-paladino-co-hosts-the-frictionless-experience-on-top-hacks-for-the-modern-user-experience
# Patrick Gilbert, CEO @ AdVenture Media | Digital Arbitrage Is Dead
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2026-01-08
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with [Patrick Gilbert](https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickjamesgilbert/ "Patrick Gilbert"), a marketing expert, author and the CEO of [AdVenture Media](https://www.adventureppc.com/ "AdVenture Media"), to explore the evolution of marketing strategies, the impact of AI, and the importance of curiosity and experimentation in business. They discuss the transition from traditional marketing to digital, the significance of emotional connections in branding, and the necessity of strategic thinking in navigating the modern marketing landscape. Patrick shares insights from his journey in the marketing industry, emphasizing the need for businesses to adapt and innovate in an ever-changing environment.
### Takeaways
- Patrick emphasizes the importance of emotional connections in marketing.
- The concept of digital arbitrage is no longer viable.
- Strategy is essential for navigating modern marketing challenges.
- Experimentation is key to discovering what works in marketing.
- AI is transforming the marketing landscape, enabling new possibilities.
- Understanding market trends is crucial for business growth.
- Content marketing remains a powerful tool for engagement.
- Businesses must adapt to changing consumer behaviors and preferences.
- The future of marketing will heavily rely on AI integration.
- Building strong relationships with customers is vital for success.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction and Guest Background
02:51
Early Career and Entrepreneurial Journey
05:33
Transition to Digital Marketing
08:13
State of the Union in Marketing
11:07
The Evolution of Marketing Strategies
13:55
The Role of Strategy in Modern Marketing
16:36
Experimentation and Curiosity in Marketing
19:19
The Impact of AI on Marketing
22:22
Building a Marketing Agency
24:58
Navigating Business Goals and Market Trends
27:41
The Future of Marketing and AI Integration
30:25
Conclusion and Personal Reflections
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/patrick-gilbert-ceo-adventure-media-on-digital-arbitrage-is-dead
# A Ruby Gem for Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-12-29
### Summary
In this episode, the hosts discuss the challenges and solutions surrounding Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. They explore the origins of OCR problems, the technologies available, and the developer experience in creating OCR solutions. The conversation also touches on the future of OCR, its use cases, and the impact of open source contributions in the field.
### Takeaways
- OCR is essential for converting documents into machine-readable text.
- Google Vision is a powerful tool but not strictly OCR.
- Open source solutions can provide flexibility and cost savings.
- Developer experience is crucial in building effective tools.
- Pre-processing steps can enhance OCR accuracy.
- On-prem solutions are increasingly relevant for security-conscious companies.
- The balance between simplicity and complexity in software design is vital.
- Community contributions can drive innovation in open source projects.
- Understanding the limitations of OCR libraries is important for effective use.
- The future of OCR may involve more integration with AI technologies.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to OCR Challenges
04:32
Exploring OCR Solutions and Technologies
08:56
Developer Experience and Tooling Innovations
13:42
Use Cases and Future Directions for OCR
18:22
Open Source Contributions and Community Impact
[https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/](https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/ "https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/")
Active Storage OCR | OCR for Rails Active Storage
OCR for Ruby on Rails. Extract text from images and PDFs without cloud APIs. Lightning fast, zero dependencies, built with Rust. Self-hosted OCR for Active Storage.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/a-ruby-gem-for-optical-character-recognition-ocr
# Larry Siedlick | Entrepreneurship is a Lifelong Craft
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-12-12
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with serial entrepreneur [Larry Siedlick](https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrysiedlick/ "Larry Siedlick"), exploring his journey through various industries, including healthcare and hospitality. They discuss the importance of building trust, effective marketing strategies, and creating unique customer experiences. Larry shares insights on the trials of entrepreneurship, the significance of cultural fit within teams, and the evolving nature of customer service. The conversation concludes with thoughts on future ventures and the continuous pursuit of knowledge in business.
### Takeaways
- The pursuit of collective wisdom is invaluable in entrepreneurship.
- Building a business is about creating something meaningful.
- Trust is a key factor in business relationships.
- Customer experience is paramount in service industries.
- Cultural fit is crucial when hiring for your team.
- Internal customers (employees) should be treated with care.
- Every business venture adds to your overall experience.
- Learning from others is essential for growth.
- Marketing strategies have evolved but core principles remain.
- Continuous learning and adaptation are vital for success.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Wisdom Sharing
01:45
Larry Siedlick's Journey in Business
05:25
Marketing Strategies: Then and Now
08:52
Creating Unique Customer Experiences
12:27
The Evolution of Business Ventures
15:52
Trials and Tribulations of Entrepreneurship
19:35
Cultural Fit and Team Dynamics
23:04
Customer Experience: Internal and External
26:50
Future Endeavors and Continuous Learning
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/larry-siedlick-on-entrepreneurship-is-a-lifelong-craft
# Natalie Kaminski & Igor Alexandrov , Co-Founders @ JetRockets | No One Cares How ITs Made, Only That It Works
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-12-12
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages in a deep conversation with co-founders [Natalie Kaminski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliekaminski/ "Natalie Kaminski") and [Igor Aleksandrov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/igor-aleksandrov/ "Igor Aleksandrov") about their journey in building their agency, [Jet Rockets](https://jetrockets.com/ "Jet Rockets"). They discuss the importance of finding the right co-founder, the evolution of their agency model, and the significance of technology choices, particularly Ruby on Rails. The conversation also delves into effective business development strategies, community engagement, and talent management in a competitive market. The episode emphasizes the value of building relationships and providing solutions over direct sales, highlighting the importance of thought leadership and networking in the agency landscape.
### Takeaways
- Building a durable brand is a collective effort.
- Finding a co-founder often happens organically.
- The agency model can evolve from freelancing to a more structured business.
- Internal products can emerge from solving your own problems.
- Technology choices should align with client needs and expertise.
- Thought leadership and referrals are key to business development.
- Investing in community can yield long-term benefits.
- Talent retention requires more than just competitive salaries.
- Building relationships is crucial for future opportunities.
- The Ruby on Rails community offers a focused environment for developers.
### Chapters
00:00
Building Connections: The Journey of Co-Founders
02:57
Navigating the Agency Landscape: From Freelancing to Business
05:27
The Evolution of Agency Focus: Internal Products and Client Needs
08:04
Technology Choices: The Ruby on Rails Debate
10:48
Business Development Strategies: What Works and What Doesn't
13:48
Community Engagement: The Key to Growth
16:37
Talent Management: Retaining the Best in a Competitive Market
19:19
The Importance of Thought Leadership and Networking
21:58
Final Thoughts: Building a Sustainable Agency
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/natalie-kaminski-and-igor-alexandrov-co-founders-jetrockets-on-no-one-cares-how-its-made-only-that-it-works
# Nir Zavaro, The Business Catcher | Chances Are, Your Business Is Doing It Wrong
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-12-10
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") and his co-founder [Mike Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/ "Mike Rispoli") discuss the intricacies of building meaningful businesses, the importance of creating valuable content, and the evolving landscape of project management. Together with, author, friend, public speaker, and mentor, [Nir Zavaro](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nirzavaro/ "Nir Zavaro"), they explore the challenges of maintaining profitability in a boom-and-bust cycle, the shift from hourly rates to value-based pricing, and the necessity of demonstrating traction to investors. The conversation emphasizes the significance of marketing and the need for entrepreneurs to adapt to changing expectations in the business world. In this conversation, Justin Abrams discusses the intricacies of building a successful brand and business. He emphasizes the importance of creating a business thesis, building an audience, and maintaining brand consistency. The dialogue explores the challenges of navigating market changes, the significance of a well-defined customer journey, and the need for a brand character that resonates with the audience. Additionally, the conversation touches on the continuous evolution of branding and the pursuit of mastery in entrepreneurship.
### Takeaways
- Building a business requires a meaningful foundation.
- Connections can lead to valuable insights and opportunities.
- Creating good content is essential for problem-solving.
- Innovations in project management can streamline processes.
- Smaller teams may become the norm in the age of AI.
- Profitability is crucial in a boom-and-bust business cycle.
- Rethinking hourly rates can lead to better pricing strategies.
- Understanding client value perception is key to success.
- Adapting to changing VC expectations is necessary for growth.
- Marketing is vital for validating business ideas. Creating a business thesis is essential for execution.
- Building an audience requires delivering value.
- Brand consistency is crucial for long-term success.
- Messaging should align with the brand's identity.
- Brands must evolve as their audience and market change.
- Navigating market changes requires flexibility and adaptability.
- A well-defined customer journey enhances brand experience.
- Every brand needs a character to resonate with its audience.
- Sales and marketing must work in harmony for success.
- Scaling a business presents unique challenges that require strategic planning.
### Chapters
00:00
Building Meaningful Businesses
01:25
The Power of Connections
03:12
Creating Valuable Content
04:31
Innovations in Project Management
05:57
The Future of Team Dynamics
09:05
Navigating the Boom and Bust Cycle
10:58
Rethinking Hourly Rates
12:51
Value-Based Pricing Strategies
15:41
Understanding Client Value Perception
20:25
Adapting to Changing VC Expectations
21:58
Building B2B Solutions
25:21
From Idea to Execution
26:17
Building an Audience and Value
27:12
The Importance of Brand Consistency
28:07
The Role of Messaging in Branding
29:33
Evolving Your Brand
30:21
Navigating Market Changes
31:40
Creating a Customer Journey
33:00
The Need for Brand Character
34:27
Aligning Sales and Marketing
36:26
The Challenges of Scaling
37:59
The Reality of Branding
40:19
Building in Public
42:06
The Pursuit of Mastery
43:57
The Business Catcher Concept
45:51
The Essence of the Brand
47:49
Continuous Brand Evolution
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/nir-zavaro-the-business-catcher-on-chances-are-your-business-is-doing-it-wrong
# Derek Peterson, Founder @ Soter Technologies | Discipline and Determination Create Unstoppable Entrepreneurs
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-11-21
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") speaks with [Derek Peterson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekpeterson007/ "Derek Peterson"), founder and CEO of [Soter Technologies](https://www.sotertechnologies.com/ "Soter Technologies"). They explore Derek's journey from a corporate VP to an entrepreneur, discussing the importance of identifying problems to create solutions, the evolution of his startups, and the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Derek shares insights on discipline, determination, and the significance of continuous learning in entrepreneurship, culminating in his current pursuit of a doctorate in biomedical engineering to develop life-saving devices.
### Takeaways
- Derek Peterson transitioned from a corporate VP to an entrepreneur.
- Identifying problems is crucial for creating successful solutions.
- Derek's first entrepreneurial venture was selling candy in junior high.
- He founded his first company to create library management software.
- Derek's company, Soter Technologies, focuses on safety technology for schools.
- The COVID-19 pandemic forced Derek to pivot his business model.
- Discipline and determination are key traits for successful entrepreneurs.
- Continuous learning and setting goals are essential for growth.
- Derek is pursuing a doctorate in biomedical engineering.
- His personal health challenges inspired him to create life-saving devices.
### Chapters
00:00
The Fascination with Hardware
01:24
Meet Derek Peterson: The Entrepreneurial Journey
03:48
From Corporate to Startup: The Transition
06:16
Identifying Problems and Creating Solutions
09:03
The Evolution of Startups: From Libraries to Schools
12:34
Innovating for Safety: The Birth of Soder Technologies
13:54
Trials and Tribulations: Navigating Challenges
18:32
Adapting to Change: The COVID Pivot
19:58
Navigating Failure and Resilience
21:41
The Role of Discipline in Entrepreneurship
27:23
Adapting Routines and Prioritizing Fitness
29:27
Setting Goals and Lifelong Learning
31:13
Overcoming Adversity and Personal Health Journeys
35:00
Chance Encounters and Building Connections
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/derek-peterson-founder-soter-technologies-on-discipline-and-determination-create-unstoppable-entrepreneurs
# Gershon Morgulis, Founder @ Imperial Advisory | What Does it Really Mean to Build a Financially Sound Business?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-11-20
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") and guest [Gershon Morgulis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gershonmorgulis/ "Gershon Morgulis"), founder of [Imperial Advisory](https://imperialgrp.com/ "Imperial Advisory"), discuss the journey of entrepreneurship, focusing on financial security, sales strategies, and the importance of mentorship. Gershon shares his unique path from aspiring lawyer to business owner, emphasizing the significance of building trust and relationships in business. They explore the challenges of succession planning, avoiding family drama, and identifying bottlenecks in business operations. The conversation also highlights foundational strategies for new businesses and the lessons learned from their experiences in the entrepreneurial landscape.
### Takeaways
- Money is a consistent factor in all businesses.
- Building a business you would want to buy ensures its sellability.
- Sales should be a natural outcome of providing value.
- Understanding your financial situation is crucial for success.
- Avoiding debt can lead to a more sustainable business.
- Mentorship and community support are vital for growth.
- Identifying bottlenecks can optimize business operations.
- Planning for succession should start early in the business lifecycle.
- Clear guidelines can prevent family drama in business transitions.
- Staying at your job longer can provide financial security during startup.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Financial Security
04:47
Gershon's Journey to Business Ownership
09:31
Sales Strategies and Building Trust
16:48
Positioning for Financial Security and Succession Planning
20:30
Understanding Profitability and Revenue Focus
28:13
The Importance of Business Structure and Scalability
30:29
Navigating Early Business Challenges
36:31
Lessons from Business Debt and Financial Management
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/gershon-morgulis-founder-imperial-advisory-on-what-does-it-really-mean-to-build-a-financially-sound-business
# Andrew Gazdecki, Founder & CEO @ Acquire.com | If You Build It, Will They Come?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-11-18
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with [Andrew Gazdecki](https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/ "Andrew Gazdecki"), founder and CEO of [Acquire.com](https://acquire.com/ "Acquire.com"), to explore the journey of entrepreneurship from zero to market. They discuss the challenges and strategies of building a business, the importance of rhythm in entrepreneurship, and the nuances of preparing for acquisition. Andrew shares insights from his own experiences, emphasizing the significance of organization, financial management, and the emotional aspects of business transactions. The conversation provides valuable takeaways for aspiring entrepreneurs and those looking to scale their businesses.
### Takeaways
- Justin Abrams introduces the concept of zero to market entrepreneurship.
- Andrew Gazdecki shares his early experiences with entrepreneurship.
- The importance of finding a rhythm in entrepreneurship is discussed.
- Delegation and hiring are crucial for business growth.
- Building a marketplace comes with unique challenges and strategies.
- Preparation for acquisition should start early in the business lifecycle.
- Financial management is key to making a business attractive for sale.
- Emotional factors can impact business transactions significantly.
- Bootstrapping can lead to greater financial outcomes than raising capital.
- Timing and market conditions play a critical role in startup success.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Market Strategy
01:44
Andrew Gazdecki: A Journey from Zero to Market
02:59
The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Finding Your Path
06:59
Finding Rhythm in Entrepreneurship
11:36
Navigating Growth: Delegation and Hiring Strategies
16:22
The Bootstrap vs. Investment Debate
17:45
Building a Marketplace: Challenges and Triumphs
23:21
Market Timing and the Impact of COVID-19
25:10
Preparing for Acquisition: Foundational Steps
30:00
The Value of Clean Financials in Business
31:50
What Kills Deals: Trust and Transparency in Acquisitions
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/andrew-gazdecki-founder-and-ceo-acquire-com-on-if-you-build-it-will-they-come
# Matheus Ramos | Software Delivery Excellence
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-11-13
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams"), [Mat Ramos](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matheusaramos/ "Mat Ramos"), and [Mike Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/ "Mike Rispoli") discuss the intricacies of software delivery management, the importance of customer experience, and the challenges faced in project management. They explore best practices, the impact of AI on their processes, and how to effectively manage client expectations and scope creep. The conversation highlights the significance of adaptability in different client scenarios and the continuous need for software development.
### Takeaways
- The role of a software delivery manager is multifaceted.
- Managing expectations is crucial for project success.
- Scope creep can be managed effectively with transparency.
- Customer experience is paramount in software delivery.
- AI tools significantly enhance efficiency in development processes.
- Building relationships is key to successful project management.
- Regular communication with clients fosters trust and satisfaction.
- Understanding client needs helps tailor the delivery process.
- Continuous delivery is essential in software development.
- Adapting to different client personas is necessary for success.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction and Celebrating Milestones
02:09
The Role of Software Delivery Management
04:37
Career Paths and Building Community
07:33
Customer and Developer Experience
10:32
Challenges in Software Delivery
13:05
Best Practices for Successful Projects
15:44
Managing Expectations and Scope Creep
18:45
The Evolution of Agency Processes
21:39
Website vs. Software Delivery
24:16
Leveraging AI in Software Delivery
27:11
Conclusion and Future Outlook
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/matheus-ramos-on-software-delivery-excellence
# Jesse Wroblewski | Marketing for Supervillains
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-10-31
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") and [Jesse Wroblewski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-wroblewski/ "Jesse Wroblewski") delve into the world of marketing through the lens of supervillains. They discuss the importance of differentiation and decommoditization in a saturated market, the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, and the strategies outlined in Jesse's books. The conversation emphasizes the need for authenticity, the significance of understanding one's unique value proposition, and the willingness to sacrifice for success. Jesse shares insights from his journey, including the six-step action plan for implementing effective marketing strategies, and the importance of embracing one's unhinged side to stand out in the industry.
### Takeaways
- One bad day can lead to a complete strategy overhaul.
- Differentiation is key to standing out in a crowded market.
- Understanding your audience is crucial for effective marketing.
- The art of differentiation involves narrowing your focus.
- Decommoditization allows businesses to charge premium prices.
- Authenticity in marketing resonates with consumers.
- The six-step action plan provides a practical framework for success.
- Embracing your unhinged side can lead to unique marketing strategies.
- Sacrificing certain opportunities can enhance your brand's exclusivity.
- Building relationships should stem from the value you provide, not just personal connections.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Journey
01:32
The Philosophy of Marketing Supervillains
05:19
The Trials of Differentiation
09:54
Brilliant Basics of Marketing
12:02
Differentiation and Decommoditization
16:12
The How-To of Marketing for Supervillains
24:26
Defining Personal Exclamations
28:42
The Madness of Marketing
32:25
Identifying Your Unique Value Proposition
38:23
The Sacrifices of Branding
42:21
Creating a Supervillain Brand
Buy a Copy: [https://a.co/d/4RsqfHz](https://a.co/d/4RsqfHz "https://a.co/d/4RsqfHz")
[https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-jesse-james-wroblewski](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-jesse-james-wroblewski "https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-jesse-james-wroblewski")
Jesse can be found on [IG](https://www.instagram.com/marketingsupervillain/ "IG") and [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingsupervillain "TikTok") under @marketingsupervillain
My top recommendation is youtube which is under [decommoditized](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5hCtafiRpMWtD6dUI4yYQw "decommoditized") which is where Im bound by no aspect ratios or time limits and I can go nuts.
And my linkedin under my [name](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-wroblewski/ "name").
Websites:
[marketingforsupervillains.com](https://marketingforsupervillains.com/ "marketingforsupervillains.com") - the book
[decommoditized.com](https://decommoditized.com/ "decommoditized.com") - the consultancy
[generationsbeyond.com](https://generationsbeyond.com/ "generationsbeyond.com") - the agency
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jesse-wroblewski-or-marketing-for-supervillains
# Michael Reyes , Area Developer at KidStrong | Strong Kids, Strong Future
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-10-23
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") speaks with [Michael Reyes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-reyes-866ba6/ "Michael Reyes"), an area developer for [KidStrong](https://oceanside.kidstrong.com/ "KidStrong") and a serial entrepreneur. They discuss Michael's journey from a corporate career to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of purpose, technology, and human experience in business. Michael shares insights on the significance of sales skills, mentorship, and continuous learning in navigating the entrepreneurial landscape. The conversation highlights the impact of KidStrong on families and the community, showcasing the blend of technology and personal interaction in fostering growth and development for children.
### Takeaways
- Michael Reyes emphasizes the importance of having a mission-driven purpose in business.
- The blend of technology and human experience is crucial for success in fitness businesses.
- Sales skills are essential for entrepreneurs to thrive in any industry.
- Franchising offers a tested and proven business model for aspiring entrepreneurs.
- Investing in self-development is key to long-term success in entrepreneurship.
- Mentorship plays a vital role in avoiding pitfalls and fostering growth.
- Continuous learning and self-reflection are necessary for effective leadership.
- Understanding your team's needs is essential for motivating and leading effectively.
- The journey from corporate to entrepreneurship requires careful planning and research.
- Community impact is a significant aspect of building a successful business.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Entrepreneurship and KidStrong
02:00
Michael Reyes: A Mission-Driven Entrepreneur
04:58
The Intersection of Technology and Human Experience
10:01
From Corporate to Franchise: The Journey Begins
15:29
The Importance of Sales Skills in Entrepreneurship
20:16
Navigating the Transition to Entrepreneurship
25:47
Finding Signals for Change: Indicators of Opportunity
30:04
The Role of Mentorship in Business Growth
37:18
Self-Reflection and Continuous Learning
42:12
Closing Thoughts and Community Impact
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/michael-reyes-area-developer-at-kidstrong-on-strong-kids-strong-future
# Pete Sacco | Yesterday is a Memory, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift, Which is Why it is Called the Present
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-10-17
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with multifaceted entrepreneur [Pete Sacco](https://www.linkedin.com/in/petertsacco/ "Pete Sacco"), exploring themes of entrepreneurship, AI infrastructure, sustainability, personal transformation, and the future of humanity in a technology-driven world. The conversation delves into Pete's unique background, his insights on the role of AI in enhancing human experience, and the importance of building a personal brand and community. Through their dialogue, they emphasize the need for wisdom, connection, and a positive outlook on the future as they navigate the complexities of modern entrepreneurship.
### Takeaways
- Justin Abrams is a student of the game, seeking wisdom from successful operators.
- Pete Sacco's journey includes a diverse background in engineering and entrepreneurship.
- AI is seen as a tool to enhance human experience rather than a rival.
- Sustainability is crucial in building AI infrastructure and data centers.
- Personal transformation is key to success in entrepreneurship.
- The importance of community and mentorship in personal and professional growth.
- The future of humanity is intertwined with technological advancements.
- Embracing vulnerability and authenticity is essential in building a personal brand.
- The journey of entrepreneurship is filled with trials and tribulations that lead to growth.
- A positive mindset and an abundance mentality are vital for navigating challenges.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Journey
03:07
The Multifaceted Entrepreneur: Pete Sacco's Background
06:35
The Infrastructure of AI: Data Centers and Energy
09:57
Sustainability in AI Solutions
17:13
Personal Transformation and the Entrepreneurial Spirit
29:27
From Zero to Market: The Formula for Success
36:37
The Future of Humanity and Technology
51:29
Building a Personal Brand and Community
All my social media links can be found here: [PeterTSacco | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree](https://linktr.ee/petertsacco "PeterTSacco | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree")
This is my website, [Pete Sacco | Entrepreneur, Technologist & Modern-Day Mystic | Living in Bliss Author](https://www.petesacco.com/ "Pete Sacco | Entrepreneur, Technologist & Modern-Day Mystic | Living in Bliss Author").
People can order a signed hardcopy of my book for $29.00 here, [Living in Bliss - Signed Hardcopy](https://buy.stripe.com/fZu00i4ZrfIRdvE9hucIE00 "Living in Bliss - Signed Hardcopy"), or Kindle, Hardcopy, Paperback, and Audiobook on Amazon, [Amazon.com: Living in Bliss: Achieve a Balanced Existence of Body, Mind, and Spirit (Audible Audio Edition): Pete Sacco, Pete Sacco, Ethos Collective: Audible Books & Originals](https://www.amazon.com/Living-Bliss-Achieve-Balanced-Existence/dp/B0FJNNSJ9Z/ref=sr_1_1?crid=B26JQ9JYX3FB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zgMFy6J7hb3mu17zfB9y1w.JDCj3GtVcNTcvhS4u5B3UBcFjALX8gmT2DkBDXWsiME&dib_tag=se&keywords=living+in+bliss+pete+sacco&qid=1760724052&sprefix=living+in+bliss%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-1 "Amazon.com: Living in Bliss: Achieve a Balanced Existence of Body, Mind, and Spirit (Audible Audio Edition): Pete Sacco, Pete Sacco, Ethos Collective: Audible Books & Originals")
The following is a link to my Living in Bliss Assessment, which is a lead magnet where users can discover their Bliss archetype by answering five questions that assess their alignment to body, mind, and spirit, and provide them with a simple roadmap for achieving balance, [Living in Bliss Assessment - Discover Your Archetype](https://assessment.petesacco.com/ "Living in Bliss Assessment - Discover Your Archetype")
Finally, the following is a link to my Living in Bliss Assistant, which is a chat model trained on my book and all my research. It provides a GPT-like experience from a simple prompt that can be read or watched / listened too via my digital avatar, [Living in Bliss Assistant](https://assistant.petesacco.com/ "Living in Bliss Assistant")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/pete-sacco-on-yesterday-is-a-memory-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-and-today-is-a-gift
# Why Lovable Ain't So Loveable
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-10-17
### Summary
In this conversation, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") and [Mike Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-35073929/ "Mike Rispoli") discuss the challenges faced by non-technical individuals in bringing their ideas to life using technology. They explore the role of platforms like [Lovable](https://lovable.dev/ "Lovable") in enabling users to prototype their ideas, while also highlighting the limitations and the necessity of engineering expertise for more complex solutions. The discussion emphasizes the importance of collaboration between non-technical users and engineers to successfully navigate the software development landscape.
### Takeaways
- Non-technical individuals can now bring ideas to life.
- Challenges arise when users lack technical knowledge.
- Prototyping tools can help visualize ideas quickly.
- Complex solutions still require engineering expertise.
- The marriage of prototyping and engineering is crucial.
- Platforms like Lovable democratize software development.
- Understanding backend processes is essential for success.
- The future of software development is evolving rapidly.
- Collaboration is key in the development process.
- Navigating from prototype to product is a significant challenge.
### Chapters
00:00
Unlocking Ideas with Technology
02:44
Challenges of Non-Technical Users
05:53
The Role of Engineers in Complex Solutions
08:38
Prototyping and the Future of Software Development
11:31
Navigating the Transition from Prototype to Product
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/why-lovable-aint-so-loveable
# Hank Watt, Co-Founder @ Natures Wild Berry | When Life Hands You Lemons, Eat A Berry
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-10-17
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") explores the fascinating world of consumer packaged goods (CPG) and food, diving deep into the entrepreneurial journey of [Hank Watt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hankwatt/ "Hank Watt"), founder of [Nature's Wild Berry](https://natureswildberry.com/ "Nature's Wild Berry"). The conversation covers the challenges of product market fit, the unique taste experience of Nature's Wild Berry, and the importance of wisdom in entrepreneurship. Justin and Hank share insights on flavor, customer experience, and the emotional connections that drive successful business partnerships.
### Takeaways
- The CPG and food industry is relatable and challenging.
- Storytelling and product market fit are crucial for success.
- Taste testing can reveal unexpected flavor experiences.
- Understanding customer feedback is essential for product development.
- Entrepreneurship often involves seizing unexpected opportunities.
- Building emotional connections in business is vital.
- Wisdom and learning from others can guide entrepreneurs.
- Experimenting with flavors can enhance food experiences.
- The journey of entrepreneurship is filled with trials and triumphs.
- Passion can develop from the opportunities that arise.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hank-watt-co-founder-natures-wild-berry-on-when-life-hands-you-lemons-eat-a-berry
# Mike Rispoli, Co-Founder & CTO Cause of a Kind | Ruby on Rails is the Holy Grail
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-10-16
### Summary
In this episode, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") and [Mike Rispoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-35073929/ "Mike Rispoli") discuss the importance of choosing the right tech stack for software development, emphasizing [Ruby on Rails](https://rubyonrails.org/ "Ruby on Rails") as a preferred framework. They explore the advantages of Rails, including its scalability, ease of deployment, and strong conventions that facilitate development. The conversation also touches on comparisons with other frameworks like Django and Laravel, and the impact of AI on software development.
### Takeaways
- Ruby on Rails is a well-thought-out solution for tech stacks.
- Choosing a tech stack should focus on scalability and security.
- Rails offers strong conventions that aid in development.
- The portability of Rails makes it suitable for various deployment options.
- AI-driven software development benefits from Rails' conventions.
- Comparing frameworks should focus on their specific use cases.
- Popularity of a language doesn't determine its suitability for a project.
- Machine learning applications can be built independently of the web app layer.
- Rails provides built-in features for common software patterns.
- The success of major companies using Rails demonstrates its reliability.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Tech Stack Discussion
02:34
The Case for Ruby on Rails
12:06
Comparing Ruby on Rails with Other Frameworks
22:01
Final Thoughts on Ruby on Rails and AI
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/mike-rispoli-co-founder-and-cto-cause-of-a-kind-on-ruby-on-rails-is-the-holy-grail
# Ryan Reilly, Sales Coach & Business Developer | YOU Are Your Own Worst Enemy In Entrepreneurship
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-10-15
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") welcomes [Ryan Reilly](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanreilly-solutionspecialist/ "Ryan Reilly"), a sales consultant and performance improvement coach. They discuss the importance of transforming the traditional sales perspective, achieving trusted advisor status, and the relationship between sales and marketing. Ryan shares his journey from various jobs to becoming a successful entrepreneur, emphasizing the significance of mindset, problem-solving, and building authentic relationships in business. The conversation highlights the need for personal branding and the role of education in entrepreneurship, ultimately guiding listeners to focus on behaviors that lead to success rather than just outcomes.
### Takeaways
- Igniting joy is the foundation of success.
- Transforming the sales perspective is crucial for business growth.
- Achieving trusted advisor status requires genuine relationships.
- Identifying problems and solutions is key to entrepreneurship.
- Sales and marketing must work together seamlessly.
- You can't control the outcome, only your behaviors.
- Surround yourself with educational people for growth.
- Measure your success through meaningful metrics.
- Authenticity in sales builds trust and relationships.
- Personal branding is essential for business success.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
02:46
The Human Experience and Personal Growth
05:51
The Role of Education in Business
07:59
Reimagining Sales: The Trusted Advisor
12:36
Building Trust and Authenticity in Sales
15:32
The Psychology of Selling and Human Interaction
20:24
Brilliant Basics for New Entrepreneurs
23:02
From CEO Aspirations to Entrepreneurial Reality
23:30
The Commitment to Goals and Joy
24:55
Identifying and Solving Problems
26:41
The Data-Driven Approach to Sales
27:40
Four Quadrants of Revenue Generation
29:32
Building Authentic Relationships in Business
31:54
The Importance of Personal Branding
34:07
Measuring Success and Leading Indicators
35:23
Ryan's Professional Journey and Coaching Philosophy
41:01
Tying Yourself to the Process, Not the Outcome
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-real-real-w-the-reillys/id1836289372
https://open.spotify.com/show/5zxul4Kk7pjLDMLuIdVdU4
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/ryan-reilly-sales-coach-and-business-developer-on-you-are-your-own-worst-enemy-in-entrepreneurship
# Holly Moscatiello, Co-Founder @ The Balance Project | Technology Is Rotting Your Childs Childhood
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-10-10
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") speaks with [Holly Moscatiello](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollymoscatiello/ "Holly Moscatiello"), founder of [The Balance Project](https://www.thebalanceproject.life/ "The Balance Project"), about the challenges of parenting in a technology-driven world. They discuss the impact of technology on childhood, the mission of The Balance Project to create a balanced approach to technology use, and Holly's journey in building a nonprofit from scratch. The conversation also touches on the importance of community, the entrepreneurial spirit, and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
### Takeaways
- Justin Abrams introduces the theme of technology's impact on parenting.
- Holly Moscatiello shares her background and perspective as an elder millennial.
- The conversation explores the implications of a screen-based childhood.
- Holly discusses the mission of The Balance Project to harmonize life and technology.
- Building a nonprofit from scratch presents unique challenges and opportunities.
- Holly reflects on her early experiences with entrepreneurship.
- The importance of leveraging technology as a tool for growth is emphasized.
- Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs includes taking the first step and embracing imperfection.
- Holly shares her vision for the future of The Balance Project.
- The conversation concludes with a call to action for community involvement.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Technology and Parenting Challenges
02:28
Holly's Journey and Perspective on Technology
08:43
The Balance Project: Addressing Modern Childhood Imbalances
15:44
Building a Nonprofit: The Balance Project's Mission
22:00
Entrepreneurship and Personal Growth
25:34
The Entrepreneurial Spirit and Insatiable Curiosity
26:56
Leveraging Technology for Growth
29:41
Building Community Through Technology
33:40
Taking the First Step in Entrepreneurship
37:54
The Importance of Iteration and Flexibility
41:43
Future Aspirations for The Balance Project
https://www.thebalanceproject.life/shop
https://www.thebalanceproject.life/shop/p/the-balance-box-to-go
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/holly-moscatiello-co-founder-the-balance-project-on-technology-is-rotting-your-childs-childhood
# Kaiwei Tang, Co-Founder @ Light | A New Phone for a Reimagined Future
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-10-03
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages in a thought-provoking conversation with [Kai Tang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tangkaiwei/ "Kai Tang"), founder of [Light Phone](https://www.thelightphone.com/ "Light Phone"). They explore the complexities of modern technology, the addiction to smartphones, and the importance of human connection. Kai shares his journey from product design to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the need for a simpler, more intentional approach to technology. The discussion highlights the challenges of building a fair trade product and the vision for future innovations that prioritize human experience over digital distractions.
### Takeaways
- Technology can be both beneficial and overwhelming.
- The Light Phone aims to reduce distractions while providing essential tools.
- Human connection is often sacrificed for smartphone use.
- Design should focus on the user's experience and needs.
- Breaking away from technology addiction requires intentionality.
- The journey of entrepreneurship is filled with challenges and learning.
- Fair trade practices in technology are complex and often conflicting.
- Different tools can serve specific purposes without overwhelming users.
- The future of technology should prioritize human experience.
- It's possible to live without a smartphone and still stay connected.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/kaiwei-tang-co-founder-light-on-a-new-phone-for-a-reimagined-future
# Ryan Bloom, Co-Founder @ Urban Bonfire | The Difference Between A House And A Home
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-09-19
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with [Ryan Bloom](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-bloom-7947a99 "Ryan Bloom"), founder of [Urban Bonfire](https://urbanbonfire.com/ "Urban Bonfire"), to explore the intersection of entrepreneurship, home design, and the importance of outdoor spaces. Ryan shares his personal journey, the influence of his family background, and the lessons learned from his entrepreneurial experiences. The conversation delves into the significance of relationships, mentorship, and the pursuit of mastery in business, emphasizing the importance of customer experience and the balance between going alone and collaborating with others.
### Takeaways
- Justin Abrams introduces the theme of entrepreneurship and home design.
- Ryan Bloom shares his journey from a childhood in Montreal to founding Urban Bonfire.
- The importance of outdoor spaces in creating community and connection is highlighted.
- Ryan's early entrepreneurial experiences, including a lemonade stand, showcase his understanding of supply and demand.
- The conversation explores what causes business and the creative mindset behind it.
- Ryan emphasizes the role of relationships and mentorship in his entrepreneurial journey.
- Influential figures in Ryan's life, including his father and Adam Chamberg, are discussed.
- The balance between going alone and working together in business is examined.
- Ryan shares lessons learned from hard decisions made in his business.
- The pursuit of mastery and commitment to quality in business is a central theme.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Home Design
02:16
Ryan Bloom's Journey and Urban Bonfire
04:08
The Importance of Outdoor Spaces
09:34
Early Entrepreneurial Experiences
12:36
What Causes Business?
17:55
The Role of Passion in Business
21:08
Influences on Entrepreneurial Path
25:26
Collaboration vs. Independence in Business
27:10
The Importance of Focus in Business
28:27
Navigating Entrepreneurial Challenges
34:15
Signals for Course Correction
37:21
The Value of Partnerships
39:31
Pursuing Mastery in Business
45:45
Listening to Feedback for Improvement
48:03
Connecting with Ryan Bloom
@ryanbloom514
Urban Bonfire
@urbanbonfire
urbanbonfire.com
Kalamazoo
@kalamazoogrills
kalamazoogourmet.com
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/Ryan-Bloom-Co-Founder-Urban-Bonfire-on-The-Difference-Between-A-House-And-A-Home
# Sean Steigerwald, Co-Founder @ CustomerIQ | Your Customer Experience Deserves Better From You
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-09-16
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with [Sean Steigerwald](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-steigerwald-77120272/ "Sean Steigerwald"), founder of [Customer IQ](https://www.getcustomeriq.com/ "Customer IQ"), discussing their journeys in entrepreneurship, the evolution of customer experience, and the innovative solutions being developed to enhance customer orchestration. They explore the challenges and lessons learned from building startups, the importance of curiosity in entrepreneurship, and the future vision for Customer IQ in a competitive landscape.
### Takeaways
- Customer experience is foundational to business success.
- Starting a business often requires learning on the go.
- Naivety can be an advantage in entrepreneurship.
- Building a business around regulatory changes can create opportunities.
- Pivoting based on market needs is crucial for survival.
- AI can significantly enhance customer service efficiency.
- Understanding your customer is key to product development.
- Different industries require tailored approaches to customer success.
- Effective communication is vital in client relationships.
- Continuous learning and adaptation are essential for growth.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Customer Experience
02:40
Founder's Journey: Sean Steigerwald
06:42
The Entrepreneurial Spirit in Music
09:51
Building MalarTu: Lessons Learned
11:28
Navigating the Startup Landscape
17:00
Transitioning to Customer IQ
22:30
The Vision Behind Customer IQ
27:57
Customer Orchestration: A New Approach
33:52
Differentiating in a Competitive Market
36:15
Future Vision and Growth Plans
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/sean-steigerwald-co-founder-customeriq-on-your-customer-experience-deserves-better-from-you
# Renato Villanueva, Co-Founder @ Parallel | Running Out of Money is Certain Death
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-09-15
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with [Renato Villanueva](https://www.linkedin.com/in/villanuevar/ "Renato Villanueva"), founder of [Parallel](https://getparallel.com/ "Parallel"), to discuss the intricacies of managing finances in entrepreneurship. They explore Renato's journey from personal experiences to founding a fintech company, the importance of customer feedback in product development, and strategies for financial management. The conversation emphasizes the significance of timeboxing decisions, simulating financial futures, and supporting fellow founders in their entrepreneurial endeavors.
### Takeaways
- Managing cash flow is essential for business health.
- Founders should be their own first customers.
- Listening to customer feedback is crucial for product development.
- Timeboxing decisions helps in evaluating business strategies.
- Growth for VC-backed startups needs to be exponential.
- Simulating financial futures can guide better decision-making.
- Every expense should be evaluated for its impact on runway.
- Community engagement is important for supporting fellow founders.
- Clear milestones help in tracking business progress.
- Free consultations can provide valuable insights for founders.
### Chapters
00:00
Navigating Financial Challenges in Startups
03:54
Renato Villanueva's Entrepreneurial Journey
06:51
The Birth of Parallel: A Financial Solution
09:51
Pivoting and Listening to Customers
12:46
Managing Growth and Financial Health
15:39
The Importance of Timeboxing in Business Decisions
18:31
Common Challenges for Founders
21:22
Evaluating Market Position and Growth Strategies
24:17
Simulating Financial Futures with Parallel
27:16
Community Engagement and Support for Founders
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/renato-villanueva-co-founder-parallel-on-running-out-of-money-is-certain-death
# Justin Lund, Founder @ PROPEL | Getting Your Head Right for Business
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-09-02
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages in a deep conversation with [Justin Lund](https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-lund-propel/ "Justin Lund"), founder of [Propel](https://propelyour.com/ "Propel"). They explore the journey of entrepreneurship, touching on personal growth, the importance of delegation, and the challenges of scaling a business. Lund shares his early experiences with sales, overcoming addiction, and the lessons learned in building a successful business. The discussion emphasizes the significance of recognizing signals for course correction and the need for effective hiring strategies to foster growth.
### Takeaways
- Entrepreneurship involves a continuous pursuit of personal growth.
- Uncomfortable situations can lead to authentic conversations and growth.
- Sales experience is crucial for understanding customer needs.
- Overcoming personal challenges can fuel business success.
- Delegation is essential for scaling a business effectively.
- Recognizing the right time to hire is critical for growth.
- Operational structures help streamline business processes.
- Time management is key to avoiding burnout.
- Understanding your value can help prioritize tasks effectively.
- Creating systems and SOPs is vital for consistent outcomes.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/justin-lund-founder-propel-or-getting-your-head-right-for-business
# Stephen Robles | Creating a Podcast and YouTube Channel from ZERO-To-Market
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-08-27
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with [Stephen Robles](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenrobles/ "Stephen Robles"), a seasoned podcaster and video creator, to explore the intricacies of content creation. They discuss the evolution of podcasting tools, the importance of finding one's voice, and the balance between passion and expertise in creating engaging content. Stephen shares his journey from music to technology, emphasizing the significance of authenticity and value in content. The conversation also delves into practical advice for aspiring creators, including the role of modern tools like [Riverside FM](https://riverside.fm/ "Riverside FM") and the importance of audience feedback. As they wrap up, they reflect on the pursuit of mastery in content creation and the future of their respective journeys.
### Takeaways
- The journey of content creation is about authenticity and value.
- Finding your voice involves identifying your passion and expertise.
- Modern tools have significantly lowered the barrier to entry for content creators.
- Experimentation is key to discovering what resonates with your audience.
- Short form content should be valuable on its own, not just a teaser for longer content.
- Feedback from the audience is crucial for growth and improvement.
- Investing in quality audio and lighting can enhance content production.
- Building a community around your content can lead to greater engagement.
- The pursuit of mastery in content creation is a lifelong journey.
- Great content often comes from a unique perspective or angle.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
01:57
Stephen Robles: A Journey from Music to Podcasting
03:45
Demystifying Content Creation
06:44
Finding Your Voice in Content Creation
11:59
The Formula for Sustainable Content
16:52
Experimentation and Growth in Content Creation
22:29
Investing in the Right Tools for Content Creation
26:18
Types of Video Content Creation
28:44
The Power of Podcasting
32:07
Metrics That Matter for Creators
36:23
Pursuit of Mastery in Content Creation
38:03
What Separates Good from Great
42:16
Leveraging Modern Tools for Content Creation
49:10
Future Goals and Community Engagement
YouTube: [https://youtube.com/@beardfm](https://www.youtube.com/@beardfm)
My Podcast: [https://primarytech.fm](https://primarytech.fm)
Website: [https://beard.fm](https://beard.fm)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/stephen-robles-or-creating-a-podcast-and-youtube-channel-from-zero-to-market
# Rakesh Bhargava, The Unemployable Entrepreneur
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-08-25
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly from Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly from Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages in a heartfelt conversation with [Rakesh Bhargava](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rakesh-bhargava/ "Rakesh Bhargava"), exploring Rakesh's remarkable journey from his humble beginnings in India to becoming a successful entrepreneur in America. The discussion delves into the importance of mentorship, the principles that guide Rakesh's life, and the significance of compounding in both finance and personal growth. Rakesh shares valuable life lessons, emphasizing the need for acceptance, the power of listening, and the importance of taking risks. The episode serves as an inspiring narrative for budding entrepreneurs and anyone seeking to navigate their own journey from zero to market.
### Takeaways
- Find people that can impact your journey.
- Judge your success by how fast you fall asleep.
- Your integrity is like a piece of glass.
- Always speak the truth to avoid complications.
- Compounding is the key to success.
- Invest consistently for long-term growth.
- Every person you meet can teach you something.
- Don't be afraid to take risks in life.
- Live your life through learning, earning, and helping others.
- Take what you like and leave the rest.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Journey
01:41
Rakesh's Origin Story
12:14
Principles of Success
13:39
Early Experiences with Entrepreneurship
18:10
Finding the Rhythm of Life and Entrepreneurship
25:12
The Importance of Mentorship and Influence
27:23
The Importance of Mentorship and Learning
35:07
The Power of Compounding in Investments
41:00
Living a Life of Learning, Earning, and Returning
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/rakesh-bhargava-the-unemployable-entrepreneur
# Jimmy Rios, Founder of Rios Business Advisors | Forging a Financial Future for Entrepreneurs
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-08-12
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") and [Jimmy Rios](https://www.linkedin.com/in/riosbusinessadvisors/ "Jimmy Rios") delve into the complexities of financial maturity for entrepreneurs. They discuss the importance of mentorship, the challenges of navigating financial structures, and the necessity of community support in building a successful business. Jimmy shares his personal journey from struggles to success, emphasizing the need for continuous learning and adaptation in the entrepreneurial landscape. The conversation highlights practical strategies for managing debt, leveraging financial resources, and creating a sustainable business model.
### Takeaways
- Financial maturity is essential for entrepreneurs.
- Investing in mentorship can significantly impact business success.
- Community support plays a crucial role in entrepreneurship.
- Debt can be a useful tool if managed correctly.
- Understanding financial structures is vital for growth.
- Continuous learning is necessary for business adaptation.
- Building a business requires collaboration and teamwork.
- Identifying weaknesses in financial planning is crucial.
- Creating a sustainable financial future involves strategic planning.
- Success is often a result of learning from past mistakes.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Financial Maturity
01:49
The Importance of Mentorship in Business
06:37
Jimmy Rios: A Journey Through Entrepreneurship
14:12
Building a Business from Necessity
21:58
The Role of Community and Support in Growth
29:32
Overview of Rios Business Advisors
38:43
Navigating Business Loans and Initial Decisions
41:44
The Burden of Debt and Financial Strategies
44:58
Structuring for Financial Health
50:20
Leveraging Debt for Growth
53:53
The Importance of Financial Awareness and Action
https://www.linkedin.com/in/riosbusinessadvisors/
https://riosbusinessfunding.com/
https://www.nextlevelcredit.net/
https://riosbusinessadvisors.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jimmy-rios-founder-of-rios-business-advisors-on-forging-a-financial-future-for-entrepreneurs
# Cause of a Kind Engineering Team | Adopting and Adapting to AI for Customers
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-08-08
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") and the engineering team from [Cause of a Kind](https://www.causeofakind.com/ "Cause of a Kind") discuss the transformative impact of AI on software development. They explore various tools and techniques for prototyping, the importance of planning in AI projects, and the necessity of maintaining mastery in engineering practices. The conversation highlights the rapid evolution of AI tools, the significance of curiosity and continuous learning, and the future of efficient workflows in engineering.
### Takeaways
- AI is revolutionizing workflows in engineering.
- Prototyping with AI tools can significantly speed up development.
- Planning and requirements gathering are crucial for successful AI projects.
- Mastery in engineering is essential when using AI tools.
- AI can assist in testing and quality assurance processes.
- Curiosity drives exploration and adoption of new AI technologies.
- Building efficient workflows with AI can enhance productivity.
- AI tools are evolving rapidly, necessitating continuous learning.
- Maintaining control over AI-generated code is important for quality.
- The future of engineering will increasingly integrate AI solutions.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to AI in Engineering
01:55
Aha Moments with AI Tools
05:46
Prototyping with AI: Tools and Techniques
09:36
The Importance of Planning in AI Development
13:23
Navigating Challenges in AI-Generated Code
18:44
Real-World Applications and Experiences with AI
24:23
The Future of AI in Engineering
26:24
AI in Testing and Development
32:43
The Future of AI in Coding
39:33
Navigating AI Limitations
41:29
Curiosity and Continuous Learning in AI
47:20
Building Efficient Workflows with AI
https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/cause-of-a-kind-engineering-team-on-adopting-and-adapting-to-ai-for-customers
https://www.tempo.new/
https://ml-site.cdn-apple.com/papers/the-illusion-of-thinking.pdf
https://claude.ai
https://kiro.dev/
https://www.atlassian.com/platform/remote-mcp-server
https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/comparing-ai-pdf-parsers
https://github.com/magnitudedev/magnitude
https://github.com/ka-brian/self-testing-github-action
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/cause-of-a-kind-engineering-team-on-adopting-and-adapting-to-ai-for-customers
# Adam Chaimberg, Founder @ Aera Sports | Disrupting the Category of Watersports
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-07-24
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Adam Chaimberg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaimberg/ "Adam Chaimberg"), founder of AERA Sports, about his journey from a lifelong sports enthusiast to an entrepreneur creating innovative water sports goggles. They discuss the importance of quality equipment in sports, the emotional connection to entrepreneurship, and the significance of community engagement in building a brand. Adam shares insights on the challenges of bringing a product to market, the importance of eye protection in outdoor sports, and his vision for the future of Aera Sports.
### Takeaways
- Adam Chaimberg's journey reflects a lifelong passion for sports and entrepreneurship.
- The importance of quality equipment in enhancing sports experiences.
- Aera Sports was born from a personal need for better water sports goggles.
- The emotional connection to the first sale is a significant milestone for entrepreneurs.
- Building a brand with purpose can create a loyal customer base.
- Eye protection is often overlooked in outdoor sports, yet it's crucial for safety.
- Customer lifetime value is essential for sustainable business growth.
- Community engagement and local retailers play a vital role in brand success.
- The entrepreneurial journey is filled with ups and downs, but it's important to enjoy the process.
- Innovation in product design can address long-standing issues in the market.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
02:07
Adam Chaimberg's Journey to Entrepreneurship
06:20
The Problem with Current Water Sports Equipment
10:15
The Inspiration Behind Aera Sports
13:19
Navigating the Zero to Market Journey
16:04
The Emotional Connection to the First Sale
22:48
Building a Purpose-Driven Brand
26:52
Navigating Loss and Finding Purpose
28:10
The Impact of Outdoor Experiences
29:04
Overcoming Physical Challenges in Adventure Sports
30:55
The Importance of Eye Protection in Outdoor Activities
32:17
Expertise in Outdoor Retail and Consumer Trust
35:56
Understanding Customer Lifetime Value
36:53
The Evolution of Outdoor Brands
39:32
Commitment to Quality and Safety in Product Development
42:38
Building Relationships with Retailers
47:21
The Power of Networking and Community
49:55
Accessibility and Affordability in Sports Gear
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/adam-chaimberg-founder-of-aera-sports-on-disrupting-the-category-of-watersports
# Brian Fletcher, Co Founder @ Build FM | Building an Ai First Engineering Consultancy of the Future
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-07-23
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Brian Fletcher](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfletcher/ "Brian Fletcher"), co-founder of [Build FM](https://www.buildfm.com/ "Build FM"). They discuss Brian's unique journey from a musician to a technology entrepreneur, the intersection of creativity and engineering, and the challenges of building a startup in today's fast-paced tech landscape. Brian shares insights on the importance of continuous learning, the brutal realities of entrepreneurship, and the vision behind Build FM, which aims to revolutionize custom software development through AI. The conversation emphasizes the need for collaboration, community support, and the pursuit of mastery in one's craft.
### Takeaways
- Brian Fletcher's journey from musician to tech entrepreneur showcases the importance of adaptability.
- Continuous learning is a core value for Brian, driving his career decisions.
- The intersection of creativity and engineering can lead to innovative solutions.
- Building FM is about helping businesses leverage custom software and AI.
- Entrepreneurship is a challenging but rewarding journey that requires resilience.
- The importance of community and support in the entrepreneurial journey is emphasized.
- Navigating the go-to-market strategy is crucial for startup success.
- Brian's vision for FM includes creating a new market for custom software solutions.
- The conversation highlights the need for businesses to increase their surface area for luck.
- Collaboration and helping each other are key themes in the entrepreneurial landscape.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
01:59
Brian Fletcher's Early Career and Musical Background
06:44
Transition from Music to Technology
13:55
The Journey to Becoming a Global CTO
18:37
Introduction to Build FM and Its Vision
22:57
The Impact of AI on Software Development
25:37
Entrepreneurial Spirit and Building from Zero to Market
26:01
The Brutal Reality of Entrepreneurship
26:45
Navigating Risk and Support in Business
28:30
The Journey of Building FM
30:22
Calibrating to Market Needs
31:47
The Pressure of Entrepreneurship
32:57
Understanding the Buyer’s Journey
34:11
The Challenge of Lead Generation
36:03
The Unpredictability of Marketing
38:10
The Importance of Networking
39:41
Leveraging AI for Business Growth
41:26
Increasing Your Surface Area for Luck
42:13
The Vision for FM's Future
https://www.virtuosos.dev/
https://www.buildfm.com/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/brian-fletcher-co-founder-of-build-fm-on-building-an-ai-first-engineering
# Dean Curtis, CEO @ Ingage.io | Building a People First Tech Company
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-07-23
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Dean Curtis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanc23/ "Dean Curtis"), CEO of [Ingage.io](https://ingage.io/ "Ingage.io"). They discuss Dean's journey from being a teacher to a tech entrepreneur, his leadership philosophy, and the importance of coaching and mentorship. Dean shares insights on building a strong team culture, retaining talent, and the evolution of Ingage.io in the sales enablement space. The conversation emphasizes the significance of customer focus, adaptability, and the challenges of entrepreneurship, providing valuable advice for early-stage founders.
### Takeaways
- Dean Curtis emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning and curiosity.
- Coaching is a vital part of leadership and team development.
- Building a strong team culture is essential for retention.
- Mentorship plays a crucial role in personal and professional growth.
- Engage.io focuses on helping sales teams present better and sell more.
- The company differentiates itself by providing on-brand, interactive presentations.
- Understanding customer needs is key to business success.
- Simplicity in processes leads to better scalability.
- Making hard decisions early can save time and cash.
- The future of Ingage.io includes leveraging AI for content creation.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction and Guest Introduction
06:38
The Journey to Entrepreneurship
12:16
Hiring for Problem Solvers and Customer Focus
18:06
The Importance of Mentorship
23:40
Navigating the Competitive Landscape: Ingage's Differentiators
29:09
Simplicity in Sales: The Law of Averages
35:12
Future Outlook: Scaling with Purpose
41:44
Making Hard Decisions: Cash Flow and Business Resilience
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/dean-curtis-ceo-ingage-io-on-building-a-people-first-tech-company
# Jonathan Willbanks, Founder @ Arterra Pet Science | The Pursuit of Pet Longevity
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-07-18
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Jonathan Willbanks](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanwillbanks/ "Jonathan Willbanks"), the CEO and founder of [Arterra Pet Science](https://arterrapet.com/ "Arterra Pet Science"). They discuss Jonathan's unique journey as a founder, his experiences with entrepreneurship, and the challenges he faced growing up. Jonathan shares his passion for animal health and longevity, detailing how his personal experiences with his dog led him to create a product aimed at improving the healthspan of pets. The conversation also covers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and the importance of understanding the science behind pet nutrition and health.
### Takeaways
- Jonathan's early challenges shaped his entrepreneurial spirit.
- The importance of self-advocacy in health and wellness.
- Building a business requires deep passion and commitment.
- Understanding your strengths as a founder is crucial.
- Healthspan is as important as lifespan for pets.
- The pet supplement industry is often underwhelming in quality.
- Innovative approaches can lead to better health outcomes for pets.
- Personal experiences can drive meaningful business ideas.
- Collaboration with experts enhances product development.
- Entrepreneurship is a journey filled with learning and iteration.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Host and Guest
01:50
Jonathan Wilbanks: A Unique Journey
04:45
The Entrepreneurial Spirit and Early Experiences
18:15
From Zero to Market: Insights and Playbook
22:26
The Pillars of Entrepreneurship
24:22
Personal Journeys and Health Challenges
28:30
The Intersection of Health and Animal Care
36:57
Innovations in Pet Supplementation
45:04
The Mission Behind Artera
https://arterrapet.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanwillbanks/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
https://x.com/jonwillbanks
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jonathan-willbanks-founder-arterra-pet-science-on-the-pursuit-of-pet-longevity
# Rosanna Santiago, Founder @ Wild Vines Marketing | Navigation the Marketing Landscape
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-07-18
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Rosanna Santiago](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosannasantiago/ "Rosanna Santiago"), CEO and Founder of [Wild Vines Marketing](https://www.wildvinesmarketing.com/ "Wild Vines Marketing"). They discuss Rosanna's journey from her early entrepreneurial ventures to her current role in marketing and consulting. The conversation covers the importance of authenticity in branding, the impact of AI on marketing strategies, and the need for businesses to adapt to changing consumer behaviors. Rosanna shares her insights on teaching and guiding entrepreneurs, as well as the significance of building genuine relationships in business.
### Takeaways
- Rosanna's entrepreneurial journey began in childhood with small ventures.
- She transitioned from accounting to marketing, leveraging her skills.
- Wild Vines Marketing focuses on teaching and consulting for entrepreneurs.
- The marketing landscape is rapidly changing due to AI and digital trends.
- Authenticity is crucial for building a personal brand.
- Networking and building relationships are key to success.
- Understanding data and analytics is essential for effective marketing.
- Businesses must adapt to the decline of traditional clicks in marketing.
- Curiosity and continuous learning drive entrepreneurial success.
- Taking risks and being open to opportunities can lead to unexpected rewards.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Journey
02:12
Rosanna's Unique Background
04:50
The Entrepreneurial Spirit Origins
11:10
Transitioning to Wild Vines Marketing
16:36
Core Services of Wild Vines Marketing
21:22
Navigating the AI Landscape in Marketing
23:21
Preparing for the AI Takeover
27:46
The Importance of Authenticity in Marketing
30:10
Building a Personal Brand
33:32
The Power of Networking and Community
38:43
Embracing Opportunities and Taking Risks
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/rosanna-santiago-founder-wild-vines-marketing-on-navigation-the-marketing-landscape
# Charlie Cimitile, Co-Founder @ Day 1 Distro | Building a B2B Business in the Cannabis Industry
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-07-15
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Charlie Cimitile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliecimitile/ "Charlie Cimitile"), CEO and founder of [Day 1 Distro](https://day1distro.com/ "Day 1 Distro"), exploring their shared history and Charlie's entrepreneurial journey in the cannabis industry. They discuss the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, the importance of relationships, and the dynamics of running a business in a rapidly evolving market. Charlie shares insights on navigating the cannabis distribution landscape, managing inventory, and the significance of trust in partnerships.
### Takeaways
- Entrepreneurship often starts from personal experiences and challenges.
- The grind of entrepreneurship can be compared to parenting.
- Finding a niche in the cannabis industry can lead to success.
- Building a customer-centric business model is crucial.
- Trust between partners is essential for business success.
- Navigating inventory and supply chain is a constant challenge.
- Sales experience is invaluable in any career path.
- The cannabis industry is relationship-driven and community-oriented.
- Adapting to market changes is vital for survival.
- Taking risks in business requires careful consideration and communication.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction and Background
02:40
Personal Journeys and Entrepreneurial Spirit
04:27
The Hustle of Entrepreneurship
09:44
Navigating the Cannabis Industry
11:41
Finding the Niche in Cannabis Distribution
22:56
Navigating the Evolving Cannabis Market
30:14
Managing Inventory and Customer Relationships
36:30
The Importance of Trust in Partnerships
40:29
Breaking into the Cannabis Industry
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/charlie-cimitile-co-founder-day-1-distro-on-building-a-b2b-business-in-the
# Sam Tooley, Founder @ Alpha Fit Club | The Business of Fitness
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-07-10
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host Justin Abrams discusses the intersection of fitness and entrepreneurship with [Sam Tooley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachsamtooley/ "Sam Tooley"), founder of [Alpha Fit Club](https://alphafitclub.com/ "Alpha Fit Club"). They explore personal fitness journeys, the importance of community in the fitness industry, mental health, and the challenges of entrepreneurship. Sam shares his experiences of building a business from the ground up, the significance of trust and leadership, and how to create gainful employment opportunities in a competitive market. The conversation emphasizes the entrepreneurial spirit and the importance of enjoying the journey while pursuing one's passions.
### Takeaways
- Fitness led me to a life of freedom.
- I was super inspired by my fitness coaches.
- I want to show up for them.
- Trust is earned through showing up.
- We are the new kids on the block.
- I needed to make real money.
- You have to be willing to take your licks.
- If you can enjoy the journey, that’s what matters.
- I want to build a business I never need to walk away from.
- I see everything on social media.
### Chapters
00:00
The Journey to Fitness and Freedom
02:56
Sam Tooley's Entrepreneurial Path
08:29
Building Community and Trust in Business
14:02
Navigating Challenges as an Entrepreneur
19:42
Creating a Thriving Fitness Community
25:08
The Journey of Growth and Connection
28:51
Entrepreneurial Spirit and Taking Risks
32:23
Going All In: The Entrepreneurial Mindset
37:43
Creating Gainful Employment in Fitness
43:54
Future Aspirations and Community Engagement
https://alphafitclub.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachsamtooley/
https://www.instagram.com/coach.samtooley/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/sam-tooley-founder-alpha-fit-club-on-the-business-of-fitness
# Cristobal Murrilo, Founder @ Selk'bag | Customer Led Innovation
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-07-07
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") speaks with [Cristobal Murillo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristobalmurillo/ "Cristobal Murillo"), founder of [Selkbag](https://selkbagusa.com/ "Selkbag"), about his journey from Chile to the U.S. and the evolution of his innovative outdoor product. They discuss the challenges and realities of entrepreneurship, the importance of customer feedback, and how to build a brand that resonates with consumers. Cristobal shares insights on the outdoor industry, the significance of storytelling in marketing, and the need for flexibility in business. The conversation highlights the power of community and the role of customer experience in driving success.
### Takeaways
- Cristobal's journey from Chile to the U.S. shaped his entrepreneurial spirit.
- The importance of working hard and being patient in entrepreneurship.
- Customer feedback is crucial for product innovation and brand growth.
- Building a brand is about creating a community and treating customers like family.
- The outdoor industry is evolving with new consumer needs and preferences.
- Storytelling is essential for connecting with customers and building a brand.
- Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey, but it's also rewarding.
- Flexibility and adaptability are key to surviving in business.
- The digital age has transformed how businesses can test and market products.
- Success often comes from listening to customers and being open to change.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Host and Outdoor Passion
02:03
Cristobal Morillo's Journey from Chile to Entrepreneurship
08:03
The Path to Entrepreneurship: Early Influences and Experiences
11:17
The Reality of Entrepreneurship: Challenges and Misconceptions
16:33
Embracing Opportunity: The Entrepreneurial Spirit
22:56
Innovating in Outdoor Gear: The Selkbag Story
25:38
The Journey Begins: From Chile to Global Markets
26:51
Overcoming Market Resistance: The Challenge of Innovation
28:53
Reimagining the Sleeping Bag: Expanding Use Cases
30:54
Licensing with Marvel and Star Wars: A Game Changer
33:27
Customer-Centric Evolution: Listening to Feedback
34:47
The Rise of Small Brands: Flexibility and Customer Connection
36:55
Customer-Led Innovation: The Key to Success
39:13
Marketing Through Customer Experience: Real-Life Applications
43:05
The Importance of Storytelling in Branding
46:26
Building a Community: Treating Customers Like Family
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/cristobal-murrilo-founder-selkbag-or-customer-led-innovation
# Mike Fata, Co-Founder @ Manitoba Harvest (exited) | Finding the Rhythm of Entrepreneurship
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-07-02
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Mike Fata](https://www.linkedin.com/in/themikefata/ "Mike Fata"), a seasoned entrepreneur and mentor. They discuss Mike's journey from childhood to becoming a successful entrepreneur, emphasizing the importance of personal growth, mentorship, and mental health. Mike shares insights on operational excellence, strategic planning, and the significance of continuous improvement in business. He also reflects on his future aspirations and the treasure hunt mentality he embraces in life.
### Takeaways
- Mike emphasizes the importance of viewing life in seasons.
- He believes in the ebb and flow of work and family life.
- Mental health is crucial for entrepreneurs to perform at their best.
- Operational excellence is key to running a successful business.
- Continuous improvement should be a focus for all aspects of business.
- Planning is essential; if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
- Mentorship and peer support are vital for personal and professional growth.
- Mike advocates for a customer-centric approach in business.
- He encourages entrepreneurs to embrace their unique journeys.
- The treasure hunt mentality allows for exploration and new opportunities.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Personal Growth
10:14
The Journey from Childhood to Entrepreneurship
19:54
The Importance of Mentorship and Mental Health
28:58
Operational Excellence and Strategic Planning
29:57
Future Aspirations and the Treasure Hunt Mentality
https://www.mikefata.ca/coaching
https://www.fatafleishman.org/
https://www.mikefata.ca/grow-unstoppable-entrepreneur
https://manitobaharvest.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/themikefata/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/mike-fata-co-founder-manitoba-harvest-exited-or-finding-the-rhythm-of
# Jaime Barrientos, Founder @ Acuity Risk Consultants | Navigating the Insurance Industry
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-06-27
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") speaks with [Jaime Barrientos](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-barrientos-mba-arm-8653091a6/ "Jaime Barrientos"), founder of [Acuity Risk Consultants](https://www.acuityriskconsultants.com/ "Acuity Risk Consultants"), about the complexities of entrepreneurship, the insurance industry, and the importance of building strong client relationships. Jaime shares his unique journey from early entrepreneurial experiences to military service and ultimately to founding his own insurance consultancy. The conversation delves into the challenges faced by business owners, the role of technology in the insurance sector, and the need for a more personalized approach to risk management.
### Takeaways
- Entrepreneurs face unexpected challenges like liabilities and insurance needs.
- Insurance is a complex sector with many avenues to explore.
- Leveraging experts early in the business lifecycle is crucial.
- Jaime Barrientos emphasizes the importance of personal experiences in shaping his business approach.
- Sales can be a natural extension of one's personality and beliefs.
- The military experience can provide valuable problem-solving skills for entrepreneurs.
- Acuity Partners aims to redefine client relationships in the insurance industry.
- Technology, including AI, is transforming the insurance landscape but requires skilled professionals.
- Business owners need to be proactive about their insurance needs and risk management.
- The journey to mastering insurance is as important as the outcome.
### Chapters
00:00
Navigating the Challenges of Entrepreneurship
02:23
Meet Jaime Barrientos: A Unique Journey
05:03
Early Entrepreneurial Experiences
12:26
The Air Force and Its Impact on Business
15:38
Building Acuity Partners: A New Approach to Insurance
18:00
Embracing Technology in the Insurance Sector
21:59
Transforming the Insurance Experience
28:23
Final Thoughts and How to Connect
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jaime-barrientos-founder-acuity-risk-consultants
# Joely Leidner, Founder @ Jobs By Joely | Navigating Staffing and Recruiting Today
Published: 2025-06-26
### Summary
In this episode of Strictly From Nowhere, host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with [Joely Leidner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joely-leidner/ "Joely Leidner"), founder of [Jobs by Joely](https://www.jobsbyjoely.com/ "Jobs by Joely"), to explore the intricacies of talent acquisition and the staffing industry. Joely shares her journey from corporate roles to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of cultural fit in hiring and the evolution of the employment climate post-COVID. The conversation highlights the significance of professionalism in candidate presentation and the personal touch that Joely brings to her staffing approach, ensuring a one-on-one connection with both clients and candidates.
### Takeaways
- Finding the right talent is crucial for business success.
- Cultural fit is as important as skills in hiring.
- Candidates often prioritize commute and work-life balance over salary.
- The staffing industry has evolved significantly due to technology and COVID-19.
- Entrepreneurship often requires a leap of faith and confidence.
- Networking and personal connections are vital in staffing.
- Professional presentation can greatly impact hiring chances.
- Joely emphasizes a one-on-one approach with candidates.
- Mentorship can come from within rather than from external sources.
- The staffing process should be tailored to the needs of both clients and candidates.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Talent Acquisition and Staffing
01:51
Jolie Leidner's Journey in Staffing
11:07
The Entrepreneurial Spirit and Starting a Business
19:09
Evolving Employment Climate Post-COVID
24:04
Jobs by Jolie: Mission and Approach
35:16
Closing Thoughts and Contact Information
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/joely-leidner-founder-jobs-by-joely-or-navigating-staffing-and-recruiting
# Jeremy Bower, Founder @ Givr Packaging | The First Impression of Product Packaging
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-06-25
### Summary
In this episode of Strictly from Nowhere, host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with [Jeremy Bower](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-bower-2371b913/ "Jeremy Bower"), founder of [Givr Packaging](https://www.givrpack.com/ "Givr Packaging"), to explore the significance of packaging in consumer experience and the journey of entrepreneurship. They discuss Jeremy's unique background in paper science, the importance of sales and negotiation skills, and the mission-driven approach of Givr Packaging, which aims to provide sustainable packaging solutions without compromising on quality or price. The conversation also highlights the influence of mentorship in Jeremy's career and the transition from employee to entrepreneur.
### Takeaways
- Justin expresses his passion for packaging and consumer experience.
- Jeremy Bower shares his unique background in paper science.
- The importance of storytelling and brand innovation in packaging.
- Sales and negotiation are essential skills for entrepreneurs.
- Giver Packaging aims to provide sustainable packaging solutions.
- Customers prefer sustainable options if they are cost-effective.
- The significance of getting the basics right in business.
- Mentorship played a crucial role in Jeremy's career development.
- Jeremy emphasizes the importance of saying yes to opportunities.
- The mission of Giver Packaging is to offset environmental impact.
### Chapters
00:00
The Art of Packaging and Consumer Experience
02:16
Jeremy Bower's Unique Journey
10:05
The Essence of Sales and Negotiation
10:47
Giver Packaging: Mission and Vision
15:32
Transitioning to Entrepreneurship
17:59
Influences and Mentorship in Entrepreneurship
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jeremy-bower-founder-givr-packaging-on-the-first-impression-of-product
# Michelle Bakels, Co-Founder @ ReactMiami | Building a People First Culture
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-06-23
### This episode is proudly sponsored by:The Future of Hiring Developer Resources
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") speaks with [Michelle Bakels](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-bakels-2052687a/ "Michelle Bakels"), a program director at [G2i](https://www.g "G2i") and co-founder of [React Miami](https://www.reactmiami.com/ "React Miami"). They discuss the challenges of hiring in the tech industry, the importance of community building, and the journey of creating React Miami. Michelle shares her experiences in event planning, the evolution of her career from art history to web development, and the unique approach G2i takes towards developer health and staffing solutions. The conversation highlights the significance of relationships in business and the impact of community-driven initiatives.
### Takeaways
- Hiring is challenging; finding the right blend of skills is crucial.
- G2i has been a vital partner for Cause of a Kind.
- Community events can evolve from grassroots efforts.
- Event planning requires managing expectations and budgets.
- Feedback from attendees can be both positive and negative.
- Developer health is a priority at G2i
- Building relationships is key to G2i's success.
- Small events can have a big impact on community building.
- The journey from developer to community advocate is fulfilling.
- React Miami aims to connect developers and foster learning.
Chapters
00:00
Navigating the Hiring Landscape
01:54
The Journey of G2i and React Miami
05:34
Building Community Through Events
11:09
Challenges in Organizing Conferences
16:25
The Evolution of Michelle's Career
21:48
G2I's Unique Approach to Developer Health
27:10
Target Customers and Future Directions
https://www.reactmiami.com/
https://www.g2i.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-bakels-2052687a/
https://www.developerhealth.org/
https://www.devhealthos.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/michelle-bakels-co-founder-of-reactmiami-building-a-people-first-culture
# Jarett Bellucci, Founder @ Bellucci Productions | The Evolution of Video and Content
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-06-18
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") engages with [Jarett Bellucci](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarettbellucci/ "Jarett Bellucci"), a creative director and filmmaker, exploring his journey from understanding stories to creating impactful content. They discuss the importance of passion, the entrepreneurial spirit, and the influences that shaped Jarett's career. The conversation also delves into the significance of family support and the evolution of Bellucci Productions, highlighting the role of storytelling in various media. In this conversation, Jarett and Justin discuss the importance of collaboration in creative work, the journey from being a freelancer to establishing a business, and the evolution of content creation in the age of AI. Jb shares insights on how the industry has changed, the value of authenticity in storytelling, and how AI is transforming the landscape of video production. They emphasize the need for creatives to adapt and embrace new technologies while maintaining the human connection that is essential in storytelling.
### Takeaways
- Understanding people's stories is key to creativity.
- Making passion a career leads to fulfillment.
- The importance of hobbies in a creative life.
- Entrepreneurial spirit often starts young.
- Confidence and personality are crucial in business.
- Success is not just about money, but impact.
- Family support is vital for motivation.
- Inspiration can come from various life experiences.
- Creativity thrives in uncertain times.
- Bellucci Productions focuses on storytelling through various media. Collaboration is key in creative projects.
- Being a one-stop shop enhances client relationships.
- The journey to independence often starts with self-belief.
- Embracing change is crucial for growth in business.
- AI is revolutionizing content creation and storytelling.
- Authenticity resonates more with audiences today.
- Freelancing can be a viable path to entrepreneurship.
- Investing in skills and experience is essential for success.
- The landscape of video production is rapidly evolving.
- Creatives must adapt to new technologies to thrive.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Journey
03:00
The Art of Storytelling
05:50
Passions Beyond Business
08:56
Entrepreneurial Spirit and Early Experiences
12:03
Influences and Inspirations
15:09
Support Systems in Business
18:02
Bellucci Productions: A Creative Venture
21:54
The Importance of Collaboration in Creative Work
24:48
The Journey to Independence: From Freelancer to Business Owner
30:25
Embracing Change: The Evolution of Content Creation
39:04
AI in Storytelling: A Game Changer for Creatives
https://bellucciproductions.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarettbellucci/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
https://stringtheoryguitarmovie.com
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0DX12FRSK/ref=atv_sr_fle_c_Tn74RA_1_1_1?sr=1-1&pageTypeIdSource=ASIN&pageTypeId=B0DX149TVN&qid=1748622865028
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jarett-bellucci-founder-bellucci-productions-or-the-evolution-of-video
# Olivia Ludington, Founder @ Ludington Media | Public Relations and the Customer Experience
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-06-17
### Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Olivia Ludington](https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivialudington/ "Olivia Ludington"), CEO and founder of [Luddington Media](https://www.ludingtonmedia.com/ "Luddington Media"). They discuss Olivia's journey into the world of public relations, the importance of agency experience, and the value of networking and customer obsession in building a successful business. Olivia shares her founder story, her early entrepreneurial experiences, and the mental game behind entrepreneurship, highlighting the support systems that have influenced her path. In this conversation, Olivia shares her journey from being an employee to becoming an entrepreneur, highlighting the challenges and realities of business growth.
She discusses the importance of sustaining success, managing client expectations, and being open to opportunities in unexpected industries. Olivia also provides insights on public relations, emphasizing the need for a strong personal narrative and the long-term nature of PR efforts. The discussion concludes with the significance of being authentically contrarian in business, encouraging a unique perspective that can resonate with journalists and audiences alike.
### Takeaways
- PR can be tough to measure in terms of ROI.
- Agency experience is crucial for understanding the industry.
- Networking is about connecting people, not just selling.
- Customer obsession is key to business success.
- Building a business often arises from personal pain points.
- Sales skills can be learned and improved over time.
- A strong support system is vital for entrepreneurs.
- Enjoying the people you work with leads to greater success.
- Flexibility and openness are important in business.
- Creating a positive work experience is essential for employee retention. Olivia started her first client to pay rent, showcasing the entrepreneurial spirit.
- The journey to entrepreneurship often involves unexpected pivots and growth.
- Sustaining a business requires consistent effort beyond initial success.
- Managing client expectations is crucial for long-term relationships.
- Opportunities can arise in unexpected industries; stay open-minded.
- PR is about building credibility and momentum over time.
- Authenticity and a strong personal narrative are key in PR.
- Being contrarian can help in standing out and attracting attention.
- It's important to connect with journalists on a personal level.
- The long game in business is about sustaining relationships and value.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to PR and Founder's Journey
01:40
Olivia's Founder Story and Background
03:24
The Importance of Agency Experience
07:23
Humanizing the Founder Experience
09:11
First Dollar and Early Entrepreneurial Spirit
11:19
Sales Skills and Networking
14:49
Building Ludington Media
18:05
Customer Obsession in Business
20:01
Mental Game and Support System
22:56
From Employee to Entrepreneur: The Journey Begins
26:10
The Reality of Business Growth: Beyond the Takeoff
29:03
Sustaining Success: The Long Game in Business
34:38
Finding Opportunity in Unexpected Places
37:52
Are You Ready for PR? Key Considerations
42:06
Being Authentically Contrarian: A Unique Perspective
https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere
https://www.ludingtonmedia.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivialudington/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
https://cuzzinjustin.com/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/olivia-ludington-founder-ludington-media-or-public-relations-and-the
# Mark Kravietz, Founder @ ALINE Wealth | Building a Business with the Future Top of Mind
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-06-16
### Summary
In this episode of Strictly From Nowhere, host Justin Abrams engages with Mark Kravietz, co-founder of ALINE Wealth, discussing his personal journey, the impact of family on his entrepreneurial spirit, and the importance of exit planning for business owners. Mark shares valuable lessons from his childhood, his career path, and insights into the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship. In this conversation, Mark Kravietz shares insights on navigating financial crises, the importance of mentorship, and the balance between pursuing passion and opportunity in entrepreneurship. He emphasizes the value of making mistakes, understanding lifestyle businesses, and preparing for future success through strategic planning. The discussion highlights the need for a clear roadmap to achieve financial goals and the significance of viewing one's business from a buyer's perspective.
### Takeaways
- Mark Kravietz emphasizes the importance of helping entrepreneurial individuals prepare for business exits.
- Personal experiences shape one's entrepreneurial journey, as seen in Mark's childhood lessons.
- Engaging in community initiatives, like the Exit Planning Institute, is crucial for business owners.
- The concept of dividing money into savings, spending, and philanthropy can teach children financial responsibility.
- Mark's father's journey from Poland to entrepreneurship influenced his own career path.
- Transitioning from corporate roles to independent entrepreneurship can be a significant step for many.
- The entrepreneurial spirit often stems from early life experiences and passions.
- Successful entrepreneurs possess a burning desire to change the world or their industry.
- Challenges in entrepreneurship are common, and resilience is key to overcoming them.
- Building a business is a long-term commitment that requires dedication and adaptability. You can find opportunities in bear markets.
- Building blocks of experience are crucial for growth.
- Teaching complex concepts in layman's terms is essential.
- Pursuing mentorship accelerates entrepreneurial growth.
- Passion should drive your business endeavors.
- Mistakes are valuable learning experiences.
- Lifestyle businesses have trade-offs for future monetization.
- Top-line growth is vital for business attractiveness.
- A clear plan is necessary for financial success.
- View your business from a buyer's perspective.
-
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction and Personal Connection
01:21
Mark's Background and Align Wealth
03:06
Involvement in Exit Planning and Community Engagement
04:51
Early Life Lessons and Entrepreneurial Spirit
11:56
Family Influence and Career Path
15:38
Transition to Entrepreneurship and Career Development
18:43
The Entrepreneurial Spirit and Success Factors
23:14
Challenges of Entrepreneurship and Personal Insights
25:33
Navigating Financial Crises and Opportunities
29:12
The Importance of Mentorship in Entrepreneurship
30:35
Finding Passion vs. Pursuing Opportunity
35:04
The Value of Mistakes in Business
36:31
Understanding Lifestyle Businesses
38:40
Preparing Your Business for Future Success
43:57
Creating a Roadmap for Financial Goals
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/markkravietz/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
- https://alinewealth.com/
- https://exit-planning-institute.org/chapter/epi-greater-new-york-chapter
- https://alinewealth.com/coffee-with-krav.html
- https://alinewealth.com/find-your-exit.html
- https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/mark-kravietz-founder-aline-wealth-or-building-a-business-with-the-future
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/mark-kravietz-founder-aline-wealth-or-building-a-business-with-the-future
# Ravi de Silva, Founder @ de Risk Partners | From Compliance to Entrepreneur
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-06-04
## Summary
In this episode of Strictly From Nowhere, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Ravi de Silva](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravidesilvaiacompaml/ "Ravi de Silva"), founder of [de Risk Partners](https://www.deriskpartners.io/ "de Risk Partners"). Ravi shares his journey from Sri Lanka to Australia and then to the US, detailing his career in finance and compliance. He discusses the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, the importance of compliance in financial services, and how De-Risk Partners aims to provide strategic compliance solutions for fintechs and crypto exchanges. The conversation also touches on personal experiences, the balance of family life, and the future growth of De-Risk Partners in global markets.
## Takeaways
- Ravi's journey from Sri Lanka to the US shaped his entrepreneurial spirit.
- The importance of compliance in financial services cannot be overstated.
- De-Risk Partners focuses on strategic compliance, not just ticking boxes.
- Ravi emphasizes the need for creativity in compliance solutions.
- Building a strong team is crucial for scaling a business.
- The transition from employee to entrepreneur can be liberating and challenging.
- Ravi's background in finance provides a unique perspective on compliance.
- The global expansion of De-Risk Partners is a strategic move.
- Networking and building relationships are key to business success.
- Ravi's personal experiences influence his approach to business and compliance.
## Chapters
00:00
Introduction to the Journey
02:01
Ravi's Background and Early Life
07:15
Balancing Life as a Founder
11:02
The Transition to Entrepreneurship
22:19
The Birth of De-Risk Partners
33:19
Understanding Compliance in Financial Services
41:26
Scaling De-Risk Partners Globally
https://www.deriskpartners.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravidesilvaiacompaml/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/ravi-de-silva-founder-de-risk-partners-or-from-compliance-to-entrepreneur
# Don MacKinnon, Co-Founder & CTO @ Searchcraft.io | From Military Brat to Tech Entrepreneur
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-05-30
### Summary
In this episode, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Don MacKinnon](https://donmackinnon.dev/ "Don MacKinnon"), CTO and co-founder of [Searchcraft](https://www.searchcraft.io/ "Searchcraft"). They discuss Don's journey from a military upbringing to becoming a tech entrepreneur, exploring themes of storytelling, the balance between passion and opportunity, and the pursuit of mastery in software engineering. Don shares insights on early entrepreneurial experiences, the importance of mentorship, and the transition from agency work to startup life, culminating in the creation of Searchcraft to solve common problems in tech. In this conversation, Don MacKinnon discusses the purpose and design of Searchcraft, a platform aimed at simplifying information discovery for developers. He shares insights into the company's journey from a consulting agency to a product-focused business, including their fundraising efforts and the importance of developer experience. The discussion also covers the role of AI in their operations and product offerings, as well as the company's future vision and growth strategy. Don emphasizes the importance of innovation and customer feedback in driving the company's success.
### Takeaways
- The power of storytelling can inspire and connect people.
- Don MacKinnon's journey reflects the importance of adaptability.
- Balancing passion and opportunity is crucial in career decisions.
- Mastery in a field can lead to unexpected passion.
- Early entrepreneurial experiences shape future endeavors.
- Mentorship plays a vital role in entrepreneurial success.
- Transitioning from agency work to startup requires strategic thinking.
- Identifying and solving problems is key to innovation.
- Building a supportive network is essential for growth.
- The developer experience can be improved with better tools. Searchcraft is designed for anyone with a lot of data to search.
- The company aims to simplify the integration of search for developers.
- They focus on constant communication with customers to address pain points.
- Searchcraft was officially launched in May 2024 after years of development.
- The founders raised $1 million from angel investors to support their business.
- They prioritize a good developer experience in their product design.
- AI is not a core part of their product but is used to enhance internal processes.
- The company is focused on customer acquisition and building partnerships.
- They believe in the importance of always shipping and iterating on their product.
- Don values innovation and pushing boundaries in software engineering.
### Chapters
00:00
The Power of Storytelling and Content Creation
02:49
Don McKinnon's Journey: From Military Brat to Tech Entrepreneur
06:05
Balancing Passion and Opportunity in Career Choices
09:06
The Pursuit of Mastery in Software Engineering
11:57
Early Entrepreneurial Experiences and Influences
15:01
Transitioning from Agency to Startup: The Searchcraft Story
17:58
Identifying Problems and Creating Solutions in Tech
22:35
Understanding Searchcraft's Purpose
26:13
Scaling the Business: Fundraising Journey
30:48
The Role of AI in Searchcraft
37:24
Future Vision and Growth Strategy
42:18
Innovative Mindset and Company Culture
https://donmackinnon.dev/
https://searchcraft.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmackinnon/
https://bsky.app/profile/donmackinnon.dev
https://github.com/dmackinn
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/don-mackinnon-co-founder-and-cto-searchcraft
# John Sampogna, Founder @ Wondersauce | Building A Durable Web Agency
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-05-08
In this episode, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [John Sampogna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsampogna/ "John Sampogna"), founder of [Wondersauce](https://www.wondersauce.com/ "Wondersauce"), exploring his entrepreneurial journey, the importance of curiosity, and the lessons learned from early work experiences. They discuss the fundamentals of running a business, financial management, and the balance between passion and opportunity in entrepreneurship. John shares insights on understanding customer behavior and the dynamics of building a successful agency, emphasizing the need for continuous learning and adaptability in a rapidly changing market. In this conversation, John Sampogna and Justin Abrams discuss the importance of observational learning over traditional mentorship, the role of Wondersauce as a business acceleration agency, effective business development strategies, and the transformative impact of AI on consumer experiences and agency operations. They emphasize the significance of referrals in business growth and the need for agencies to adapt to changing market dynamics.
### Takeaways
- Always be curious and willing to learn.
- The importance of early work experiences in shaping work ethic.
- Simple business structures can lead to success.
- Managing cash flow and accounts receivable is crucial.
- The value of understanding customer behavior in business.
- Passion for your work can lead to better outcomes.
- It's essential to balance passion with realistic opportunities.
- Continuous learning is key in a rapidly changing market.
- Building a dynamic agency requires adaptability.
- Family and personal interests are important for a balanced life. I never had a mentor that I was always looking up to.
- I was always a good judge of character.
- The traditional mentorship program never worked for me.
- We help brands unlock different stages of growth.
- Cold outreach doesn't work for us.
- Business development is really hard.
- The only thing that truly works is referral.
- If you're not using AI, you should probably catch up.
- We're shifting our business to the results we deliver.
- There's a big opportunity in paid media.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction and Energy for Entrepreneurship
01:27
The Unique Journey of John Sampogna
04:09
Early Work Experiences and Lessons Learned
09:53
Business Fundamentals and Financial Management
14:44
Value Proposition and Early Customer Engagement
19:43
Balancing Passion and Opportunity in Entrepreneurship
24:06
The Value of Observational Learning
28:35
Understanding Wondersauce: Business Acceleration Agency
31:27
Business Development Strategies for Agencies
37:13
The Impact of AI on Business and Consumer Experience
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/john-sampogna-founder-wondersauce-or-building-a-durable-web-agency
# Rob Dugan, Founder @ Seek One Art | The Business Behind Contemporary Art
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-05-06
In this episode, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews artist [Seek One](https://seekoneart.com/ "Seek One"), exploring his journey from a self-taught artist in Philadelphia to a successful entrepreneur in the art world. Seek One shares insights into his creative process, the balance between art and business, and the influences that shape his work. The conversation delves into his early experiences, the significance of travel and personal history in his art, and memorable commissions that highlight his growth as an artist. Seek One shares his journey from creating art for fun to becoming a full-time artist, collaborating with celebrities, and navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship. He discusses the importance of adaptability in business, the flexibility of self-employment, and his experiences with NFTs. Seek One also highlights his upcoming e-commerce platform that will make his art more accessible to a wider audience.
## Takeaways
- Seek One is a self-taught artist with a lifelong passion for art.
- Traveling frequently inspires Seek One's creativity and art.
- Balancing creativity and business is crucial for artists today.
- Seek One's entrepreneurial spirit was influenced by his parents.
- Social media played a significant role in Seek One's early sales.
- The first sale of art was a turning point for Seek One.
- Seek One's tag originated from his skateboarding days.
- Life experiences and travels heavily influence Seek One's art.
- Seek One combines various mediums, including graffiti and photography.
- Memorable commissions have marked significant milestones in Seek One's career.
- Seek One's journey began with a DM from Quavo.
- Custom art allows for personal connections with clients.
- The art business requires constant adaptation and pivoting.
- Self-employment offers flexibility but comes with uncertainty.
- NFTs provided a new avenue for artists to explore.
- Building equity in one's own brand is crucial for success.
- Complacency can stifle creativity and growth.
- The NFT market has its ups and downs, but opportunities remain.
- Seek One's upcoming e-commerce platform will enhance accessibility.
- Art can be collected in various forms, both physical and digital.
## Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Background of Seek One
- 02:59 The Journey of an Artist and Entrepreneur
- 05:47 First Steps into the Art World
- 09:07 The Evolution of Seek One
- 12:02 Influences and Inspirations in Art
- 15:07 The Business of Art and Commissions
- 21:50 The Journey to Full-Time Artistry
- 24:30 Navigating the Business of Art
- 25:44 Challenges of Being a Creative Entrepreneur
- 30:27 The Flexibility of Self-Employment
- 31:33 Exploring the NFT Landscape
- 37:11 Connecting with Seek One
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/rob-dugan-founder-seek-one-art-or-the-business-behind-contemporary-art
# Komal Devjani, Co-Founder @ Callista Media | Guerrilla Marketing Unleashed
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-04-21
In this engaging conversation, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") and [Komal Devjani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/komaldevjani/ "Komal Devjani") explore the intricacies of brand awareness, guerrilla marketing, and the entrepreneurial journey. Komal shares her experiences with [Callista Media](https://www.callista.media/ "Callista Media"), emphasizing the importance of innovative marketing strategies and the power of consumer behavior. They discuss the significance of credibility in branding, the lessons learned from failure, and the courage required to take risks in entrepreneurship. The dialogue highlights the value of real-world experiences and the impact of rejection on personal and professional growth. In this engaging conversation, Komal and Justin explore the multifaceted world of sales, entrepreneurship, and innovative marketing strategies. They discuss the importance of building connections, the dynamics of co-founder relationships, and the art of provocative branding. The conversation also delves into measuring ROI in out-of-home advertising and the future goals of Komal's business, emphasizing the significance of understanding customer behavior and creating impactful marketing campaigns.
## Takeaways
- Brand awareness is crucial in a noisy digital landscape.
- Guerrilla marketing can effectively capture consumer attention.
- Word of mouth marketing remains a powerful tool.
- Credibility is built through multi-channel presence.
- Failure is part of the entrepreneurial journey.
- Taking risks is essential for growth and innovation.
- Real-world experiences shape entrepreneurial success.
- Rejection can toughen entrepreneurs and build resilience.
- The journey of entrepreneurship often begins with small hustles.
- Embracing failure leads to valuable learning opportunities.
- Sales is a fundamental skill that everyone possesses.
- Building connections is essential in both personal and professional life.
- Co-founder relationships can enhance both friendship and business success.
- Testing ideas and being open to failure is crucial in entrepreneurship.
- Provocative branding can capture attention and provoke thought.
- Out-of-home advertising offers unique opportunities for brand visibility.
- Measuring ROI in advertising is essential for understanding effectiveness.
- Creating tailored marketing strategies can lead to better customer engagement.
- Understanding consumer behavior is key to successful marketing.
- Future growth involves expanding inventory and reach across the U.S.
## Chapters
- 00:00 The Fascination with Brand Awareness
- 01:22 Introducing Komal Devjani and Calista Media
- 02:34 Adrenaline Junkies and Marketing Perspectives
- 03:30 Innovative Marketing Strategies
- 05:35 The Power of Guerrilla Marketing
- 07:30 Consumer Behavior and Marketing Impact
- 09:35 Building Brand Credibility
- 10:30 The Journey into Entrepreneurship
- 12:23 Learning from Failure
- 15:35 The Courage to Take Risks
- 17:35 Defining Failure and Regret
- 19:55 Early Entrepreneurial Experiences
- 22:45 The Importance of Rejection in Business
- 26:25 The Art of Sales and Connection
- 30:28 Influential Relationships in Entrepreneurship
- 33:52 Navigating Co-Founder Dynamics
- 36:32 Innovative Marketing Strategies
- 39:56 The Power of Provocative Branding
- 48:34 Measuring ROI in Out-of-Home Advertising
- 52:53 Future Goals and Business Vision
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/komal-devjani-co-founder-callista-media
# Michael Fisher, Founder @ Rotten | Feed Your Freak with Candy
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-04-18
In this episode of Strictly From Nowhere, host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Michael Fisher](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-fisher1/ "Michael Fisher"), the founder and CEO of [Rotten](https://eatrotten.com/ "Rotten"), a health-conscious candy company. They discuss Michael's entrepreneurial journey, the importance of mentorship, and the unique branding strategies that set Rotten apart in a crowded market. Michael shares insights on building a brand universe, navigating customer feedback, and the role of nostalgia in branding. The conversation concludes with Michael's vision for the future of Rotten and its impact on the candy industry.
## Takeaways
- Michael Fisher is the founder and CEO of Rotten, a better-for-you candy company.
- Rotten focuses on creating delicious candy with less sugar and no synthetic dyes.
- Michael's entrepreneurial journey began with a love for candy and sports.
- Mentorship and coaching have been crucial for Michael as a solo founder.
- Feedback from customers is vital for brand improvement and evolution.
- Building a memorable brand is essential for competing against larger companies.
- Michael aims to create a brand universe that resonates with consumers.
- Nostalgia plays a significant role in Rotten's branding strategy.
- Michael emphasizes the importance of sitting in positivity and wins.
- The future goal for Rotten is to expand into retail markets.
## Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Michael Fisher and Rotten
- 03:04 Michael's Entrepreneurial Journey and Background
- 06:02 The Importance of Mentorship and Coaching
- 08:57 First Steps into Entrepreneurship
- 11:46 Building the Rotten Brand
- 15:08 Creating a Brand Universe
- 17:58 Navigating Feedback and Brand Perception
- 21:10 The Role of Nostalgia in Branding
- 24:10 Future Plans for Rotten
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/michael-fisher-founder-rotten
# Jochem Van Der Veer, Founder @ TheyDo | The Art of Sales and Customer Retention
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-04-16
In this episode of *Strictly From Nowhere*, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") hosts [Jochem Van Der Veer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer/ "Jochem Van Der Veer"), founder of [TheyDo](https://www.theydo.com/ "TheyDo"). The conversation explores Jochem's unique identity, his early signs of entrepreneurship, and the influences that shaped his journey. They discuss the art of sales, the importance of customer retention, and TheyDo's mission to promote customer centricity in enterprises. Jochem shares insights on how his background and experiences inform his approach to business and leadership.
In this conversation, Jochem Van Der Veer shares the journey of TheyDo, a company focused on improving customer experience through journey mapping and data management. He discusses the challenges faced in the early days, the pivot towards building a CX tool, and the importance of finding traction with enterprise customers. Jochem emphasizes the role of AI in transforming their business model and the significance of passion and purpose in entrepreneurship.
## Takeaways
- Jochem emphasizes the importance of unique identity in shaping personal and professional experiences.
- His early experiences of feeling out of place taught him valuable lessons about coexistence and understanding others.
- Silent mentorship through podcasts has been a significant influence on Jochem's entrepreneurial journey.
- Sales is viewed as a design process, focusing on understanding customer needs rather than just closing deals.
- Retention strategies are critical for enterprise organizations, requiring a strong post-sales support system.
- Customer success teams play a vital role in ensuring clients achieve their goals with the product.
- The product's effectiveness is key to customer retention and satisfaction.
- Jochem's approach to sales involves deep listening and understanding the customer's journey.
- TheyDo aims to make customer centricity a common practice in enterprises.
- The conversation highlights the blend of personal experiences and professional strategies in building a successful business.
- The initial failure led to valuable insights for TheyDo.
- Building a CX tool was a pivotal decision for scaling.
- Early traction with enterprise customers validated their product.
- Narrowing focus on enterprise clients helped streamline efforts.
- AI has accelerated their data management capabilities significantly.
- Understanding customer journeys is crucial for effective solutions.
- Passion in business is driven by personal experiences and skills.
- Finding the right customer fit is essential for growth.
- AI can transform traditional data silos into actionable insights.
- The journey of entrepreneurship is filled with learning opportunities.
## Chapters
- **00:00** Introduction and Connection
- **02:58** Personal Journey and Identity
- **05:55** Early Signs of Entrepreneurship
- **09:11** Influences and Silent Mentorship
- **12:08** The Art of Sales
- **15:09** Customer Retention Strategies
- **24:11** Mission and Purpose of TheyDo
- **27:57** The Turning Point: From Failure to Insight
- **30:02** Building the CX Tool: A New Direction
- **31:46** Finding Traction: Early Signs of Success
- **34:08** Scaling the Business: Lessons Learned
- **38:00** Narrowing Focus: The Importance of Targeting Customers
- **41:02** AI as a Game Changer: Transforming Data Management
- **45:49** Passion vs. Purpose: A Founder’s Perspective
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jochem-van-der-veer-founder-theydo
# Berkley Frei, Founder @ RockGarden.io
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-04-08
# Summary
In this conversation, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") hosts [Berkley Frei](https://www.linkedin.com/in/berkfrei/ "Berkley Frei"), the founder of [RockGarden.io](https://www.rockgarden.io/ "RockGarden.io"), discussing his entrepreneurial journey, the evolution of RockGarden.io, and the influences that shaped his path. Berkley shares insights into his background in art and technology, his experiences with startups, and the vision behind Rock Garden as a platform for outdoor enthusiasts. The conversation highlights the importance of innovation, connection to nature, and the entrepreneurial spirit.
In this conversation, Berk shares his insights on persistence in sales, the importance of storytelling in art and business, and the lessons learned from his entrepreneurial journey. He discusses the challenges faced while building his company, Rock Garden, and emphasizes the need to stand up for one's vision. Berk also highlights the significance of passion in entrepreneurship and the idea of increasing opportunities for luck through engagement. Finally, he introduces the future of Rock Garden, focusing on empowering local guides to create personalized climbing experiences.
# Takeaways
- Berkley Frei's journey began with a passion for art and technology.
- His experiences in 3D printing and animation led to entrepreneurial ventures.
- Rock Garden aims to connect people with outdoor experiences remotely.
- The importance of learning from failures in entrepreneurship is emphasized.
- Family influences played a significant role in Berkley's entrepreneurial spirit.
- Berkley's background in climbing informs his vision for Rock Garden.
- The conversation explores the intersection of technology and outdoor adventures.
- Berkley's experiences with startups shaped his approach to business.
- The significance of creating value for users is a core principle for Berkley.
- Berkley believes in the power of persistence and innovation.
- Persistence is key; you may be closer to success than you think.
- Storytelling is crucial in both art and business.
- Believe in yourself and your vision, regardless of others' opinions.
- Learning from mistakes can lead to valuable insights.
- It's important to find passion in your work to feel fulfilled.
- Engagement and connection can lead to unexpected opportunities.
- Empowering others can create a more dynamic and inclusive community.
- Building a business requires sacrifice and commitment.
- Success is about creating belief in yourself and your product.
- The future of Rock Garden aims to enhance local climbing experiences.
# Chapters
- **00:00** - Introduction to Berkley Frei and RockGarden.io
- **06:15** - The Journey of Entrepreneurship
- **17:18** - Elevator Pitch for Rock Garden
- **24:18** - Influences and Inspirations in Entrepreneurship
- **33:19** - The Power of Persistence in Sales
- **34:18** - Art as Storytelling: The Value of Presentation
- **36:16** - Lessons from Entrepreneurial Experiences
- **39:00** - Navigating Business Challenges and Regrets
- **49:03** - Standing Up for Your Vision
- **50:05** - Finding Passion in Entrepreneurship
- **58:00** - Increasing the Surface Area for Luck
- **01:02:00** - The Future of Rock Garden: Empowering Local Guides
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/berkley-frei-founder-rockgarden-io
# Brian McAuliff, Founder @ Bri-Tech
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-04-07
In this episode, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Brian McAuliff](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-mcauliff-71816911/ "Brian McAuliff"), an entrepreneur and founder of [Bri-Tech](https://bri-tech.com/ "Bri-Tech"), who shares his journey from a young technology enthusiast to a successful business owner. Brian discusses his early interests in technology, the founding of Britech, and the importance of quality in technology solutions. He emphasizes the significance of mentorship, leadership skills learned from scouting, and the value of being prepared in both business and life. The conversation also touches on consumer behavior and the challenges of maintaining quality in a price-driven market. In this conversation, Brian McAuliff shares his insights on the importance of community engagement through volunteering, the therapeutic nature of music, and the significance of personal presentation in business. He emphasizes the need for empathy and leadership in entrepreneurship and advocates for investing in the next generation through youth programs. The discussion highlights the intersection of creativity and personal growth, encouraging listeners to embrace their unique styles and pursue meaningful contributions to society.
# Takeaways
- Brian's early interest in technology was sparked by experiences in scouting and family influences.
- He started his first company at the age of 16, focusing on technology solutions.
- Bri-Tech was founded on the principle of providing comprehensive control systems for various applications.
- Quality over price is a recurring theme in Brian's business philosophy.
- Consumer behavior often prioritizes low prices over quality, leading to long-term issues.
- Brian's experiences highlight the importance of mentorship in entrepreneurship.
- Leadership skills learned from scouting have been pivotal in Brian's career.
- Being prepared is essential for recognizing and helping others in need.
- Bri-Tech has a strong commitment to giving back through pro bono work for nonprofits.
- The journey of entrepreneurship is filled with lessons learned from both successes and failures.
- Volunteering enriches your social circle and life.
- Surround yourself with people who care about others.
- Acts of kindness create lasting positive feelings.
- Music serves as a therapeutic outlet and creative expression.
- Creativity is a unique gift that should be nurtured.
- Personal presentation impacts how others perceive you.
- Empathy is essential for effective leadership.
- Investing in youth programs shapes future generations.
- Dressing sharply can enhance networking opportunities.
- How you approach one aspect of life reflects your overall character.
# Chapters
- **00:00** - Introduction to Brian McAuliff
- **02:52** - Early Interests in Technology
- **05:45** - The Birth of Bri-Tech
- **08:52** - Understanding Bri-Tech's Offerings
- **11:50** - The Value of Quality in Technology
- **15:09** - Consumer Behavior and Expectations
- **17:59** - Lessons from Business Experiences
- **20:58** - The Role of Mentorship in Entrepreneurship
- **24:01** - The Influence of Scouting on Leadership
- **26:55** - The Importance of Being Prepared
- **30:14** - Giving Back Through Nonprofits
- **33:37** - The Power of Volunteering and Community Engagement
- **36:54** - The Intersection of Music and Entrepreneurship
- **38:30** - Creativity as a Lifelong Pursuit
- **43:25** - The Importance of Personal Presentation
- **51:07** - Empathy and Leadership in Business
- **57:57** - Investing in the Next Generation
https://www.brianmcauliff.com/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/brian-mcauliff-founder-bri-tech
# Neil Lockhart, Founder @ AmeriConstruct
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-04-04
## Summary
In this episode of *Strictly From Nowhere*, host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Neil Lockhart](https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-lockhart-i-construction-recruiting-americonstruct/ "Neil Lockhart"), founder of [AmeriConstruct](https://www.americonstruct.work/ "AmeriConstruct"). They discuss Neil's journey from his early entrepreneurial experiences, influenced by his father, to his current role in construction recruitment. Neil shares insights on the importance of cultural fit in hiring, the challenges of the current job market, and the future of recruitment in the construction industry. The conversation highlights the significance of mastery in business and the evolving landscape of job applications. In this conversation, Justin Abrams and Neil Lockhart explore the evolving landscape of industries, particularly the shift towards construction as a viable career path for those in technical fields. They discuss the importance of building authentic relationships in business, the unique journey from being a sports agent to a construction recruiter, and the role of technology in the future of construction staffing. Neil emphasizes the need for authenticity and personal connection in client interactions, while also addressing the challenges and rewards of his career transitions.
## Takeaways
- Neil Lockhart is known as the "Chicken Man" due to his love for chickens.
- Neil's first entrepreneurial experience was selling lemonade as a child.
- Influential figures in Neil's career include Eric Allison and David C. Baker.
- Mastery in business is crucial for success, especially in recruitment.
- Cultural fit is often more important than technical skills in hiring.
- The construction industry is seeing a surge in job applications.
- Many senior roles in construction are filled through networking rather than job postings.
- Recruiters play a vital role in matching candidates to company culture.
- The job market is becoming increasingly competitive and complex.
- Neil's background in architecture informs his approach to construction recruitment.
- There's a transition of industries happening for a lot of people.
- Clients are looking for authenticity and honesty.
- Building long-term relationships is crucial in business.
- The role of a sports agent is similar to being a recruiter.
- Understanding clients' backgrounds is essential for effective recruitment.
- The construction industry is facing a significant worker shortage.
- Technology is playing a vital role in modern recruitment processes.
- Personal interests can enhance client relationships.
- Transitioning careers requires leveraging existing skills.
- Maintaining energy and passion is key in demanding roles.
## Chapters
- **00:00** - Introduction to Neil Lockhart
- **03:09** - Neil's Entrepreneurial Origins
- **05:50** - Influences on Neil's Entrepreneurial Journey
- **08:50** - The Pursuit of Mastery in Business
- **12:00** - Transitioning to Construction Recruitment
- **14:54** - The Importance of Cultural Fit in Recruitment
- **18:04** - The Future of Construction Recruitment
- **21:04** - Navigating Job Market Dynamics
- **27:15** - Transitioning Industries: The Shift to Construction
- **29:41** - The Human Element: Building Relationships in Business
- **36:11** - From Sports Agent to Construction Recruiter: A Unique Journey
- **48:40** - The Future of Construction Staffing: Technology and Innovation
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/neil-lockhart-founder-americonstruct
# TJ Pitre, Founder @ Southleft
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-04-01
## Summary
In this engaging conversation, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") and [TJ Pitre](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tpitre/ "TJ Pitre"), founder of [Southleft](https://southleft.com/ "Southleft"), a web and software development agency, explore the intersection of creativity and entrepreneurship. They discuss the power of social media, the journey from art to business, and the influences that shape an entrepreneurial spirit. TJ shares his unique path, including his experiences with [Martha Stewart](https://www.marthastewart.com/ "Martha Stewart") as a pivotal client, and the importance of referrals and innovation in generating business. The dialogue emphasizes collaboration over competition and the evolving nature of business strategies. In this conversation, TJ Pitre and Justin Abrams explore the evolving landscape of business development, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, integrity, and genuine connections in building successful relationships. They discuss the ineffectiveness of traditional cold outreach methods, the shift in expectations around spec work, and the value of being transparent and unique in social media engagement. The conversation also touches on the challenges faced in business partnerships and the significance of storytelling in sales. Ultimately, they highlight the need for a balance between innovative approaches and traditional principles in navigating the modern business environment.
## Takeaways
- Social media is crucial for visibility in today's market.
- Collaboration can be more beneficial than competition.
- Art and creativity can lead to entrepreneurial ventures.
- Early experiences shape one's entrepreneurial spirit.
- Mentorship plays a vital role in business success.
- Having a marquee client can provide a safety net for new businesses.
- Referrals are a key driver of business growth.
- Innovation in presentation is essential for attracting clients.
- The journey of entrepreneurship is often non-linear and filled with learning.
- Building a network of supportive peers can enhance business opportunities.
- Cold outreach is ineffective and often perceived as spam.
- Integrity in communication is crucial for maintaining reputation.
- Delivering value should be prioritized over pushing services.
- Spec work has evolved; offering value upfront can attract clients.
- Authenticity in social media helps build genuine connections.
- Old-school business principles still apply today.
- Building trust through personal connections is essential for growth.
- Effective communication fosters a comfortable environment for clients.
- Innovative design approaches can enhance business offerings.
- Navigating challenges in partnerships is part of the entrepreneurial journey.
## Chapters
- **00:00**
The Power of Social Media and Collaboration
- **01:23**
TJ Pitre's Journey: From Art to Entrepreneurship
- **10:56**
The Roots of Entrepreneurial Spirit
- **16:09**
Influences and Mentorship in Entrepreneurship
- **23:17**
The Inception Client: Martha Stewart
- **30:40**
Generating Business: Referrals and Innovation
- **33:18**
The Ineffectiveness of Cold Outreach
- **34:47**
Integrity in Communication and Value Delivery
- **35:17**
The Shift in Spec Work and Value Demonstration
- **36:08**
Authenticity in Social Media Engagement
- **37:06**
Old-School Business Principles in Modern Times
- **39:07**
Building Authentic Connections for Business Growth
- **40:14**
The Importance of Genuine Communication
- **42:52**
Navigating Sales Without a Salesy Approach
- **45:16**
Innovative Approaches in Design and Development
- **49:43**
War Stories: Challenges in Business Partnerships
- **57:33**
Final Thoughts and How to Connect
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/tj-pitre-founder-southleft
# Lucas Roquilly, CTO @ OpenVC.app
Published: 2025-03-25
## Summary
In this episode of *Strictly From Nowhere*, host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") speaks with [Lucas Roquilly](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-roquilly/ "Lucas Roquilly"), CTO of [OpenVC.app](https://www.openvc.app/ "OpenVC.app"), about his journey from a tech-savvy child to a successful entrepreneur. They discuss the importance of early experiences, the role of law in entrepreneurship, and the significance of failure in the startup world. Lucas shares insights on the lean startup methodology, the tech scene in France, and the mission of Open VC to connect startups with investors. The conversation highlights the intersection of passion and business, emphasizing the need for validation and adaptability in entrepreneurship.
## Takeaways
- The power of social media and podcasting can connect people.
- Lucas Roquilly shares his journey as a tech entrepreneur.
- Early experiences shape entrepreneurial aspirations.
- Studying law can provide valuable skills for entrepreneurs.
- Working in service industries teaches essential business skills.
- Failure is part of the entrepreneurial process.
- The lean startup methodology is crucial for success.
- Zappos serves as a case study for validating business ideas.
- The tech scene in France is evolving with new challenges.
- Open VC aims to connect startups with investors effectively.
## Chapters
- **00:00**
The Power of Podcasting and Social Media
- **01:38**
Introducing Lucas Roquilly: A Tech Entrepreneur's Journey
- **04:04**
From Childhood Curiosity to Entrepreneurial Aspirations
- **08:35**
Navigating Early Career Choices and Law School
- **13:26**
The Role of Early Jobs in Shaping Entrepreneurial Mindset
- **14:31**
Embracing Failure and the Lean Startup Methodology
- **19:50**
The Zappos Case Study: Lessons in Validation
- **26:01**
The Tech Scene in France: Opportunities and Challenges
- **34:37**
Defining Personal Goals in Entrepreneurship
- **39:10**
OpenVC: Connecting Startups with Investors
- **44:52**
Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations
[www.openvc.app](https://www.openvc.app "www.openvc.app")
[www.openvc.app/podcast](https://www.openvc.app/podcast "www.openvc.app/podcast")
[https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-roquilly/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-roquilly/ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-roquilly/")
[https://x.com/StephNass](https://x.com/StephNass "https://x.com/StephNass")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/lucas-roquilly-cto-openvc-app
# Will Nitze, CEO @ IQBar | The Evolution of a Brain Food Company
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-03-24
## Summary
In this episode of [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere "Strictly From Nowhere"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Will Nitze](https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-nitze/ "Will Nitze"), founder of [IQ Bar](https://www.eatiqbar.com/ "IQ Bar"). Will shares his journey from a competitive childhood in New Jersey to studying at Harvard, where he discovered his passion for entrepreneurship. He discusses his early career in corporate America, the lessons learned, and his first entrepreneurial venture selling Linsanity shirts during college. Will explains his transition into the food and beverage industry, the evolution of IQ Bar, and the importance of consumer feedback in product development. The conversation highlights the challenges and strategies of launching a successful food product in a competitive market. In this conversation, Will Nitze shares his journey of building IQBAR from the ground up, discussing the challenges of funding, the importance of profitability, and the balance between personal life and entrepreneurship. He reflects on the early days of launching through Kickstarter, navigating the complexities of investment, and the lessons learned from various business challenges. The discussion also touches on the shift in business focus towards profitability in the current economic climate and the personal growth that comes with achieving business success.
## Takeaways
- Will's early life was marked by a competitive spirit and a passion for sports.
- His experience in corporate America provided valuable lessons for entrepreneurship.
- The Linsanity shirt venture was a pivotal moment in his entrepreneurial journey.
- Transitioning to the food and beverage industry was driven by personal interests and market opportunities.
- IQ Bar evolved from a focus on brain health to a broader appeal as a clean label food product.
- Consumer feedback is crucial for product development and iteration.
- Direct-to-consumer strategies allow for quicker feedback cycles.
- Engaging with customers in person, such as at Costco road shows, provides invaluable insights.
- Understanding market demands is essential for product positioning.
- The journey of entrepreneurship is filled with learning and adaptation. Starting a business often begins with discomfort and uncertainty.
- Kickstarter can be a valuable tool for initial funding but requires upfront investment.
- Building relationships with investors can lead to significant funding opportunities.
- Proving concept through sales is crucial for attracting further investment.
- Maintaining control of the company is easier with smaller, more frequent funding rounds.
- Achieving profitability can transform a business and the entrepreneur's mindset.
- Economies of scale significantly improve unit economics in consumer goods.
- Navigating challenges in manufacturing can lead to costly setbacks.
- Balancing personal health and business demands is essential for long-term success.
- The pursuit of profitability has become a priority in the current business landscape.
## Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Will Nitze and IQ Bar
03:00
Will's Early Life and Entrepreneurial Spirit
05:48
Lessons from Corporate America
09:04
First Entrepreneurial Venture: Linsanity Shirts
12:02
Transition to Food and Beverage Industry
14:53
Evolution of IQ Bar's Product and Market Strategy
18:11
Feedback and Iteration in Product Development
21:07
The Importance of Direct Consumer Engagement
24:14
Experiences with Costco Road Shows
29:15
Navigating Funding and Profitability
31:35
Challenges and Horror Stories in Business
34:34
Balancing Life and Business
39:21
The Shift Towards Profitability
43:47
Final Thoughts and Brand Promotion
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/will-nitze-ceo-iqbar
# Geoff Bruskin, CEO @ White Tiger Connections
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-03-18
## Summary
In this episode, Justin Abrams interviews [Geoff Bruskin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffbruskin/ "Geoff Bruskin"), a young entrepreneur from Long Island, who shares his journey from struggling in his early career to building a successful business in mergers and acquisitions, [White Tiger Connections](https://whitetigerconnections.com/ "White Tiger Connections"). They discuss the importance of networking, finding balance in life, the role of wealth in making an impact, and the lessons learned from failure. Geoff emphasizes the significance of integrity in business and the human element in transactions, while also reflecting on the generational transition in entrepreneurship and the challenges faced along the way.
## Takeaways
- Geoff emphasizes the importance of networking and building relationships.
- Finding balance in life is a continuous journey for entrepreneurs.
- Early experiences in jobs shape entrepreneurial skills and mindset.
- Mergers and acquisitions require a focus on culture and integrity.
- Wealth can be a tool for making a positive impact in the world.
- Failure is a necessary part of the entrepreneurial journey.
- The importance of learning from each failure to improve.
- Building a business requires understanding the needs of the market.
- The human element is crucial in business transactions.
- Generational transitions in business present both challenges and opportunities.
## Chapters
**00:00** - Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Networking
**03:06** - The Journey of Finding Balance
**05:55** - Early Experiences and First Dollar
**09:03** - Building a Business in Mergers and Acquisitions
**12:04** - The Hunger for Success and Personal Growth
**15:06** - The Role of Wealth in Making an Impact
**18:02** - Embracing Failure as a Stepping Stone
**20:47** - Zero to Market: The Early Days of White Tiger
**24:03** - The Importance of Integrity in Business
**27:12** - Navigating Relationships in Business Transactions
**29:54** - Lessons from the Transition of Generations
**33:03** - Overcoming Challenges and Resilience
**36:01** - The Story Behind White Tiger
[White Tiger Connections](https://whitetigerconnections.com/ "White Tiger Connections")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/geoff-bruskin-ceo-white-tiger-connections
# Andrew Brown, CEO @ Toolfetch
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-03-17
## Summary
In this episode, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Andrew Brown](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-brown-b1736a5/ "Andrew Brown"), an entrepreneur and motivational speaker who shares his journey from a high-tech career to founding [Toolfetch](https://www.toolfetch.com/ "Toolfetch"), a business that supports skilled tradespeople. Andrew reflects on the pivotal moment of 9/11 that shifted his career path and the challenges he faced in entrepreneurship. He emphasizes the importance of mentorship, seeking help, and the transformative experiences that shaped his business management approach. The conversation also touches on the role of social media in business growth and the need for entrepreneurs to work on their business strategically. In this conversation, Justin Abrams and Andrew Brown discuss the critical importance of skilled trades in today's economy, the challenges posed by a significant labor shortage, and the opportunities for entrepreneurship within this sector. Andrew shares his journey of advocating for skilled trades, the statistics that highlight the urgency of the situation, and the evolution of his e-commerce business, Toolfetch. The discussion emphasizes the need for a skilled workforce, the potential for blue-collar entrepreneurship, and the integration of technology in the trades.
## Takeaways
- Andrew's journey shifted from tech to trades after 9/11.
- Tool Fetch was created to support skilled tradespeople.
- Entrepreneurship requires grit and determination.
- Delayed gratification is essential for success.
- Mentorship and seeking help are crucial for growth.
- Vistage has been instrumental in Andrew's business evolution.
- EOS management transformed Andrew's business operations.
- Social media plays a significant role in brand evangelization.
- Entrepreneurs must rise above daily tasks to strategize.
- The journey of entrepreneurship is filled with ups and downs. The skilled trades are facing a significant labor shortage.
- There is a need for 332,000 welders by 2029.
- Content creation can raise awareness about skilled trades.
- Entrepreneurship in skilled trades requires foundational skills and experience.
- The evolution of e-commerce is crucial for skilled trades businesses.
- Blue collar jobs are less likely to be replaced by AI.
- Building trust with customers is essential in e-commerce.
- The importance of hands-on experience before entrepreneurship.
- Statistics can drive awareness and action in the trades.
- Community engagement is vital for the future of skilled trades.
## Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Andrew Brown and His Journey
03:14
The Impact of 9/11 on Career Path
05:56
Early Entrepreneurial Influences and Challenges
08:50
The Evolution of Tool Fetch and Entrepreneurial Grit
12:01
The Importance of Seeking Help and Mentorship
15:11
Transformative Experiences in Business Management
18:04
The Role of Social Media in Business Growth
22:29
The Importance of Skilled Trades
24:03
Addressing the Skilled Labor Shortage
29:24
Statistics Highlighting the Crisis
31:04
The Path to Entrepreneurship in Skilled Trades
39:37
E-commerce Evolution in the Skilled Trades
44:20
Connecting with Andrew Brown
https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/andrew-brown-ceo-toolfetch
https://www.toolfetch.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-brown-b1736a5/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/andrew-brown-ceo-toolfetch
# Patrick Bardsley, CEO @ Spectrum Designs Foundation
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-03-11
## Summary
In this episode, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Patrick Bardsley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-bardsley-a2a37843/ "Patrick Bardsley"), founder and CEO of [Spectrum Designs Foundation](https://www.spectrumdesigns.org/ "Spectrum Designs Foundation"). They discuss the journey of building a socially responsible business that employs individuals on the autism spectrum, the importance of impact and legacy, and the evolution of leadership within the organization. Patrick shares personal stories of transformation, the challenges faced in entrepreneurship, and the significance of community support. The conversation emphasizes the need for neuro-inclusivity in the workplace and the power of relationships in achieving meaningful change.
## Takeaways
- The journey of entrepreneurship is filled with ups and downs.
- Building strong relationships is key to success.
- Impact and legacy should be the ultimate goals of any business.
- Education can open doors to new opportunities.
- Entrepreneurship requires constant self-reflection and improvement.
- A successful business must balance mission and profitability.
- Asking for help is crucial in overcoming challenges.
- Neuro-inclusivity can enhance organizational success.
- Celebrating small victories is important for morale.
- The evolution of leadership involves empowering others.
## Chapters
00:00
The Genesis of Spectrum Designs
03:11
Personal Journeys and Transformative Experiences
05:59
The Importance of Impact and Legacy
08:49
Education and Early Entrepreneurial Spirit
12:08
Building a Business with Purpose
15:09
Navigating Challenges and Growth
17:57
The Evolution of Leadership and Team Dynamics
21:06
The Magic of Community and Support
23:52
Celebrating Success and Overcoming Adversity
27:05
The Future of Spectrum Designs and Neuro-Inclusivity
[Patrick's LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-bardsley-a2a37843/ "Patrick's LinkedIn")
[Spectrum Designs Foundation Web Store](https://www.spectrumdesigns.org/ "Spectrum Designs Foundation")
[@spectrum_designs - Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/spectrum_designs)
[@spectrumenterprises - TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@spectrumenterprises "@spectrumenterprises")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/patrick-bardsley-ceo-spectrum-designs-foundation
# Joe Fier, Founder @ Hustle & Flowchart
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-03-10
## Summary
In this engaging conversation, Justin Abrams interviews [Joe Fier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joefier/ "Joe Fier"), exploring his entrepreneurial journey, the importance of collaboration, and the nuances of taking ideas from zero to market. Joe shares insights on the significance of storytelling, the role of minimum viable products, and the challenges of navigating failure in business. The discussion emphasizes the value of community, personal growth, and the creative process in entrepreneurship. In this conversation, Joe Fier and Justin Abrams discuss their experiences pivoting to the crypto space, the challenges they faced, and the lessons learned from their journey. They explore the importance of returning to core competencies, finding clarity amidst chaos, and the significance of work-life balance in the entrepreneurial journey. The discussion also touches on leveraging technology, particularly AI, and the pursuit of legacy and impact in their careers. Joe shares a personal moment of validation that highlights the importance of recognition in their professional lives.
## Takeaways
- It's all about asking for the offer and presenting an authentic version of ourselves.
- Collaboration is key in entrepreneurship; it's about bringing people together.
- The journey from zero to market involves magic moments and the right team.
- Minimum viable products can be a small test to validate ideas.
- Failure is part of the process; it's important to know when to pivot.
- Creating a podcast can be a way to learn from others and share stories.
- The entrepreneurial spirit often starts from a young age with small projects.
- Feedback and iteration are crucial in developing ideas into successful ventures.
- Being upfront and providing value without expectation can lead to opportunities.
- The creative process is essential; journaling and brainstorming can help clarify ideas.
- Pivoting to crypto provided valuable lessons despite challenges.
- The collapse of their venture led to personal reinvention.
- Returning to core competencies is essential for success.
- Finding clarity in chaos can lead to better decision-making.
- Radical action is necessary for maintaining work-life balance.
- AI and technology should be leveraged as tools, not crutches.
- Chasing legacy and impact is a driving force in their careers.
- Recognition and validation can provide motivation and direction.
- The importance of community and support in entrepreneurship.
- Continuous learning and adaptation are key to thriving in business.
## Chapters
00:00
Introduction and Background
05:01
The Entrepreneurial Journey Begins
09:53
Collaboration and Team Dynamics
15:12
Zero to Market: The Formula
20:03
Minimum Viable Products and Imaginative Projects
23:58
Navigating Failure and Project Management
24:55
Pivoting to Crypto: Lessons Learned
28:12
The Collapse and Reinvention
30:53
Mastering the Basics: A Return to Core Competencies
34:31
Finding Clarity in Chaos
36:20
Radical Action and Work-Life Balance
39:51
Leveraging AI and Technology
41:37
Chasing Legacy and Impact
43:26
Moments of Validation and Recognition
[Hustle & Flowchart Podcast](https://hustleandflowchart.com/ "Hustle & Flowchart Podcast")
[Joe Fier's LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joefier/ "Joe Fier's LinkedIn")
[Delphi.ai](https://www.delphi.ai/joefier "Delphi.ai")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/joe-fier-founder-hustle-and-flowchart
# Dalwin Garcia, Founder @ Blue Anchor Properties
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-02-25
## Summary
In this episode of Strictly From Nowhere, host Justin Abrams interviews Dalwin Garcia, founder of Blue Anchor Properties. Dalwin shares his journey from being a competitive baseball player in the Bronx to becoming a successful entrepreneur in real estate. He discusses the importance of maintaining a competitive spirit through athletics, his early experiences with entrepreneurship, and the transition from a structured career in banking to running his own business. Dalwin also highlights the dynamics of working with his spouse, Melena, in their real estate venture, the challenges they faced in the market, and the lessons learned from their experiences. The conversation concludes with insights into the future of Blue Anchor Properties and the importance of community involvement.
## Takeaways
- Dalwin's journey from baseball to entrepreneurship shaped his identity.
- Sales skills are developed through genuine conversations.
- Maintaining a competitive spirit is crucial for personal growth.
- Early entrepreneurial experiences foster independence and self-reliance.
- Transitioning from a structured career to entrepreneurship requires adaptability.
- Building a business with a partner requires clear communication and defined roles.
- Real estate can be unpredictable, requiring resilience and learning from losses.
- The importance of community and relationships in business success.
- Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster of ups and downs.
- Transparency and emotional investment are key to building in public.
## Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Dalwin Garcia
01:15
From Baseball to Business: Dalwin's Journey
03:36
Staying Competitive: Balancing Athletics and Entrepreneurship
06:44
The First Dollar: Early Entrepreneurial Experiences
10:04
Career Path: Transitioning from Banking to Entrepreneurship
18:16
Building a Business with a Partner: Dalwin and Melena
21:41
The Evolution of Blue Anchor Properties
25:49
Horror Stories in Real Estate
31:23
Choosing the Right Avenue in Real Estate
36:09
Conclusion and Future Aspirations
https://www.blueanchornj.com/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/dalwin-garcia-founder-blue-anchor-properties
# Jimmy Feeman, Co-Founder @ NoBaked Cookie Dough
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-02-20
## Summary
In this episode, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Jimmy Feeman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesfeeman/ "Jimmy Feeman"), founder of [NoBaked Cookie Dough](https://nobakedcookiedough.com/ "NoBaked Cookie Dough"). They explore how social media fosters unexpected connections, Jimmy’s journey from Cleveland to Nashville, and his transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship. The discussion covers the scrappy early days of No-Baked, the role of adversity in growth, and the value of transparency—especially when partnering with a spouse. Jimmy shares insights on building a cookie dough business, emphasizing community, strategic pivots, and balancing multiple channels while maintaining authenticity and operational efficiency. He reflects on lessons from failures, the challenges of distribution, and the importance of staying true to oneself in business.
## Takeaways
- Social media can spark meaningful, unexpected relationships.
- Entrepreneurs face shared challenges, regardless of industry.
- The right environment can unlock entrepreneurial passion.
- Corporate experience often reveals what you don’t want.
- Transparency and trust are critical in business, especially with partners.
- Adversity teaches valuable lessons for growth.
- Startups require risk-taking and creative, scrappy solutions.
- Success often hinges on well-timed pivots.
- Couples in business must prioritize work-life balance.
- Community and authenticity drive connection and credibility.
- Distribution and product-channel fit are key operational hurdles.
- Customer experience is at the heart of a brand.
- Staying genuine is the best approach to entrepreneurship.
## Chapters
00:00 - The Power of Social Media Connections
02:24 - Jimmy’s Journey: From Cleveland to Nashville
08:41 - From Corporate Life to Entrepreneurial Passion
16:20 - The Early Days of No-Baked Cookie Dough
22:37 - Lessons from Adversity and Growth
24:59 - Overcoming Startup Challenges
30:12 - Building Community and Networking
32:52 - Managing Multiple Business Channels
38:56 - Operational Efficiency in Action
44:53 - Authenticity and Mastery in Entrepreneurship
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jimmy-feeman-co-founder-nobaked-cookie-dough
# Jake Karls, Chief Rainmaker @ Mid-Day Squares
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-02-11
In this episode, Justin Abrams interviews Jake Karls, co-founder of Mid-Day Squares, exploring his journey from struggling student to successful entrepreneur. Jake shares insights on self-discovery, the importance of team dynamics, and the unique challenges of building a family business. He emphasizes the significance of community, storytelling, and making un-average decisions in entrepreneurship. The conversation also highlights the innovative approach of Mid-Day Squares in creating a new category in the snack market, focusing on fresh, healthy ingredients and building genuine connections with customers and partners.
### Takeaways
- If you feel alive, then you're winning.
- Care is lacking in this world.
- Being yourself is the best call.
- You need a team to succeed.
- Radical transparency is crucial in partnerships.
- An average decision leads to an average outcome.
- Make un-average decisions for un-average results.
- Building community is key to brand success.
- Play to your strengths and delegate.
- Invest in relationships and communication.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction and Energy Exchange
02:14
Jake's Unique Journey and Self-Discovery
06:13
Lessons from Previous Ventures
11:46
The Importance of Team Dynamics
14:30
Navigating Family and Business Relationships
18:41
The Role of the Rainmaker
22:45
Creating a New Category in a Saturated Market
27:13
Building Community and Connection
31:17
Final Thoughts and Advice
https://www.middaysquares.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-karls-653106ba/
https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/jake-karls-chief-rainmaker-mid-day-squares
# Maximus Greenwald, CEO @ Warmly.ai
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-02-11
In this episode of Strictly From Nowhere, Justin Abrams interviews Max Greenwald, CEO of Warmly AI. They discuss Max's journey from a Colorado upbringing to becoming an entrepreneur, the inception and evolution of Warmly, and the challenges faced in finding product-market fit. Max shares insights on the importance of learning through failure, the open-close framework for idea development, and the entrepreneurial spirit that runs in his family. The conversation also delves into how Warmly aims to revolutionize sales operations through automation and AI, making it accessible for founders and small businesses. In this conversation, Max Greenwald and Justin Abrams discuss the importance of technology solutions with low barriers to entry, the significance of community and connection in business, and the complexities of sales and marketing in today's landscape. They explore retention strategies, brand identity, and the pursuit of customer excellence, emphasizing the need for a strong company culture and a focus on customer experience as key drivers of success.
### Takeaways
- Max describes himself as a 'five and a half year overnight success.'
- The first iteration of Warmly was a Tinder-style app for co-founders.
- Learning from failures is crucial in the entrepreneurial journey.
- The open-close framework helps founders navigate idea development.
- Max's entrepreneurial spirit is influenced by his family's background.
- Hackathons sparked Max's interest in coding and entrepreneurship.
- Max emphasizes the importance of empathy in understanding sales roles.
- Warmly aims to automate and scale sales processes for teams.
- The platform is designed to empower small businesses and founders.
- Max believes in the power of AI to multiply individual efforts in sales. Warmly offers a low barrier to entry for technology solutions.
- Community building is essential for business growth.
- Sales and marketing leaders face complex challenges in pipeline generation.
- Retention strategies are critical in a competitive landscape.
- Brand identity and culture play a significant role in business success.
- The pursuit of customer excellence is a continuous journey.
- Understanding customer needs is vital for long-term relationships.
- Innovative solutions can help navigate market complexities.
- Building a supportive community can lead to magical outcomes.
- A strong company culture can help retain talent and drive success.
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Warmly AI and Max Greenwald
02:51
Max's Journey: From Colorado to Entrepreneurship
06:02
The Evolution of Warmly: From Idea to Market
09:00
Navigating the Idea Maze: The Open-Close Framework
11:58
The Entrepreneurial Spirit: A Family Legacy
14:57
Building Warmly: Insights from the Sales World
20:13
Low Barrier to Entry for Technology Solutions
21:15
The Importance of Community and Connection
23:03
Navigating the Complexities of Sales and Marketing
25:49
Retention Strategies in a Competitive Landscape
28:04
Brand Identity and Culture at Warmly
30:54
The Pursuit of Customer Excellence
36:10
Looking Ahead: Future Initiatives and Growth
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/maximus-greenwald-ceo-warmly-ai
# Shawn Hamilton, Founder @ Conduiit
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-01-31
In this episode of Strictly From Nowhere, host Justin Abrams interviews Shawn Hamilton, founder of Conduiit, a company focused on simplifying the process of managing film tax credits through their product, Incentiviiz.
Shawn shares his journey from being a production accountant to a tech founder, emphasizing the importance of customer empathy, feedback, and the challenges of fundraising in a tough market. The conversation delves into the impact of tax incentives on economic growth and the unique business relationships that Shawn has built with major brands in the entertainment industry.
### Takeaways
- Shawn Hamilton transitioned from accounting to tech by identifying gaps in the industry.
- Customer feedback is crucial for product development and iteration.
- Empathy for customers helps in understanding their needs and challenges.
- The film industry often lacks the technology to manage tax credits effectively.
- Incentiviz simplifies the process of capturing film tax credits for production companies.
- Georgia has become a leading state for film tax incentives.
- Building strong relationships with investors and partners is key to success.
- The importance of being adaptable and willing to learn in a startup environment.
- Shawn's journey highlights the significance of perseverance and stubbornness in entrepreneurship.
- The entertainment industry is driven by trial and error in content creation.
### Sound Bites
"I'm stubborn for one, right?"
"Customer empathy is super important."
"We're not in the widget business."
"Incentiviz is a TurboTax for film tax credits."
"Georgia is the biggest incentive granting state."
"We're always trying to solve at the right scale."
"This is a big year for us, very excited."
### Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Shawn Hamilton and Conduit
03:04
Shawn's Journey from Accounting to Tech Founder
10:51
The Importance of Customer Empathy and Feedback
18:39
Navigating Business Conversations with Major Brands
23:43
Understanding Incentiviz: A Solution for Film Tax Credits
28:25
The Impact of Incentives on Economic Growth
33:36
Building Relationships and Trust in Business
https://www.conduiit.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-hamilton-35563a46/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/shawn-hamilton-founder-conduiit
# Tobey Wyatt, Founder @ Motherlode
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2025-01-16
In this conversation, Justin Abrams and Tobey Wyatt explore the journey of entrepreneurship, the importance of networking, and the challenges of balancing business with family life. Tobey shares her diverse career path, emphasizing resilience as a key strength while navigating various roles, including her current position as a chief of staff. They discuss the value of mentorship, the significance of establishing a routine, and the potential of apprenticeships in fostering growth and learning for the next generation.
### Takeaways
- Networking can lead to unexpected opportunities.
- Resilience is a crucial skill in entrepreneurship.
- Balancing family and business requires intentionality.
- The role of a chief of staff is vital for organizational success.
- Creating a judgment-free space for CEOs enhances productivity.
- Investing in mentorship is essential for growth.
- Establishing a sacred routine helps maintain balance.
- Apprenticeships can bridge the gap for less diverse learners.
- Exposure to real-world challenges fosters problem-solving skills.
- Being authentic in professional settings is empowering.
## Chapters
00:00
The Power of Networking and Entrepreneurship
05:59
Navigating Career Transitions and Resilience
12:09
Understanding the Role of a Chief of Staff
17:57
Balancing Business and Family Life
25:56
Advice for the Next Generation and the Value of Apprenticeships
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobeywyatt/
https://www.motherlode.biz
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/tobey-wyatt-founder-motherlode
# Theodore Massilon, Founder, NOM Studios | NOM Media
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2024-12-17
### summary
In this episode, Justin Abrams interviews Theodore Massillon, exploring their shared history and the journey of entrepreneurship. They discuss the impact of fitness on personal growth, the transition from corporate jobs to creative ventures, and the establishment of NOM Studios as a digital marketing agency. Theodore shares his bootstrap journey, emphasizing the importance of investing in oneself and seeking mentorship. The conversation highlights the value of community and the willingness to adapt and experiment in the entrepreneurial landscape.
### takeaways
The journey of entrepreneurship often begins with personal struggles.
Fitness can significantly influence mental resilience and business acumen.
Planning is crucial for business success; templates and organization are key.
Investing in oneself is essential for growth and development.
Delusional confidence can drive entrepreneurs to succeed against the odds.
Mentorship plays a vital role in navigating the entrepreneurial landscape.
Community support can enhance personal and professional growth.
Side hustles can lead to unexpected career paths and opportunities.
Adaptability and experimentation are crucial for young entrepreneurs.
Building a network of supportive relationships can foster success.
### Chapters
00:00
The Origin Story: A Journey of Friendship and Fitness
06:40
From Corporate to Creative: The Career Transition
11:16
Building NOM Studios: The Birth of a Digital Marketing Agency
21:42
The Bootstrap Journey: From Side Hustles to Success
25:59
Investing in Yourself: The Key to Entrepreneurial Growth
32:56
Mentorship and Community: Paying It Forward
https://www.nomstudios.co/
https://www.nommedia.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoremassillon/
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/theodore-massilon-ceo-nom-studios-or-nom-media
# Nir Zavaro, Chief of Happiness - Author, Founder, Storyteller
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2024-10-28
In this episode of the [Strictly From Nowhere podcast](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere-podcast "Strictly From Nowhere podcast"), host [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Nir Zavaro](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nirzavaro/ "Nir Zavaro"), a multifaceted entrepreneur and storyteller. They discuss Nir's journey from early entrepreneurial failures to becoming a successful author and marketing consultant. Nir shares insights on the importance of storytelling in business, the role of AI in enhancing creativity, and the personal reflections that led him to significant life changes.
The conversation delves into the nature of failure in entrepreneurship, the risks involved, and the strategies for effective marketing and problem-solving. In this conversation, Justin Abrams and Nir Zavaro explore the intricacies of building a business, the challenges of niching down, and the importance of obsession in achieving success. Nir shares his experiences with profitability forecasting, client acquisition, and the need for a solid foundation in business.
They discuss the power of obsession in driving personal and professional growth, the value of accumulated experience, and the journey of continuous reinvention. The conversation culminates in a call to action for accountability and the importance of sharing knowledge and experiences with others.
### Takeaways
- Nir emphasizes the importance of storytelling in business.
- AI can enhance writing and creativity, not replace it.
- Personal reflections can lead to significant life changes.
- Failure is a crucial part of the entrepreneurial journey.
- Understanding worst-case scenarios can reduce fear of failure.
- Nir's journey includes many entrepreneurial experiments and failures.
- The grind of entrepreneurship is essential for growth.
- Marketing strategies must evolve with each new project.
- Writing helps clarify thoughts and fears.
- Nir believes in the power of mentorship and community support. Building solutions for profitability forecasting can solve painful business problems.
- Client acquisition is crucial; obsession with finding clients can drive success.
- Niching down can be challenging, especially for generalists.
- A strong foundation is essential for sustainable business growth.
- Obsession with goals can lead to greater achievements.
- Experience and knowledge accumulation can increase consulting value.
- Creating accountability can enhance personal and professional growth.
- Reinvention is a continuous journey in entrepreneurship.
- Sharing experiences can help others and foster community.
- Impact and legacy are more important than monetary success.
### Chapters
1. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
2. 03:04 Nir Zavaro's Journey and Storytelling Focus
3. 06:06 The Role of AI in Writing and Creativity
4. 09:00 Personal Reflections and Life Changes
5. 11:54 Entrepreneurial Beginnings and Early Failures
6. 14:54 The Evolution of Nir's Business Ventures
7. 17:55 The Importance of Failure in Entrepreneurship
8. 20:50 Navigating Risks and Worst-Case Scenarios
9. 23:44 Marketing Strategies and Methodology Development
10. 27:12 Problem Solving and Business Insights
11. 34:33 Building Solutions for Profitability Forecasting
12. 38:39 The Challenge of Niching Down
13. 40:00 The Importance of Foundation in Business
14. 43:02 The Power of Obsession in Business
15. 49:07 Creating Value Through Experience
16. 54:57 The Journey of Reinvention and Impact
[https://nirzavaro.com/](https://nirzavaro.com/ "https://nirzavaro.com/")
[https://nirzavaro.com/ftheslides/](https://nirzavaro.com/ftheslides/ "https://nirzavaro.com/ftheslides/")
[https://nirzavaro.com/live-cohort/](https://nirzavaro.com/live-cohort/ "https://nirzavaro.com/live-cohort/")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/nir-zavaro
# Michelle Wild, Founder & CEO @ BEST Connections
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2024-10-21
In this episode, [Justin Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ "Justin Abrams") interviews [Michelle Wild](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleranaewild/ "Michelle Wild"), a tech founder and professor who has dedicated her career to supporting individuals with brain injuries. Michelle shares her journey from teaching at a community college to developing technology solutions that address cognitive challenges faced by her students. She discusses the inception of her nonprofit, BEST, and the various apps created to help individuals manage their recovery. The conversation delves into the personal stories behind brain injuries, the challenges faced by those affected, and the importance of education and awareness in supporting recovery.
Michelle emphasizes the need for a supportive system that fills the gaps left by traditional medical care, aiming to create a new normal for individuals living with brain injuries. In this conversation, Michelle Wild discusses the complexities of living with a brain injury, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the ongoing challenges rather than simply accepting the condition. She shares insights into her journey as a tech entrepreneur, detailing the iterative process of developing applications that cater to the needs of individuals with brain injuries. The discussion also covers her vision for the future, including the creation of a supportive community and resources for survivors.
Donate to [BEST Connections](https://bestconnections.org/ "BEST Connections")
Justin Abrams (00:02)
I'm thrilled for this episode. Michelle, not only are you a current customer of Cause of a Kind and building some extraordinary software, we will talk about some of that.
but you are also a very formidable tech founder and somebody that I am truly, truly appreciative to have crossed paths with and learned from. And I'm really excited to have you on this episode so we can talk a little bit about your inception story. You are also a bootstrapped entrepreneur. You are a current professor in a university system. And I want to hear all about the things that have to do with you creating a technology solution for a very niche challenge that impacts a ton of people in our country, internationally.
worldwide problem that you have taken upon yourself to try and solve or at least create a path to a solution for people. So Michelle Wild, welcome to Strictly From Nowhere. It's a pleasure to host you and I can't wait to learn about your story.
Michelle Wild (00:57)
Thanks Justin, me too. I'm excited. Thank you for the invite.
Justin Abrams (00:59)
Yeah. absolutely. Absolutely. Well, I want to kick off as we always do. You'll do a way better job of introducing yourself than I ever could. So you can start from anywhere in your timeline. I'd love to know a little bit about you, a little bit about your background, and maybe a little bit about the inception story of Best Connections.
Michelle Wild (01:17)
Okay, sure. So I actually am a professor. I'm a teacher at a community college in Southern California, Coastline College. And Coastline is the first community college in the country to have a special program specifically for individuals living with brain injury. And it started about 46 years ago. It was innovative at the time. It was the only thing out there. It started in a small church.
and as part of the college, but it was a small church and there was like five guys that had brain injuries that started the program and we went from there to having, you know, well over 100 students at different times in history. So I started teaching in that program about 39 years ago. I started out as an intern.
I was a psych intern from Cal State Fullerton and got a position luckily at Coastline and knew almost immediately, wow, this is where I want to be. I can't think of anything else I'd rather do. I just love the people, love the students. And so that's kind of how I got started at Coastline. It's a very interesting program because it is a cognitive program. And so what we do at Coastline
is a lot of what a speech and language pathologist might do or an occupational therapist might do from the cognitive side. And so we get to do it from an educational perspective, which is very different and I think very exciting. And it allows us to meet the needs of individuals at a different level. So I've been doing that for many years. And about eight years ago, I was, I'd been working on some grants, consulting on some grants with different people across the country.
and I had had this idea many years before of an app that I was thinking called Manage My Fatigue and it was an app that, you know, this is way back when apps first came out, it was an app that would help individuals deal with some of the fatigue associated with brain injury and MS and various incendiary things and I started off with technology. I always taught technology at Coastline. I was the only technology teacher there for a while but
I got the very first HP IPAC that came out. So way back in the day, I saw it right during the holidays one year. like, ooh, I gotta have that. And I went to Radio Shack and bought the HP IPAC and started playing with it. And I'm like, no way. I gotta have this for my students. This is amazing. So I...
I went to the college and explained to them what I wanted to do and they were very supportive. And so we started a pilot program with HP IPACs and using it for very severely memory impaired individuals. And I created a whole curriculum around it. I wrote a book about it and just started doing that and it was working. Like the people who are walking around and couldn't find the classroom were now finding the classroom and they were showing up for meetings and
Everyone else in the program was like, hey, what's going on with, you know, Justin? He's like showing up. Something's changed. What is it? And they all found out that that class was getting IPACs. And so they all wanted them. So that's sort of how I got started with using, you know, the handheld technology probably 20 years or more ago at this point with my students. And it was amazing. I thought that, you know, it could do amazing things and it really has. So.
That's kind of how I got started with technology. When I started BEST, I had these ideas for some apps and I was consulting on some grants, I, know, Coastline wasn't gonna be, they weren't gonna support it, they weren't gonna fund it. And so I met a programmer through one of the grants I was working on and started, and I'm like, hey, I got this idea. And so we worked together for a couple of years.
didn't go so well. So Justin, you were mentioned about the relationship we have in development and you know, it's taken me a long time to find you guys and I'm so thankful for that. So I've gone through a few, few programmers that have not been, you know, as helpful, but so I, I basically funded the first manage my fatigue app on my own. It was something that I knew my students would benefit from. It was something that I included my students in the development.
Justin Abrams (05:32)
us to.
Michelle Wild (05:51)
I was having them do all this stuff on paper and pencil and you know, they're losing it and forgetting and I thought you know an app is where this really should be and so I started with that and I created Manage My Fatigue before I even started BEST. So I was just a teacher like this is what I want to do and then a couple years later I was talking to a student who was graduating, Christy Craigh-Thorpe, you know her Justin. Christy and I were talking about what she wanted to do when she graduated from the program.
And she said, you know, I really want to do something like what you're doing. I want to help. want to be a part of something. And so we kind of decided to start a nonprofit and the nonprofit originally was all about technology. was about getting the, what ended up being called pace my day, out into the world. And we went to conferences and, know, did a lot of stuff and then it just evolved. Then it was sort of like, wait a minute.
know, goal setting is something that our population struggles with. So we created an app called Reach My Goals, and then they gotta have a place to put all these strategies they're learning. So it just sort of evolved, and I think, you know, some of the stuff that we've created, there's other apps out there, but they're not designed for our population. They're not designed for people that have cognitive challenges and really need a certain kind of structure. And so that...
that's kind of where best started was, let's do something and keep building this. And then COVID hit and it became really obvious to us, we started working with people via Zoom and it became really obvious that, you know, the apps were very effective, but the cognitive skills, like the challenges that our population has with critical thinking and decision-making and sequencing.
Those were huge problems. And so BEST sort of evolved for a while into being more of a cognitive retraining kind of a thing. We still do webinars every other week, cognitive webinars to help people. And we sort of let the technology go for a little bit. It worked, it was still out there, people were using it. And then we found you guys. And it's like, wait a minute, this is gonna take us to a whole another level, which it is.
And so we're very excited about that. And so we're sort of taking the foundation of what we built, which was built, you know, 10, 15 years ago. So it's got a lot to, a lot to have improvement on. And we found you guys and now we're, you know, doing some of the latest stuff and really making something that's going to be amazing, not just for people that are living with brain injury, but people that are living with a wide variety of disabilities.
the people that work with them, their caregivers, the professionals. I think we just, I think we have something that's really gonna be a great thing as we continue to develop it.
Justin Abrams (08:45)
Well, it's absolutely an inspiring story and you know...
While all of this you started kind of at your university program and that just gave you, you know, the support system to be able to set your own goals and start to achieve, none of that happens by accident. So I want to take it back if you don't mind, even a little bit before university, there must be some formidable experiences that led you to this path. I mean, you went to school for psychology, you have quite a technical background.
There must be a series of stories that led you to pursuing brain injury education, treatment, recovery, then ultimately the foundation of a non-for-profit. What was it like in your earlier days prior to university that ultimately influences this path? And the reason why I ask this is because there are lots of young people out here, there are lots of people that are looking for the next thing in their life. They've had success already.
your formula?
Michelle Wild (09:52)
It's an interesting question, it was – It's a very interesting question. I started when I was 20 years old. I started working at Coastline. So it was sort of a fluke that I found working with brain injury. I had had some friends in high school that had brain injuries. Back in those days, we didn't really know what that was, but
You know, they had brain injuries from car accidents and different kinds of things. And so I sort of had this general idea. And when the internship came up, I, you know, thought, okay, I'll try it. And again, loved it. Kind of an interesting story is I had been working at COSIGN for about two or three years. I was going to a conference. My mom was dropping me off at the airport. And she was like, you know, I had a brain injury before. I'm like,
What? What are you talking about? You had a brain injury. And she's like, yeah, before you were born, she had a lamp fell on her head. She had a severe brain injury, had seizures, like massive seizures, all sorts of issues, just totally disrupted everything for, I think she said like eight years. And so I didn't know about this. And apparently she had all these seizures and the day, excuse me, the day that she had me was the last seizure she ever had.
So it was like, I'm like, seriously? That was just insane. So I think you're right. There's like something there, but I didn't even know what it was at that point in time, if that makes sense. It was just like, and since then, you know, as I think about it, and as I've learned more about brain injury, you know, I kind of look back, you know, hindsight's 20-20. I kind of look back and I'm like, yeah, now I see the brain injury, you know, in some of the things as I was growing up. Like, you know, just...
Justin Abrams (11:19)
my god, I got chills.
Michelle Wild (11:45)
poor time management. I always thought that was just my mom, but I really think it was a brain injury thing. So kind of an interesting little twist that I would have never thought of and that definitely gave me a whole different insight and allowed me to see it from the perspective of actually a family member to a certain extent.
Justin Abrams (12:05)
This is so fascinating because I'm not so sure that it's like on the tip of people's diagnosis. You know, not that it's not for a doctor to diagnose. There are clearly tests that can be run where that is the ultimate result of the diagnosis. like, lots of people have just hit their head. Have...
Maybe it's not even necessarily like an actual traumatic event, like an actual brain injury. Like, while we're on the topic of this, what are some things that people can just light bulb moment? You know, I think of some of my loved ones, you really don't know a lot about their history, but so many folks, regular walks of life, after knowing your technology so well, fit the mold? Like...
Michelle Wild (12:52)
Mm-hmm.
Justin Abrams (12:53)
Did something happen? Is there a series of things that folks can look out for that would classify as a brain injury? And what can people look out for?
Michelle Wild (13:03)
You know, think, obviously big things, right? But even minor car accidents, you know, there is what they call a coup, contrecoup injury. So your brain sort of goes in the front of your head and then it pops back in your head and there's just fluid in there. And so it's actually impacting your brain when that happens. So car accidents, falls, I can't tell you, falls is one of the highest occurrence of brain injuries.
I have people that I work with at Best and at Coastline that one person was getting ready to go on a trip and tripped and fell in the bedroom and got a brain injury, and significant. you know, sometimes you think, you you're in a big car accident and there's no brain injury. Well, there might be a little bit, right? But sometimes it can be a mild accident, but there still can be an impact.
lots of sports concussions. mean, again, we never talked about these things back in the day. When I first started in brain injury, you know, I don't even think we were required to wear seat belts. So a lot of the people that were having brain injuries from those kinds of incidents were dying. And as, you know, as some of those improvements in that area and medical improvements have come around, it's really helped individuals survive brain injuries that they wouldn't have ordinarily survived.
And so now we have like five million people, over five million people living with brain injury. We have significant injuries all the time. And one of the problems is that so many people have mild injuries. Like I said, maybe a fender bender, a rear end, you don't even know. And all of a sudden, you're a little bit confused. They used to call it you see stars or a little bit dazed and confused. Well, part of that is what happens and it may go away.
And so you think, everything's fine, but it may not go away. And so that's one of the things. And I think, you know, looking for changes, changes in behavior, looking for changes in thinking, and, you know, whether you're the one who may have had an incident, a fall or, you know, something like that, a lot of times people will get a sense there's something off, but they don't know what it is.
And a lot of times they'll go to a doctor and the doctor or the hospital will say, know, well, you have a concussion, you know, it'll be okay. Get just rest. And, you know, the majority of times that's true. Rest will, you know, sort of resolve some of these things, but there's a huge number of individuals that just have what they call this persistent concussion syndrome that just continues on. And it can completely disrupt a person's life. I mean, people...
can no longer work a lot of the times and there's not a lot of help out there for them. They'll go through what we call the medical model, which is maybe the emergency room and seeing their doctors and doing physical therapy and occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, but that's all based on insurance. And once the insurance is gone, their support is gone. And so that's really where BEST has, we want to fill that gap and it's a huge one.
And we have an approach that's different from a lot of other people's approaches, because it's based on education. I'm a teacher. I'm not a medical professional. And so I approach brain injury from the perspective of wanting to teach people not only about their brain injuries and what might be happening to them, but also about strategies that they can use to deal with some of the challenges that they have.
Justin Abrams (16:47)
you
It's so interesting, it reminds me of a story. I didn't plan on bringing this up at all. I wonder if my wife will be angry about it. my wife has suffered several concussions. One was at a school event. She was like in a dunk tank. Like, you you throw the ball and you get dunked submerged at a carnival. And she hit her head real bad. And one of the things that, you know, she may have had mild concussion, like she was fine and sent home from the hospital. But I remember she had trouble just recalling simple words. And she's brilliant. Like she just had, she had trouble remembering how to go to
Michelle Wild (17:00)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Nice.
Yeah.
Justin Abrams (17:18)
the bathroom. I know that sounds funny but like she couldn't she couldn't remember how to go to the bathroom. The simple like life functions that we take for granted and it took her if you asked her directly she probably says she's still not the same. Like it I never really thought about this until right now Michelle we were just connecting dots and it probably is very true that lots of things in her life since then have been different.
Michelle Wild (17:20)
No.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Justin Abrams (17:44)
never really thought about it and it's a very interesting scenario to maybe rehash with her but I wanted to think about you know what are some of like the most significant challenges that people face when recovering from brain injuries and how do you think that best as an application as a technology solution is addressing some of those challenges that people might experience?
Michelle Wild (18:08)
Mm-hmm. I think some of the, mean, there's different challenges. There's cognitive challenges, like just can't make a decision, get overwhelmed by information. You can't initiate. you know, a lot of times people with brain injury have... I'm so sorry. I put it on focus, but it's not focusing for some reason.
Justin Abrams (18:30)
Hey, this is just how it goes. You're a CEO, you're a founder, people need your attention, there's stuff going on, so not a problem. I won't even edit it out. I'll just keep going.
Michelle Wild (18:35)
So, you know, there's these cognitive challenges that people have, like I was mentioning, decision making, initiation. And we do a webinar called, it's not laziness, it's initiation, because so many people misinterpret what's going on with a person that's living with a brain injury. Word finding problems, you know, just memory problems, you know.
I know I was doing something and you know, we kind of laugh that off, right? You and I, Justin, might sort of laugh it off. Yeah, yeah. For them, it's a real life thing. And oftentimes what happens is those of us that don't have brain injuries sort of diminish what they're experiencing because to us, not, we may do the same thing, but we're not experiencing it in the same way. And so it's really important for us to understand that.
Time management, oftentimes time management, organization. I said decision making, just memory in general. So there's a lot of cognitive skills that get impacted after the brain injury. And those are all cognitive skills that we use every day to survive, right? Those are the things that help us get through our days. So a person living with a brain injury,
oftentimes struggles very much just getting through their day. And they still have kids and they still have a husband and they still have, you know, all these different things. Often they're not able to work anymore. And so financially they are impacted significantly. It's not uncommon for there to be sort of a flip in the family where, you know, the person with the brain injury is now staying home and the person who used to be staying home is now having to go out and work and that can cause all sorts of issues. So,
There's a lot of issues associated with that, what we call psychosocial issues too. It's just uncomfortable. They don't necessarily know how to act. They don't know themselves anymore to a certain extent. It's like they're sort of learning who they are. And that can be very upsetting and very disruptive, especially when everyone in their life expects them to be the same. They look the same, you
I can guarantee you if you looked at almost anyone I work with, you would have no idea they had a brain injury. And so it's sort of this silent, what they call the silent epidemic that is there, but no one knows about it. And the people with the brain injury are often too embarrassed or too shy or whatever to share and to talk about it because they have in a lot of occasions and no one listens. And so...
What I really want best to be is that support system. I want to fill that lifelong gap that's there for them. After they're done with all their medical rehab and their insurance has been exhausted, I want to be there doing the cognitive stuff and talking about these kinds of issues and developing the apps that we can integrate with the cognitive aspect. mean, that's one of the most exciting things about what we're doing, Justin, is not just creating these apps.
but we're creating these apps so that we can have a complete system for this population. And that's something no one has. I mean, the medical system obviously does, but not for what we're doing. And so I think that's so exciting. to be working with Coke and you guys and the attention that you put into what you're doing and what you guys have done to understand what and why we're doing what we're doing is just amazing.
I feel very lucky to be working with you guys and I talk to my class and to best, the people that follow best all the time about you guys and where you guys are, how you're helping us and all of that. And so, you know, it is something that is definitely needed. And I think we have a really good chance of filling that gap. We have followers from, I don't know, I think at this point in time, like 35 different states and probably 10 or 15 different countries.
And I know what it's like to have a brain injury in the United States, but to have a brain injury in some of these other countries, it's horrible. They just have no services whatsoever. And even just getting recognized with a brain injury. I think that's another thing about BEST that's real important is you don't have to prove to me you have a brain injury. You just have to think that you're struggling with something that I can help you with, and that's what matters.
A lot of these other places, you have to have the medical records to show, yep, you have a brain injury because that's how they get paid. And for us, we're just out to help people that are struggling with these issues. And so it doesn't matter where you are in the world or whether you can prove you have a brain injury. I'm hoping that we can do something to help you.
Justin Abrams (23:29)
You know, one of the most interesting parts of BEST to me as an organization, of course, it's the technology.
laser focused on making sure that that comes into the world for you. But it really has to do with education. Like you have done so much, not only for folks that are learning to survive with their brain injury, but also for the families, also for generic education. You know, I think about this from like an employer's perspective. I have a staff and I rely on their number one skill set, which is their mind, their ability to come to work in a dynamite fashion and produce.
You know, you just said it a little while ago, which is you would never even know by looking at somebody that they've had some type of a brain injury. And it's very easy to go out for a walk on a Sunday. Your dog pulls on the leash, you trip over a branch and you whack your head. You just don't come back to work the next day in the same way. And what I find very fascinating about the organization and the educational content that you guys have created and will create more of. mean, you'll move into social media big time. We'll move into, you know, you do lots of talks.
Michelle Wild (24:18)
Okay.
Justin Abrams (24:36)
somewhere I can't keep track of you giving some type of seminar is the amount of non-specific education. You're not speaking to medical practitioners or rehabilitation centers. You're not speaking to occupational therapists or something like that. You're talking to families. You're talking to regular people and how can they adapt their life so that their loved ones can be comfortable? How can we just change the way that we perform in a household to make it easier for mom so that
Michelle Wild (24:36)
Thank
Justin Abrams (25:06)
can have the time and the bandwidth and the space just to get back to herself and find some new normal because it may not really ever go back to pre-brain injury. And I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about that because do we ever get back to maybe it's not one size fits all but like do you ever get back to pre-brain injury? Is it a big depends equation? Is this what people are working towards or are people legitimately just looking to live a new normal?
Michelle Wild (25:16)
Right.
Justin Abrams (25:35)
channel.
Michelle Wild (25:38)
It's interesting, immediately after the brain injury, there's an adjustment period and all that. And one of the things that people always say is that you have to accept that you have a brain injury. And I don't like the word acceptance because I don't know anyone in all the years that I've been doing this that accepts it. It's like, I don't want to accept this. So it's sort of acknowledging and recognizing and trying to find that new normal for them.
So brain injury is one of those things that typically if you have a brain injury, you have a brain injury. It's not gonna go away. It will sort of ebb and flow. It's often you are doing something, you're on a good course, things seem to be working, you're using the strategies, right? Everything's, and then one thing can...
blow it all up. One thing can go wrong and that's enough to just totally reset things and now all of a sudden your decision making is off again and your memory gets impacted. And so their entire life is sort of this up and down, this ebb and flow of things and that again is not what people understand. You know, I talk to family members and try and help them understand that, you know, they'll say, well, you know, she was fine last week. I don't understand what's different this week. Well, there's more stress this week or
you know, something else happened, or she just did too much. mean, know, fatigue, that's where Pace My Day comes in. Fatigue is such a major factor in how people can handle different things. And so what typically happens after brain injury is people want to do what they did before, right? They want to, like, I never had to take a break. I could read for five hours or I could go and do all these things. And the reality is after the brain injury, most people are not going to be able to do that. They're going to have to learn how to manage.
or pace themselves throughout the day in order to have a good day the next day. When I talk to people about fatigue, one of the things that happens is, know, well, I did so much and then you're down and out for the next day or sometimes the next week. And so pace my day is really all about helping them.
manage that and learn to pace themselves throughout each day so that they feel like they're accomplishing something. They've got to feel, they got to have the wins, right? They have to know that they're getting these wins. And that's part of what we're trying to do is show them that, you know, even if you can do one or two things, that's one or two things that you've accomplished. And they want to do 50 things, but you know, the 50 things is going to put them down and out for a much longer period of time.
It's hard though, because it goes against the grain for almost every single person who has a brain injury. They were out there doing, living life, doing everything they wanted to do. And a lot of times, that's where the brain injury comes from. You're getting ready to go to a meeting and you're rushed and you trip on the carpet and that changes your life, right? It doesn't have to be.
somebody else, doesn't have to be a car accident or a medical issue. It can just be something like that and it can definitely impact you forever.
Justin Abrams (28:58)
wanna shift gears for just a moment. I've known you for quite some time now. You always refocus us back to the mission.
want to talk a little bit about just being a really formidable tech entrepreneur. We always talk about, you know, I think the focus of BEST, I think the mission that you have, you have dedicated your life to a hyper niche. Let's talk about it like that. And I speak to founders of all different makes and models, shapes and sizes, different verticals, different arenas, and everybody is in pursuit of product market fit.
Michelle Wild (29:11)
Thank
Justin Abrams (29:35)
trying to build a piece of technology that maps to value and maps to leveraging money out of people's pocket. You're in the same position. Like you're creating a piece of technology that can't just persist forever. Even though you're a non-profit, you look for your donors, you're looking for new money. This is a business at the end of the day. And the application that you're creating has a component of subscription to it. And you're in your own pursuit of product market.
it and looking for the right technology to meet this cohort of people and to provide them with undeniable value. And it doesn't matter what industry it's in, it doesn't matter, you know...
what sector or the type of technology, it matters that you're creating a piece of technology that solves a problem. So I want to talk a little bit about just being a tech founder because I have watched you whittle the idea and the idea for the best suite. There are five applications. I have folks that have a hard time building one and you've built five. And what I find very interesting is Cause of a Kind has been deployed to the
Michelle Wild (30:44)
.
Justin Abrams (30:50)
problem to
Let's call it Renovate. I really have not been in charge of custom business logic. You have driven so much of that and so much of the problem that we have solved with this suite of applications has existed. I think you were even saying some of this has existed for 10 or 15 years already. Like the business logic that drives this application that ultimately meets your product market fit is established. So I wanna talk a little bit about what it's like to be a tech founder,
have to have the idea in place that is so worth building because it could have been very opposite. could it could have been I don't know what we're gonna build. I know that the population needs something. You're not you're not unique. There are there are definitely other applications that are out there on the marketplace.
And I say that with a grain of salt because I know that best and the suite of applications is quite unique. I want, I want to understand a little bit about the journey of whittling the idea, an approaching product market fit. And your perspective is incredible because it's all prior to like this huge wave, like anybody and everybody wants to be a tech founder right now. I got folks coming to me that want to just build the entire application using AI prompts with chat GPT, like anybody and everybody just
Michelle Wild (31:51)
Yeah
Mm-hmm.
Justin Abrams (32:15)
wants to be an engineer at this point, what was it like to whittle the original idea and get your first real users that really truly can't live without this technology?
Michelle Wild (32:17)
Yeah.
Yeah, it was really interesting. mean, you know, at that time I was teaching. And so, again, I kept seeing, you know, I've been teaching for 39 years now.
So this was 15 years ago. So, you I've been teaching for a long time and I had been seeing the same problems over and over again and there was no solution for them. And I would watch my students deal with and struggle and I would come, you know, help them come up with strategies. And so I really think that experience of really being in the trenches with the individuals that you're developing for, knowing those people, like I wouldn't presume to try and make an app about something that was, you know, just.
something that was new to me. I'm doing it only because I know this stuff and I have the experience. I know what works. know, and you know, have I made mistakes? Of course, right? You you go down the wrong path. But that's again, why having the end user such an integral part of the development, because what happens is I think this is the greatest idea. And then I take it to them and like, what, you know, that doesn't work at all.
before we get it out there in the market, we're making those changes. And Justin, you and I have already, I mean, we've been doing this, right? That's what it was for me all along was, I I started off drawing like little pictures of what I thought it was gonna be, and I took them into my class. I'm like, here's what I think, is the screen too busy? And then it was, okay, here's how I think it's gonna work. And they would give me feedback. So it was a very iterative process for sure.
And it was a very integrative process in that I wanted to make sure that they were included. it was a slow process, because I started doing this on my own. I took money from my savings, and I don't like being in debt. And so I could have probably developed this years ago in a much bigger way.
but I'm kind of a slow and steady kind of a person and I wanna make sure I'm doing it right and I wanna make sure that I have the right people around me. once you find that, having the ideas, it's fun. I mean, it is so much fun talking to you guys and like going through things and running through ideas and really.
thinking through things out loud. mean, that's amazing. And that's definitely something that I really appreciate about you guys because prior developers that I've had, that was not what it was. It was like, you just tell me what you want and I'll do it. And then, you know, well, that's not exactly what I thought it was gonna be. And then I'd have to go back, you know, talking with you guys, that's what it's about. I mean, you know, sharing that experience and being able to learn from each other and...
You know, I learn about technology from you guys every time we talk and I hope you guys learn about brain injury every time we talk. And as a result of that, it just makes that connection so strong. And I think that, you know, it's really gonna help us build this. And you know, I do, it is for the end user. It is for the person with the brain injury. But you know what, it's also for the family members. The family members can use these apps also.
The way that we're developing them, the family members are gonna be able to integrate with the individual living with a brain injury. The idea that we want to create a dashboard where physicians and therapists and all that can really get in there and really help people. It's not medical data that we're doing, it's life data. And that's really important. It's a very different approach and a very different take on things.
but it is something that is not out there. I was just doing a presentation a few days ago and there was a physical medicine and rehab doctor online. I didn't know who it was, but during the presentation she stopped and wanted to ask a question and she's like, you're doing something no one else is doing. Where's that all coming from? And it's all about the resources and I think the technology,
I created something, a term, making cognitive connections. For me, it's all about making cognitive connections, and that has to do with technology. It's like, when you are using an app, I don't care what app it is, you are working on cognitive skills. You know, when you're putting your calendar appointment in and you've got to make sure it's for AM versus PM, that's a cognitive skill, attention to detail. When you are trying to decide what title to put in the name of the calendar appointment,
That's relevant and irrelevant. Like all of these things are cognitive skills. And so making cognitive connections is all about integrating the technology with the cognitive rehabilitation aspect of brain injury and making something more out of what we have available.
Justin Abrams (37:35)
I have to tell you, I'm really just so inspired by you because it is the result of what happens when you declare a life's work. And I'm not even sure if I've done that yet. I question. I love building technology. Well, you're leading me into my next question, which has to really do with getting people to the thing. The thing that they are willing to...
Michelle Wild (37:50)
I'm a lot older than you are, Justin, so.
Justin Abrams (38:03)
sacrifice their savings for, the thing that they are willing to advocate in the dark for if they're the only one speaking. I don't know if there's a formula. And I'm very inspired by...
specifically. I don't know if I've met too many other folks one-to-one and have had this much interaction over this long of a period of time. To be able to see firsthand what it looks like when somebody dedicates an entire lifetime.
whole career to trying to make micro improvements. And I think you've had macro days, think you've had breakthrough days, I think you probably could count on those, but I think it's the micro days, the ones where you're feeling alone and you're at the end of the day running a business and you're an educator and...
I'm sure you realize every single semester if you get one student to get an aha moment, that's a big victory. So I don't really have a question here other than like I'm just so fascinated and so proud to know you and participate along your journey and be a small part of it. But it's truly humbling to me and it makes me question what will the next 39 years of my career look like and what type of macro impact will I be able to make? And you know, it might be selfish as I think of
about, you know.
my own pursuit, but you are so altruistic. Like you probably don't stop for a minute to just think about like your own. You're just so focused on the mission. And my next real question has to do with roadmap. Like what are your hopes for this? What is the next big thing? When you get to the end of your career, what will the things look like retrospectively that say, I accomplished my mission?
You might not have an answer for that. That's a big grandiose conversation in itself, but you have accomplished so much and to be so laser focused. I'm watching you keep tying it back to core mission and you have tons of slogans and taglines and you just eat, sleep and breathe this. At what point will you realize that you're enough, it's been enough, you have dedicated your entire life to this. Do you have a vision of that yet?
Michelle Wild (40:15)
you.
I mean, I can't imagine doing anything else. So, you know, I'm getting ready to retire from education and that's going to be my opportunity to go all in on best and I'm looking forward to it. And, you know, I'm hoping that's going to be next year sometime in 2025. you know, being able to go all in and invest and I guess one thing just to go back to where you were is, you know, I feel really lucky to have
found what I found so early in life. So that I think has really helped me with that laser focus. Like I just love it. There's nothing else I'd rather do. Like, people are, you know, wouldn't you rather be, no, this is what I want to do. Like I got this. So I think that's a really important thing. I think also I would wish that people could find like what I found.
in direction because it is a lot but it's very fulfilling and it provides so much. You know, just working with people, not every day is a great day as you said, you know, it's never going to be but you know, just getting a quick email from someone saying, you know, I tried this strategy and it really worked, Michelle, that's awesome. Like that can carry me for weeks.
doesn't take very much. I'm pretty simple in that way. So I think that's really, really important, finding something. And I try to share that with my students also. They've had this devastation happen in their lives, and they may never be able to go back to what they were doing before. Find something that brings you joy. Find something that matters to you. And then you know what? It's not like work. I mean, I know it's an old cliche, but it's really not like work. It is...
something that you are excited to do. So I think that's one thing. In terms of the roadmap, I really want to keep developing apps. I have other ideas for apps, so you're not rid of me yet, Justin. I have some other ideas for apps, all, you know, that will help people in their everyday life that are living with these kinds of conditions. I really would like to create a system. I would like to have, you know, like an online environment where people just learn.
They can go in and they can learn so that whether I'm still around or not, I will hopefully be there and, you know, video continuing to try and teach this stuff. And then I think another aspect of my roadmap is I really want to train other people or people with brain injuries to do what I do. I don't really want to teach all the professionals of the world to do what I do because
They're doing their own thing and they don't really care about what I'm doing, but the survivors care and they get it and they know. And so I think if I could create a system where I can create mentors and the survivors are the mentors for other survivors and make that something that could be available to people, that would be sort of like the optimal thing. And that would really help me know that I made a difference.
Justin Abrams (43:48)
Well, I want to round third base here. Take us back home. It is probably extremely common that you know somebody with a brain injury, you yourself may be listening to this for the audience and be like, this sounds a lot like me. I remember a time I slipped on black ice and maybe I've been a little different since then.
It may be a family friend. It may just be because this is top of mind and it's important for your fellow human. What are some ways that folks can get involved that they can participate not only in the evangelization of the education in this arena, but maybe they can participate in their families and like directing people back to this education. If it's anything about like donating or getting involved, what are some of the most
ways that folks can participate with Best Connection.
Michelle Wild (44:45)
Yeah, know, volunteering is amazing. you know, we are a very small nonprofit and I have basically been doing, you know, everything. I'm sort of the Jill of all trade and I don't have all those skills. you know, volunteering, help with marketing and, you know, social media and those kinds of things would be really, really helpful. I think obviously donating.
Best runs basically on donations. mean, we're going to charge a little bit for the apps, but going back to what you were saying, Justin, our population can't afford it. So they've been financially devastated. So we're trying to do the best thing we can do by making it a nominal expense for them. That is something that they can use forever. And so that's a big thing.
But donations will help us do that. Donations will help us continue to develop the apps, continue to develop the education that will allow us to have mentors out there that will be able to do this. And so I think that's a big thing. Just talking about brain injury. If you've heard something today that resonated with you, share it with someone. You would be surprised at how many people you know that have a brain injury.
Seriously, you would like you're thinking I don't know anyone has a brain injury I will I'm willing to bet you that you have at least one or two people in your lives that have had a brain injury that you don't know about and when you mention it Sometimes they're gonna share like it's just sort of you know, wow, you know, I had a brain injury. It's amazing My students do this I do this and we are meeting people all the time that have had brain injuries So talking about brain injuries
And sharing the importance of really being there and developing this stuff, I think is really important. I can tell you, I don't take a salary from Best. I don't ever intend on taking a salary from Best. Excuse me. That's not what I'm here for. And so any donations that come into Best are going directly into developing the apps, are helping to pay a couple of people, a small stipend.
That you know, they are willing to accept because they're in it for the same reason that i'm in it And you know someday if we can make money and we become this business, you know That would be awesome and I would invite that but for right now That's not you know, we're not about the business. We're about helping the people And so that's where we're at. So any donations that might come in from this or whatever it might be Any donations that might come in
you know, from this or other things that, you know, you might hear about are going straight back to help the individuals. There's not a lot of overhead in what we do. you know, I think those are, those are some of the biggest things. and just sharing with even doctors and, you know, therapists that you might know, family members or whatever, Hey, I heard about this organization that helps brain injury after you're done with them. Right. Because that's what's missing.
So I think those things would be really, really helpful and would make a huge difference.
Justin Abrams (48:11)
Well, I am so appreciative of you taking some time to have a chat with me today. I feel like we could go on forever. I have so many questions and I'm so fascinated by what you've accomplished and the inception story and the commitment to participating in your life's work. I'm so proud to just be a part of it and best could not fit the mission of Cause of a Kind better.
Michelle Wild (48:18)
Thank you.
Justin Abrams (48:38)
Like it is an absolute exact match and we found each other in a very organic way. you're a referral from a referral from a referral. And it just speaks volumes to what is possible from doing the best work that you possibly can. You know, as entrepreneurs, we are often not given a reflective sounding board. We often don't know the depth of our reach, of our impact.
Michelle Wild (48:44)
Yeah.
Justin Abrams (49:07)
It is so palpable for me to participate with you.
I say with you specifically because you are the organization. You are the brain power behind the logic that we have created. This is entirely your idea, Christie's idea. You have a small team that I know quite well. And what you have all conjured up to be a painkiller for your population is so wildly impressive. And now you tell me that there's even more that we have to hopefully have the opportunity
Michelle Wild (49:40)
yeah, there's lots more.
Justin Abrams (49:42)
Opportunity to all work on together and pursue Michelle it has been a pleasure to host you on this episode of strictly from nowhere I'm so appreciative to have you not only as a customer but as a colleague and a friend and I appreciate your transparency and your vulnerability for today and I know you got all sorts of other stuff that's going on on top of looking forward to retirement building five software applications and I'm just so appreciative and
Michelle Wild (50:05)
Yeah
Justin Abrams (50:12)
Thank you so much for joining this episode Strictly From Nowhere.
Michelle Wild (50:15)
Absolutely and thank you guys for all you're doing. I know we found our match and I can't wait to see what we can do together.
Justin Abrams (50:24)
Thanks.
Donate to [BEST Connections](https://bestconnections.org/ "BEST Connections")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/michelle-wild
# Tiffany Slowinski, CEO @ Team Spark Advisors
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2024-10-14
*Tiffany Slowinski is an Executive Advisor and Co-Owner of three successful franchises, specializing in talent management, culture alignment, and performance coaching. With a Master's degree in Psychology from Columbia University, she brings a unique perspective to business, emphasizing the human element of success. At Team Spark Advisors, Tiffany and her team focus on hiring, retaining, and empowering top performers through strategic talent alignment. Using a proven 3-step approach—Assess, Plan, Execute—and leveraging her expertise as a licensed Culture Index professional, Tiffany crafts tailored strategies that enhance communication, productivity, and employee satisfaction.*
__Tell us about yourself. What makes you, uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, and your human experience?__
I’ve always been someone who thrives on connection and understanding people. I’m a mom to four energetic daughters who definitely keep me on my toes! Whether we're traveling, attending sports games, or just grabbing a bite together, family life is always an adventure. I’ve also been a spin class devotee for 24 years, and in between work and family, I make time for shopping, catching up with friends over wine, and a good vacation when I can squeeze it in. People who follow me on social media are constantly asking me, “Are you really away AGAIN?” But it is something I value, so I make time for getaways. I guess you could say what makes me 'me' is this balance of nurturing others, growing alongside my ventures, and finding joy in the busy, beautiful chaos of it all.
__I would like to hear your business inception story. This podcast is about bootstrapping businesses and the earliest days from 0-to-market. How did you begin this journey and what was it like?__
My journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t exactly a straight line. In fact, it was more of a zigzag! I started in education, helping students as a guidance counselor, but I always felt this pull for something more dynamic and creative. The 'aha' moment came when a local social media company was looking for well-connected moms to help write local content and promote businesses. It sounded like a fun side hustle—perfect for a busy mom—but it quickly snowballed into a full-time venture. I had stumbled into something I truly loved!
From there, my husband and I dove into magazine franchising, which felt like the perfect extension of my skills in storytelling and community building. The early days were a juggling act—raising kids, managing deadlines, and figuring things out on the fly. Bootstrapping meant we had to get scrappy, but it taught us a lot about resilience and resourcefulness.
Eventually, this passion for helping businesses grow led to the creation of Team Spark Advisors. I started this venture because I realized that so many businesses needed support in aligning their teams and unlocking potential. And just like that, my winding path led me here, where I’m still helping people, just in a different way.
__Let's begin with family. I know you are a proud #GirlMom of 4 girls. What is it like balancing a big family and an entrepreneurial career? What advice do you have for other moms making a run at entrepreneurship?__
Balancing four daughters and a full-time entrepreneurial career is no small feat! It’s chaotic, unpredictable, but deeply rewarding. I often find myself toggling between a conference call and helping with homework, or heading to a meeting after dropping my girls at an activity. I can be found at dance competitions on the weekends with my laptop out during the down time. The key, for me, has been embracing flexibility and creating boundaries.
To other moms thinking of jumping into entrepreneurship, my advice is simple: don’t wait for the “perfect time” because it doesn’t exist. You have to make time and be okay with imperfection. Prioritize what’s most important in the moment—sometimes that’s business, and other times it’s family. Also, lean into your support network. Whether it’s a spouse, family, or friends, you need people in your corner. Entrepreneurship is hard, but if you’re passionate about what you’re doing, the challenges won’t feel as overwhelming.
__I find it interesting that you focused your career on people management. Where did that passion come from?__
My passion for people management comes from my roots in psychology and counseling. As a guidance counselor, I was trained to listen deeply, ask the right questions, and guide individuals toward their strengths. When I transitioned into business, I found that those same skills were incredibly valuable. I feel like a counselor for business owners now!
I realized that businesses often focus on the wrong aspects when hiring or managing their teams. It’s not just about qualifications on paper; it’s about finding the right fit for the team and creating environments where people can thrive. My passion lies in helping companies unlock the potential in their people, whether it’s through recruitment or optimizing team dynamics. It’s about matching talent with the right roles so that everyone wins—both the employee and the employer.
__I had the pleasure of taking your Culture Index. I have taken quite a few of these types of tests, from Myers-Briggs to the Berke Assessment, but the Culture Index that you took me through was different. Take us through a bit of the secret sauce. Why is the Culture Index different, and why does it work so well?__
The Culture Index stands out because it’s more than just a personality survey—it’s a data-driven tool that digs deep into not only what motivates individuals but how they naturally operate. Unlike assessments like Myers-Briggs that focus on preferences, the Culture Index zeroes in on behaviors, decision-making styles, and work dynamics. It’s tailored to help businesses match roles with people based on what they’re naturally good at, not just what they’re capable of doing.
The "secret sauce" lies in its precision. It allows companies to optimize team dynamics by aligning employees' innate strengths with their roles. It’s all about improving productivity and satisfaction, and it’s incredibly effective because it takes out the guesswork. Once a company understands the behaviors of its team members, it can better position them for success, ensuring that both the individual and the organization are thriving.
__As an operator and CEO, and as you inspire those around you to pursue business, entrepreneurship, and creative recreation, what are some tangible pieces of advice that would allow, particularly young people, to pursue their passions while focused on creating sustainable futures?__
For young people, my advice is to start small, but start now. Don’t wait for all the pieces to align perfectly. If you have an idea or a passion, take the first step toward building something around it. You’d be amazed at how much momentum you can create by just starting.
Second, surround yourself with mentors. Seek out people who’ve been where you want to go. Their insights can save you from making costly mistakes, and they’ll push you when things get tough. And finally, focus on sustainability. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of starting a new venture, but the real challenge is building something that lasts. Always think long-term, whether it’s in your financial planning, team-building, or product development. Sustainability is key to making your passion into a lasting career.
__Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, initiatives, and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to learn about?__
You can connect with me on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanyslowinski/ "LinkedIn") or through my company,[Team Spark Advisors](https://www.teamsparkadvisors.com/ "Team Spark Advisors"), where we help businesses align their teams for success.
I’m also incredibly proud of the work we do with the Culture Index, helping companies improve their talent strategies. Beyond business, I’m passionate about giving back to the community, especially initiatives that support working moms and women entrepreneurs. Whether through my publications or partnerships, I believe in lifting others as we climb, and I encourage anyone to reach out if they want to collaborate on these kinds of efforts.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/tiffany-slowinski
# Randy Herbertson, Principal @ The Visual Brand
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2024-10-02
*Randy Herbertson is a seasoned entrepreneur and creative leader with a background in graphic design and business. He is the founder of The Visual Brand, a Connecticut-based creative agency, and is known for his expertise in branding, motion design, and creating inspiring work environments. A passionate advocate for youth development, Randy is also an active professor, community leader, and board member, dedicated to fostering creativity and mentorship in both his business and personal life.*
## Interview with Randy Herbertson: Bootstrapping, Business, and Creativity
**Justin Abrams:**
I'm thrilled to have you on today, Randy. You’ve been not only a great friend, but also a mentor. I’ve shaped my own business and endeavors after what you’ve done, and I’m excited to dive into your story. You’ve been bootstrapping since your early days as an entrepreneur, and you’re still doing it, always with something new on the horizon. Welcome to *Strictly From Nowhere*.
**Randy Herbertson:**
Thanks, Justin. I’m excited to be here.
**Justin Abrams:**
Let’s start by getting to know you. What makes you uniquely you? Can you share a bit about your background, hobbies, and family life?
**Randy Herbertson:**
Sure thing. Taking it way back, I was born in Boulder, Colorado. I went to school there and met my wife there as well. Funny enough, one of my first business partners was Mormon, and I joke that I was more Mormon than he was because I got married at 21 and had my first child at 22. So, I was an early starter in many aspects of life. I studied graphic design and business, and started out on the client side working on new products. I later moved into the big agency world and, ultimately, started my first independent studio in 2004 in New York City.
Starting my own business was a leap of faith, like many people do when they decide to be their own boss. But it wasn't until I got into it that I realized how both fearless and fearful you have to be to make it work.
**Justin Abrams:**
That aligns perfectly with today's topic—bootstrapping and the journey from zero to market. What was it like starting your own business, particularly in motion design? This was during a time when it wasn’t as commoditized as it is now. How did you get started, and what were those early days like?
**Randy Herbertson:**
Well, like many things I do, I just decided to do it and then made it happen. I was running a mid-sized agency in Manhattan, but I found myself mostly doing sales, which I didn’t enjoy, and the creative side, which is my background, was taking a backseat. I wasn’t happy, so I knew something had to change. I talked to my wife, who has always been my greatest supporter, and told her I wanted to quit my job and start a company. She believed in me, and that gave me the confidence to move forward.
I was fortunate to leave with a couple of clients and didn’t have a non-compete holding me back. I also partnered with someone who had a similar vision, which made the jump a little less scary. Although, I’d say it was more of an 80-20 relationship, with me doing the heavy lifting, it was still important to have that partnership in the early days.
**Justin Abrams:**
You’ve built a creative environment that people want to be a part of. I’ve visited your studio, *The Visual Brand*, and it feels like an arboretum meets an art gallery—it’s just so full of life. How do you create a workplace that fosters creativity and energizes your team?
**Randy Herbertson:**
Thank you for that. Creating an inspiring space has always been important to me. My wife is a brilliant creative herself, and she’s played a huge role in shaping the environments we live and work in. I believe people should look forward to being in their workspace, not dread it. So, when I started *The Visual Brand* in 2011, I wanted to create a space that people would enjoy.
It took me about a year and a half to find the right location—a converted post office, which turned out to be perfect. I’m also a big fan of communal working spaces. I think separate offices and cubicles can isolate people, and a more open environment encourages collaboration.
We’ve filled the space with artwork, found objects, and things that inspire creativity. It’s important to set the right mood with music and lighting too. During COVID, I found that people wanted to come back to the studio organically, and I think that’s because they genuinely enjoy being here, not just working remotely. A space should do more than house people; it should inspire them.
**Justin Abrams:**
You’re very active in your local community, especially in Westport, where I know you contribute to several causes. How do you balance running a business with giving back, and what does it mean to you to be an active member of your community?
**Randy Herbertson:**
Giving back has always been a core value for me. It’s something my business is committed to as well. I’ve thought about becoming a B Corp because we already meet many of the criteria, but I’m not a big fan of paperwork, so I haven’t pursued it. Still, I make it a priority for both myself and my team to give back. The theme I focus on is youth development—anything related to learning and growth for young people.
We run an internship program that I believe creates a virtuous circle. It’s about developing young people, but honestly, some of our best hires have come from our interns. Even when someone doesn’t stay with us, I find joy in seeing where they end up years later. It’s fulfilling to know you’ve played a part in their journey.
**Justin Abrams:**
I know you’re also an active professor at Quinnipiac University, which happens to be where I went to school. What led you to teaching at the university level, and how does it fit into your passion for continuous education?
**Randy Herbertson:**
Teaching is something I love. If I could, I’d probably be a professor full-time. I enjoy helping people learn how to learn, which I think is one of the most important skills. The opportunity at Quinnipiac came through my involvement with the American Institute of Graphic Artists. I met the head of their communications and design school, and they invited me to run their senior seminar, which was a great experience.
It’s a commitment, especially with the drive, but I think it’s worth it. I’ve never taught a virtual course because I believe in the value of in-person engagement. It’s more dynamic and interesting that way.
**Justin Abrams:**
I couldn’t agree more. One last question before we wrap up. We’re in an age of artificial intelligence, and I know *Cause of a Kind* has been exploring how to leverage AI. What’s your take on AI, both for your business and for your clients?
**Randy Herbertson:**
AI is here to accentuate, not replace, our work. It’s great for handling mundane tasks, saving time, and even money in some cases. For example, we’ve started using AI for voiceovers in our video work, which saves us a lot of time. But it’s still at a very early stage, especially in the visual world. AI can help streamline processes, but it won’t replace the creative talent needed to execute a project successfully.
The key is to stay curious and keep experimenting with these tools. AI can’t replace creativity, but it can certainly help us push the boundaries of what we can achieve.
**Justin Abrams:**
Randy, thank you so much for joining me today. It’s been an incredible conversation, and I’ve learned so much, as I always do when we chat.
**Randy Herbertson:**
Thanks, Justin. It’s been an honor to be part of this.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/randy-herbertson
# Donnie D'Amato, Founder @ Design Systems House
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2024-07-02
- Founder & Chief Architect of [Design Systems House](https://ds.house/ "Design Systems House"); a consultancy dedicated to the future of design systems.
- Moderator of the Slack, Twitter, and Mastodon design system communities.
- Author of [gridless.design](https://gridless.design/ "gridless.design"); a thesis on mismatching the design grid to the web medium.
- Instructor for User Research and Interaction Design at Parsons School of Design.
- Currently, the engineering lead for the UXCore library at GoDaddy.
- Previously, the first UX Engineer at Compass.
__Where were you born and raised? Where do you currently reside? How has your life today been influenced by where you grew up and perpetuate from where you live now?__
Born and raised in Lindenhurst, NY. Spent most of my adult life in Queens, NY. Now living in East Meadow, NY. I’m confident that my exposure to New York City has been a huge influence on my outlook; considering many different perspectives in solving problems.
__Explain design systems to us. What does this mean to the average internet surfer and how does it impact the lives of everyone.__
Design systems help large organizations maintain a consistent design across their products. The main resulting benefit to these teams is reducing the decision-making process. Meanwhile, the benefit for users of these experiences is consistency thereby reinforcing a trustworthy product.
__How did you find your way to entrepreneurship? It would seem like you have had an extensive career and worked with many recognizable brands, so what motivated you to stand up Design Systems House?__
Admittedly, I’ve been involved in design systems consulting for longer than the business has existed. Creating the business was a matter of protection. It was important to me that my personal assets were separated from my professional assets. As my work has become more popular, it was clear that setting up a legitimate business would be beneficial.
__Accessibility and useability are one of the key components of your methodology. How do you explain the importance of these standards? Why are these elements cornerstones of your practice and why is it important to the average person?__
I’d argue they may not be important to the average person. The goal is to include all individuals when considering a design direction, not the average person. This introduces nuances that an average person would not necessarily possess, such as color blindness or lack of fine motor skills. This is important so that any one person does not feel excluded from an experience. For companies, this is important to their bottom line, as the more people that can successfully use their product, the more money they could be making.
__You are a lifelong learner within your domain. You are constantly learning and adapting to the evolution of your craft. What is something you recently learned and have applied that made an integral difference to the way you deliver for your clients?__
I just recently learned about the terms clickwrap and browsewrap based on a conversation about the existence of invalid checkboxes. I plan to write a [blog](https://blog.damato.design/ "blog") post about the train of thought that this caused in the near future. For now, I’ll just mention that many folks are suspectable of the [bandwagon effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwagon_effect "bandwagon effect"), and it’s important to not only copy a pattern we have seen but understand why the pattern was used before implementing it. “It exists; therefore, I use” is not a motto to blindly follow.
__You appear to have a passion for educating and mentoring others. Where does that come from? What are you core passionate about?__
It comes from experiencing my own challenges in learning about any particular topic and from having empathy for others beginning those journeys. I want to make the process easier for others and provide more successful outcomes. I aim for clarity in an otherwise tumultuous practice.
__Your website is one of the most enjoyable web experiences. It serves as a method of “wow” but also what keeping it simple looks like, without sacrificing an incredible user experience. Where did the inspiration come from for donnie.damato.design?__
It started from browsing stock photography, precisely the yellow background image that includes items that could appear on a person’s desk. I thought it would be interesting to lean into the messy desk motif. It was serendipitous that the experience turned into frames on a wall highlighting some projects later on. I do all of my explorations in code because if I can’t make it work there, it’s just not work. This also helps with focusing on content first before the design. While I’ll have a general idea of what things should look like, the content really drives the overall layout of my sites. Adding colors, typography, and spacing are some of the last things I consider.
__Plug Design Systems House. What does the business specialize in and how does one learn more about what you do and who you work with?__
We at [Design Systems House](https://ds.house/ "Design Systems House") challenge the belief that all design systems should have permission to be different. We discover ways of customizing experiences by meeting user expectations while subverting our traditional education. We work with all people tangential to design and development in the design systems practice; especially those looking to create inclusive resources meant for every single one of us.
__How can people follow your work and what advice do you have for young people in pursuit of lofty goals?__
I’m probably most active on [Twitter](https://x.com/donniedamato "Twitter") and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fauxserious/ "LinkedIn"), but [my website](https://donnie.damato.design/ "my website") has a slew of other links. My advice is not to jump ahead too quickly. There are foundations to practices that would be beneficial to learn before tackling larger problems. Information is more widely available than it has ever been, so use that to your advantage responsibly and you’ll often find yourself more successful than some of your peers.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-donnie-damato
# Jesse James Wroblewski, Founder @ Generations Beyond | The Marketing Supervillain
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2024-06-26
Jesse James Wroblewski he has been at the helm of a NY marketing agency for close to 3 decades. His often offbeat work has been featured in Rolling Stone, the book "505 Weirdest Websites Ever" and Fangoria as well as a plethora of other media outlets. After the realization that the entire marketing industry had gone insane, he retooled, reimagined and reemerged as something different, something more powerful than the marketing world has ever seen. Eager to share his new vision for the world and to spark a marketing revolution he created the call to arms called [Marketing For Supervillains](https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-SuperVillains-Diabolical-Differentiation-Decommoditization/dp/B0CLBNDVLF/?tag=mfsvwebsite "Marketing For Supervillains"). Jesse lives in a supervillain lair on Long Island which he has dubbed Chainsaw Estates with his trophy wife Florence. (the opposite of sex is always attracted to danger!)
__Where were you born and raised? Where do you currently reside? How has your life today been influenced by where you grew up and perpetuate from where you live now?__
I was born in Flushing Queens, raised in Queens and then Ronkonkoma, NY. Being about 60 miles outside the marketing capital of the world, NYC, I began my career in a very weird place in the business world. Long Island is an anomaly when it comes to business I cant put my finger on it without offending most Long Island business owners but let’s just say it is more different than anywhere else on the planet.
__You have been in the marketing industry for decades. Tell us a story about your experience that would shock us. It can be about business, the services, the clients, the staff, the money or otherwise.__
According to the Joker, the only thing that separates him from the rest of us is ONE BAD DAY. We’re all one bad day away from birthing our inner supervillain. Running an agency for 25 years I’ve had a lot of bad days, I’ve had multiple clients land in prison and call an emergency PR campaign to wipe the news from the internet, (my financial advisor and client is still rotting behind bars.) I’ve had brushes with mafia (story from my book,) lived with the most hated band in the world, The Insane Clown Posse, the list goes on and on however there is always that one day… The day that forced me to realize I had to make a major shift in my professional life. That day was April 29, 2019 and I have video footage of it.
__At this point you are running a marketing agency for decades, but what is the story behind Decomotitized? Where did that come from in recent history?__
When coivd hit, like everyone I had my bouts of self reflection. My agency that did everything under the sun wasn’t exciting me anymore. Our amazing headquarters which served as one of differentiators was shut down and I was relegated to being another web guy in a zoom box. Being average never suited me nor did just surviving.
I wanted an unfair advantage.
I wanted clients who chose to “go in another direction” to lose sleep over the thought of “what if I did hire Jesse…?”
No one loses sleep over not hiring one generalist firm vs another.
I consciously wanted to stack the deck in my favor. So I rewound the past 25 years and reviewed what projects not only gave me fulfillment but also made my clients the most money leaving them fulfilled.
I realized those projects were ones where I was tasked with taking a boring product or service and injecting so much life and personality into it that it actually became “cool.”
Multiple coaches told me I couldn’t be the guy who works specifically with boring businesses as no one would ever self-identify as being boring. I tweaked the strategy into rescuing businesses who have become commoditized, aka those businesses who customers really cant tell the difference between one brand and another and thus choose solely on price.
Once I had my mission it was a process of reading everything I could find on the topic, go down the rabbit hole of self-realization as to why Ive gravitated to differentiated things my entire life and begin to codify it all into a process and then an entertaining book.
__What is a prediction or forecast about the future of the consumer experience? How do you explain the evolution of consumer behavior to your customers?__
When the internet came along we all experienced an “Explosion of Choice” as Seth Godin puts it. You would think as a human being having more choices opposed to less is a good thing but it isn't. I can scientifically prove to you that having more choices makes you less happy.
As a business owner, more choices in the market meant you truly had to differentiate yourself in order to compete. Flash forward to today, we now have too many choices, so much so that human beings for the first time in history are choosing to pay more for less. A prime example is this: do you know anyone that would pay $5/month for say the BBC as opposed to a cable tv package with hundreds of channels which mathematically would equate to 10% of that cost per channel?
Humans are now overloaded with choices and we are just starting to see the advent people willing to pay for someone to curate the mass amount of content for them.
With the ai revolution coming and the creation of content exponentially increasing audiences are not only going to swipe left on uninteresting content they will go out of their way to eliminate it from their lives completely. There’s just too much of it, we have no choice.
To those businesses posting mindless content on social just to be top of mind and part of the conversation will now effectively be killing their brand instead of helping it as bored, overloaded consumers will seek to cull the non-essential crap from their lives.
All that said, being truly differentiated in your space will become more valuable than ever and essential to surviving in the future.
__You designed Marketing for Super Villains as a methodology for folks to follow when trying to create a brand, above all else. Give a small piece of the book away.__
Hands down the biggest mistake I see clients make is they come to me with their new venture and point at the name brand in their vertical and say “we want to look like them.”
In almost all cases the name brand has 100x resources and an incredible head start in their business journey. Needless to say, emulating a name brand and trying to outspend them, out “seo” them or do just as much social media with significantly less resources is a recipe for disaster.
You likely got into business to do things your way… why would you automatically want to try and emulate someone else?
On the creative side my mantra is “I am not here to do what has already been done.” There are thousands of other agencies out there that will cut copy and paste you into the industry template, if you truly want an alternative then I am your guy.
I soon realized this mindset is so counter-intuitive to what almost the entire population thought. I felt as though I had some sort of advanced perspective on marketing that didnt sit well with most… are you starting to see the parallels to supervillainy? Or maybe its just the fact that after 25 years in the marketing industry I’ve officially gone insane.
__Besides the Business and the book, you are also a martial artist, oddities collector and passionate public speaker and have all sorts of hobbies. What are you drawn to these days and why?__
They say if you can do something you love for a living you’ll never “work” a day in your life. Total bullshit. In my early career I created my own line of horror-themed toys. Got them mass-produced, carried in major retailers like Spencer Gifts all across the nation.
What could be more fun than 100% ownership of your very own toy company? It sucked. Bottom line it was work and it completely turned me off of creating art for my own personal joy.
I’ve since returned to creating art solely for my own fulfillment, only selling pieces I have absolutely no room for in my house (which I call Chainsaw Estates - it has it’s own instagram.)
Commissions and creating production art (doing the same thing over and over) are a no-no. On the outside it may seem like Im an ADHD suffering from shiny object syndrome jumping from one thing to another. I just like to avoid repetition.
Oh, and I start professional wrestling school July 2 lol. Never stop learning.
__How can people follow your work and what advice do you have for young people in pursuit of lofty goals?__
I regularly create content that is authentic to me, which is why I likely dont have a mass following. If it were the other way around guess what? Creating content would feel like work and I would use every excuse in the world to put it off and never make it.
My advice is to find something authentic to you and go a mile deep on it. Approach your marketing with a reductive mindset, instead of trying to tweak everything in your personal brand to appeal to more people and a wider audience do the opposite. What can you create that will resonate with the few and find your true ride-or-die raving fans. The gold standard of branding is to get someone to say “Holy shit, this guy (girl, company etc) gets me.” Watered down messaging that appeals to everyone is messaging that resonates with no one.
I can be found on [IG](https://www.instagram.com/marketingsupervillain/ "IG") and [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingsupervillain "TikTok") under @marketingsupervillain
My top recommendation is youtube which is under [decommoditized](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5hCtafiRpMWtD6dUI4yYQw "decommoditized") which is where Im bound by no aspect ratios or time limits and I can go nuts.
And my linkedin under my [name](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-wroblewski/ "name").
Websites:
[marketingforsupervillains.com](https://marketingforsupervillains.com "marketingforsupervillains.com") - the book
[decommoditized.com](https://decommoditized.com "decommoditized.com") - the consultancy
[generationsbeyond.com](https://generationsbeyond.com "generationsbeyond.com") - the agency
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-jesse-james-wroblewski
# Mike D'Angelo, Former President and COO of Compliance Science
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2023-08-16
Justin Abrams:
Welcome to another episode of Strictly From Nowhere. I'm Justin Abrams, your host. I'm already crying for this week's guest. Joining me today is Mike D'Angelo, Exited co-founder and former president and CEO of Compliance Science, the first startup that I ever decided to work at. And Mike, you hold a special place in my heart, man, and I really appreciate you for joining us today. And I can't wait to hear the story. I know a lot of the stories, but I can't wait to stitch it all together in the timeline. And as you know, These are stories by founders for founders. And I want to hear about the earliest days of bootstrapping, what turned into be a successful business and a successful venture and lifelong friendships and, uh, Mike, thank you for joining Strictly From Nowhere.
Michael:
Thrilled be here and I'm so happy that you are experiencing great success on your journey. It's fun to watch.
Justin Abrams:
Thanks Mike. Mike, let's jump right in man. Tell me about yourself. What makes you uniquely you? Tell me a bit about your background, both personal and professional, your hobbies, your human experience and just what makes you dynamite.
Michael:
I think it's anxiety. I think honestly it's anxiety. You know, a lot of people have, they suffer from anxiety. They fear people, they fear experiences. I fear, I do have some of that, but I also fear failure. And I feel failing, I fear failing others. You want to know about my background? Started computers when I was really young, like 12 years old, on an old IBM pet that we had in some classroom somewhere. And at that point I was hooked, I loved it. My parents were great, they were very supportive. Toys R Us was around back then, you could buy a Commodore 64. You buy a Commodore 64, you could use it for three years, it could fly, you could hit it with a baseball bat and break it into pieces, you could then return it and then get it for refund or exchange it for another one and just, you know, that was my computer experience when I was younger, so we did that. Old stuff, the VIC-20, the Commodore 64, the Commodore 128. When I was a kid in high school, early high school, I wrote a bulletin board, 56K, sorry, not 56K, a dial-up bulletin board on a 300-bullet modem. And I wrote a little, my first experience with any type of business was I wrote a small program for my mom. She was printing up service forms. Basically, she put the information into a little program and hit a button and it would print out on the form. It saved her from typing it and messing it up and then retyping it. She could just print that as, I made a book of form. When you're 12, 13 years old, it was exciting for that. Went through high school, did well in high school, did okay. SUNY Albany wanted to keep computers as a hobby. So I actually didn't want to get into computers when it came to my so-called higher education. So I started SUNY Albany in 1989, failed out with a 1.99, needed a 2.0. Went to SUNY Farmingdale for a semester, got back into SUNY Albany and then failed out again. And it was after, I think, three and a half years. And so I went to, just outside of Albany, is a small city called Troy. Depressed, depressed little city ever since. They're still upset that they put the highway, that they put 87 through Troy because people used to stop in Troy. They don't stop in Troy anymore. I went to Hudson Valley Community College for HVAC. My cousin married a guy who started his own HVAC business in Manhattan called Prime Mechanical. He came from one of the gigantic. AC business there. It was a small startup. It was five people. So I went and I took classes for HVAC. Relatively easy stuff. Didn't graduate from that school either. So five years of school.
Michael:
Five years of school. Did not get a two year degree. Started working for him in 94, somewhere in 94. This is in Manhattan. Just answering the phones at the beginning. After a couple years, you know, managing the service department, because it was a really small company, there's only a few of us. That was the start of the worst period of my life. That was the second worst, maybe. That was, I worked there for five years and it was horrible. While I was there though, I taught myself Microsoft Access, because I hadn't done any computer stuff while I was in college. In fact, I built a company-wide database that they continue to use. Yeah.
Justin Abrams:
Do they know access is getting deprecated by chance?
Michael:
I have been telling them for 15 years that they have to replace it. He refuses to. He just...
Michael:
Anyway, so I taught myself access work in trim, taught myself about how the hardware worked in computers. And back then, it was a lot different. Sound card, modem, video card, printer port cards, not on the motherboard back then, all had little dip switches that you had to set for memory and ROQ setting. So it was tough. So in 1997, I knew I couldn't stay with him. It was horrible. I was throwing up on the way to work every morning. I started a company called Deconfuse. And before we started the company, I remember sitting on the fire escape. My wife and I were dating at the time. We were living in Queens. city and we had a shitty little apartment that would pay an 800 bucks a month for it was two really tiny bedrooms. And I remember sitting on the fire escape and sitting there and talking about what life would be like if I did not start a business and I had to continue to work for Prime Mechanical for like another five years. Having no diploma and a horrible job. does not give you a lot of options. Right? You can't just go out and get another job necessarily with no diploma and you're kind of stuck. So it was no brainer. My wife was incredibly supportive, incredibly supportive. She's like, yes, like this, done. Started a business, what's the worst that happens? You're in the exact same place in a couple of years. So I started that business. In 97, a year and a half later in 1999, while my boss was screaming at me to sign something that I didn't want to sign, and he was a big imposing guy, I quit and I gave him my two weeks. We were not making enough money. Chief Barber had just gotten a job at the Bronx District Attorney's Office as an ADA. He was making like 35 grand a year. Uh, when I left prime and started working, you know, for myself, I think I was making like 20 grand a year. So it was tight, but, um, beacon would do anything, which I think sounds familiar to you. Uh, we would do hardware, we would do software, we do custom applications. We would install networking, whatever the hell it took. And eventually you find. Uh, something that works, right? So whatever people would ask, we would say yes, and we would figure it out later. Fast forward a few years, because I know this is getting long. Beacon's starting to do better. The summer of 2001, I brought my brother off. Chris, you've met him. Chris is great.
Michael:
And... So he would do more of the hardware, and I was starting to do more of the software stuff, making websites and other custom software stuff like that. Three months after I hired him, 9-11 happens. Everything stopped. We had nothing. There were no phone calls for like four months. We knew at, you know, so really after 9-11, it was gonna be slow for a while. We didn't know how bad it was gonna be. Excuse me. So decided that I needed to, when the shop is slow, you paint the walls, right? I knew that I needed to learn more about something. And what was kind of up and coming at the time were SaaS websites. They didn't even call it SaaS back then, I don't think. But websites that were database driven, that you could interact with more. At that time, there was one piece of software that Microsoft had called Frontpage. Have you ever used Frontpage?
Michael:
But it kinda introduced me to that interaction with between HTML websites and some type of service script and some type of backend like a SQL database. So, the front page was horrible. So I started to get deeper into HTML. and they had something called Classic ASP back then and SQL Server. So I'm trying to figure out, you know, how to use these tools because I know that, or I think that this is gonna be a way to improve what I'm currently building. And so my brother told me about this game that had recently gone down. It was called Acrophobia. Simple game. Um, do you remember the game? I think you're too young to remember it.
Michael:
So he told me about this game that was recently killed at a Berkeley studio in California called Acrophobia. The stupid game, three, four, five letters pop up on the screen and you get like ten people playing it and they put in an acronym, you know, what that acronym stands for. They put in the words that acronym is supposed to stand for. And then they all vote, not knowing who wrote what, they all vote on which one is the best one. They had, I don't know, a couple of thousand. So it's like, all right, okay, well, you know, let's make a new version of Aquafob. We've got emails of all these people that have been playing the game. There's a whole community online now because, you know, that shit started to exist. And we were able to, and it was back when people actually put their emails online. So we were able to download a list of a thousand people and their email addresses. And after a few weeks of playing with ASP and SQL and BB6, we created a version of Acro Challenge, the first version of Acro Challenge, which was a playable version of that game that had just canceled. We launched it for free, because it was October 2001, and we couldn't charge anybody for anything.
Michael:
But we did sell advertisements on the site, little banner ads. which was a thing at the time, and we took donations. And the community was great. It actually turned out to be, you know, a nice little Christmas bonus every year, you know, a few grand, three, four grand every year. It didn't make much, but it was enough to keep it around. That said, it's going to be 22 years old in October. It is still up.
Michael:
There's only maybe 20 or 30 people that still play it, but I kept it up. I killed the donations, you know, 2008. I stopped taking donations, I stopped the advertising because I didn't want to kill the game a year after somebody gave me money for it. Yeah, 12 years later it's still going. That knowledge that I picked up from doing that led into actually taking one of my first beacon customers ideas of an MS access database and putting it online. And that was C-Track, which I'm sure you unfortunately remember. Yeah.
Justin Abrams:
There's the origin, for my knowledge at least.
Michael:
Yep, that's the origin. C-Trac did okay, kind of languished for a while, didn't do great. But my partner had a previous business that did the SEC compliance software stuff, and he came to me in 2009, I think it was, after his... literally like the day after his five year non-compete ended and said, what do you think about this? And I was ready to call it quits. We had tried between C-Trac and a couple other, between C-Trac and BTCC, the SEC thing, we had tried several other products, none of them worked. My wife was unhappy. She, you know, Barbara, she wanted me, she wanted me out of Comply Sci. And I said, This thing might have legs, let's just give this one last chance. And the rest is history. This shit works.
Justin Abrams:
yeah. I definitely think you took a little bit of an atypical route, not only to becoming an engineer but ultimately to becoming a chief member of that organization. I think you held multiple titles from CTO to COO to president. And what I really like wanna distill is really in the spirit of the future founder. And if you look a little bit less conventional route, because I think your route would classify as unconventional. And you try to kind of recap a little bit about, you know, how all of those unconventional things, all those different moments in your life, because they all kind of come back to the first thing that you said, which is the anxiety of failure. I think I relate to that incredibly, because all of those things come down. I know Barbara. I know looking her in the eye and having a conversation about what comes next and the potential of not being able to provide or not being able to succeed or that's enough to kick anybody in the butt. I have the same experience with my wife. And I think it's very obvious that all of those things create a bit of a formula because it's not about if you were going to be successful in some kind of way. Successful is a measurement that we all can make on our own. But I think it was... the ethic, the core characteristics that created you into somebody who is going to pursue. And you could smell failure. You weren't afraid to quit something when it just wasn't for you. But I find it very interesting that the route that you took, took you to a very analytical role. I mean, being an engineer, regardless of the level of skill, regardless of where you fall into the spectrum as an engineer or a technologist, like different type of brain. And I just find it very interesting that all culminated into the other aspects, which are the managerial side, the leadership side, the founder side, the bootstrapper side. So the part for me that I'd really just love to try and distill a little bit is how do you perceive your path in those early days as like a culmination? Cause it's, it seems like it's happenstance. It seems like it came out of nowhere, but it's all the building blocks of your former experiences. And I wonder if you see a formula in your own past.
Michael:
Not necessarily a formula. There were different things there. The bootstrapper, the guy who works in his basement, literally works in his basement for years, trying to put some shit together. Very different from what you call management and leadership. I did not, and I think he did this on purpose. That was not my plan. That was never where I... wanted to be the anxiety of failure or the anxiety to fail makes you want to do things right. It doesn't make you want to lead people. It just makes you want to solve problems and get shit right. And hiring people and becoming the owner, the manager, whatever you want to call it is a completely different journey. That was a lot tougher. That was so much harder than any of the programming languages I ever learned. And I have to credit Phil Sikart. I have to credit Phil Sikard, who was... I don't remember how long you worked with him, but it was at least six months, right? Maybe a year?
Justin Abrams:
two years.
Michael:
Two years, yeah. So
Michael:
Phil was one of those guys that was exactly who you needed him to be whenever you needed something. So if you needed a cheerleader, he was your cheerleader. If you needed someone to kick you in the ass... He had no problem kicking you in the ass. And he helped me figure out how to be that manager, because he had been through it. And he was just a really fucking smart guy. And I mean, he unfortunately passed out from cancer in 2013. Just as we were getting funded.
Justin Abrams:
I remember it. I remember it very well. It's, it's, uh, it's definitely a thread that ties a lot of us together. You know, and I think it gave me a perspective. Phil wasn't my direct manager. I think back in those days, I might've been like employee number seven of compliance. I don't know who I really reported to. I reported to like whoever could tolerate me at the time. That was, it's,
Michael:
We didn't have any of that.
Justin Abrams:
and that is literally like my. perspective, like, you know, you think about my brain and like where I acquired my skill and my experience, think about like my, my perspective looking in, I saw the chaos. I knew that it was part of my responsibility to protect our customers for many of that. And it was, I'm on the front line, I'm the face of this business, people are talking to me every single day and it's up to me to really kind of control the narrative, control the perspective. Phil was exactly like that. calm when you needed to be, excited when you needed him to be. He would get on a call with a customer if he had to. His purpose was to fill the position, whatever needed to be done. And I think that it's very interesting that you bring him up because I think about him and you and that original team and my managerial experience, my leadership, my camaraderie, my charisma. That's all rooted in all that origin story. You know, it really is very much so part of my deep personality. And as an operator, where, where did I think all of that was coming from? And it's to me in this conversation is actually quite obvious, you know, and that's the beauty of bootstrapping. That's the beauty of finding your initial team. And what I find interesting about compliance science is it was born in a time when startup culture in general, unless I was missing something commuting every day into New York city was kind of at its infancy, like When we were started at like Sunshine Suites all the way downtown on Astor Place, that was startup culture, a shared workspace. Like it maybe was at the origin of some of the bigger startup businesses that you hear the big unicorns of today. And like, maybe that's when everybody was getting started is in like the late two thousands. And I just remember the scrappy-ness of all of it. I remember the playbook was, was. We're going to work a full day. We're all going to go out for a beer later. We're all going to love each other, but we're all going to protect each other, but from both internal drama, from customers, from it, you, you almost have to build like an initial team, uh, an initial family, but it's not as glamorous as I'm making it sound. It's, it was really hard and it was really uncertain. And I think that you and Phil.
Michael:
You know it is, it is as glamorous as you're making it sound
Justin Abrams:
Okay, great.
Michael:
But it's like a roller coaster as glamorous as is it's also just as fucking difficult You have to you have to go through all of those difficult times in order for The good times the glamorous times to be that glamorous because you know if it wasn't hard Then it wouldn't be so great
Justin Abrams:
I think that, you know, I'd love to get your perspective on what was it like, blastering yourself back to build something in such an unchartered way. There was no real playbook. What was it like showing up every day and like building a business in public with employees and stake and things at risk and livelihood at risk. And what was it like to move a business from your zero to market?
Michael:
So it was long. It was long to be less verbose about it. When we started C-Track in 2000, I think in 2002, I went to Barbara Keller with the idea of putting C-Track on the web. This was before compliant science was even founded. I said, hey, you've got to, let me back up a little bit. So Barbara Keller was one of Beacon's first customers. She now works, I think for Mizuho maybe. And absolutely loved her. She had this great Microsoft Access database product that was basically just almost like a sales force. It was just capturing data points and then regurgitating them in reports and whatever. But it was geared towards your contractual obligations. So your contracts are 95% standard bullshit and then 5% variations. And she captured those 5% variations in data points. And that was our database. And... It was okay. We could have done a lot more with it, but it was okay. It made enough to keep the other guy around, the other founder. And we had a couple of good customers at the beginning, but it wasn't a big selling product. So that just kind of ran from 2002 to 2008 or nine, and then we did the... the C-Trac product. So you ask about the journey, the journey is have a backup plan, right? I'm doing the C-Trac stuff on one hand, but I still had beacon computers running that full time on the other end, just like I had beacon computers on this hand prior to that with my job working for Prime Mechanical for a year and a half. on the other hand. So yes, you need to try a lot of things, as you know very well, but you need to have bread and butter. And I think the one thing I can say is... Just make sure you have that bread and butter somewhere because if you don't, you're never gonna be able to go after your dreams. And the bread and butter doesn't have to be a lot. That's why they call it bread and butter. It's what we call a food strapping, right? Just enough to get by. It's whatever your needs are at the time while you push for your dream in the other time that you have, the extra time. So.
Justin Abrams:
it's our burger menu, you know, the light and fast side that keeps all the cars on the road, but doesn't allow us at least to burn a gas tank. You know, I find all this really interesting, especially the origin stuff, you know, the nature of Strictly From Nowhere in general is to really kind of tell the stories of founders for the new founder, for the founder that is thinking about exactly what you talked about, the hard conversations with their significant others, the what comes next, the, I'm, maybe I'm happy in my career today, but I have so much more potential. I have an idea. I. I need some inspiration. And, you know, this really kind of checks the boxes for me, but I always like to bring things back to something that I'm personally incredibly passionate about. That I've built this brand on the back of, which is mission and cause. And you know me very well. And that's like always something that has been consistently on my mind and at the forefront of my human experience as an individual, and it was something that attracted me so deeply to the growth of compliance science. It initially started for me as a summer job. I, you know, who wants to go to work with their dad? Turned out that was some of the best years of my professional life was working alongside my father. And for me, what kept me coming back to work every day was not because of my relationships. You know, sadly, wasn't just because of you or wasn't because of my other friends that I still maintain today from that job. It was because the role that I played put me in. in a position to have a responsibility to answer the call figuratively and literally. Compliance science to me was a technology that was designed fundamentally to keep people honest. And at the time, I think regulation was really under question. And there were a bunch of different things that were happening in the regulatory environment, financial technology space, the federal landscape. And it played a really unique position. I, what did I know from, from anything in the financial universe? And I came from a family that spoke that language through and through, believe it or not, my father was a career compliance professional and it, it never rubbed off on me. So like the idea that I was in a FinTech startup and really the job did not require me to have any real financial knowledge. The job for me was, was be good at investigating. The job for me was good at listening, at understanding, at empathizing. The job for me was about this mission that maybe I came up with my own mission and my own purpose, but I felt like I had this, this solution behind me that I had to support, but I also had a customer's goal and a customer's moment. And sometimes these moments that people call you for are real and impactful. And sometimes they change the course of business for some of these organizations. And to be at the forefront of such problems and such potential and forming relationships and seeing the retention, the durability of the business back in that day, I was directly involved in that. It became my personal mission to participate in that on a daily basis. I hope people feel that passionately about their job, but as is the nature of the bootstrapper and the entrepreneur. For me personally, I always knew that I was going to end up in an independent entrepreneur. I just didn't know when, I didn't know where, and I figured I'd go to work and acquire some skills, and I'd eventually figure out what was going to make me tick. You know, I think what's interesting is the problem kind of fell in your lap from opportunity, it sounds like. But I wonder if kind of looking back at it, if you take the same... if you take the same mission to heart, if it meant to you as much as it meant to me, like to me, it was a job in my livelihood, but I felt like I was a soldier. And I wonder, I wonder if, if you felt that, if I was delusional, if, if that's what you hoped for, like if I took it too far and like, I'm just interested in like, what did it, did it mean to you? What it meant to me? And that's okay if it didn't, but awesome if it did.
Michael:
I think you were more mission driven to help other people more than I was. And I say that because you used to come to work with a backpack. And in that backpack, you had all sorts of first aid stuff. You had, you know, your Leatherman and a bunch of other tools. You even carried around every day wherever you went, one of those CPR masks. in case you had to give something to him. That's you, man. That's you. There are very few people like that. That said, I would not have done something that was immoral or even questionable when it came to a product. I was ecstatic that we were doing something that was for the good, for the greater good. Trying to help prevent insider trading and other ethical issues that arise with our customers. I don't think there are many people like you out there that have the same need or desire to do something that's good. I wish there were.
Justin Abrams:
You do know a thing or two about hiring and looking for top talent. And it's not me. You didn't hire me. I don't even know how I got the damn job in the first original days.
Michael:
We don't hire, we didn't hire for talent, we simply hire people we could trust and then we could teach. And that was it.
Justin Abrams:
I find it interesting because I was there for a really long time. I saw the business evolve and I saw you evolve. It used to be I could walk right up to you and we could have a conversation. I could burn your whole afternoon whether you liked it or not. I watched the business just explode and all of a sudden there's just crazy headcount. We got new office spaces and this business is no longer in a shared space and now we have our own floor all of a sudden. The business evolved. hiring talent and offering compensation plans that are exciting and offering opportunity for growth to employees and offering management structure and elevation of career set and all these things. What is it like? Because I'm not there in my career and I don't think a lot of early founders even take that into consideration. You're building a business. You're not just building a product to like scratch your own itch. I mean, it could be an internal business solution that's going to help accelerate your business, but in the nature of talking to bootstrap founders or the future of those founders, you don't even think about the afterlife of your initial team, your growth potential, what it's going to be like to create an attractive enough organization to try and get people to pick you. You think it's like, oh, I'll just hire from this pool of people. But in reality, they have to pick you as much as you pick them. And I wonder if you could reflect a little bit on what it's like to scale, to grow a team, not just a business based on revenue, but a team based on community and camaraderie and shared struggle and success and all of those things.
Michael:
touch on a couple of things you said. I wish we didn't have to. There were circumstances at the time. I did not want to take VC funding. I shouldn't say that. I would have preferred not to take VC funding at the time that we did, but we had to because I needed some controls around, you know, other people in the business that were not always doing the right thing. And I thought that VC funding was going to help with that. I would have preferred to stay where we had been. That was the best period that Comply Sci ever experienced, in my opinion, or at least the best time period that I experienced at Comply Sci was back then, when we had just moved from Lafayette Street up to Park Avenue South, I think it was, that little office with Dave and that was. That was the best time and we were kind of forced into taking VC funding.
Justin Abrams:
I look at those times fondly and a lot of my stories are going to be in that, in that period of time before, before the, the walls fricking blew off. And we moved into, I think it was like 34th street and, and we had like the whole floor and I'm, I don't think we had enough staff to fill the whole floor. And it was like cavernous. We'd be playing soccer in an open floor space and I'd be exercising in like vacant, vacant offices on different floors. But. I also remember when it was intimate, when I'm rolling around the office on my computer chair just like being in from desk to desk. I remember what it was like to show up on a Monday morning and to see a new series of faces and I remember what it was like to not have you and have the access to you constantly that we were used to because you were ramping. You were on a new initiative with a new team. You had to train. You had to oversee. You had to go to a meeting, a board meeting, whatever it might have been. And I know, and the second part of that question is, is it's one thing to reflect on the, on the humble story, but it's another thing to have taken that VC funding and put it into scaling a team. And I think that you had a front row seat in scaling the team from like seven to 40, I think it was when I left, it's not nothing.
Michael:
So what you do is you take the people that you do trust, you hire more people, we hired George at about that time, our CTO, and you give them the freedom to build their own teams. And that's part of the reason that you kind of lost me was because it's like, okay, Justin, I love you, man, but here you go. Have at it.
Michael:
So go build your team. Go build your team. Do it well. You have our trust. And so you hire five people. So you're asking about the journey. You hire five people, they hire five people, they hire five people. All of a sudden you got 125 people working for you.
Michael:
There's a lot more paperwork involved, a lot more structure around it, but it's not the hardest part of building a business. Once you get over that initial hump of profitability, and seeing over that horizon, the growth is easy.
Justin Abrams:
I want to move a little bit forward.
Michael:
Sorry, sorry. Growth is not, managing the growth is easy. Getting to that part of growth is not easy. Managing the growth is easy.
Justin Abrams:
I wasn't going to double click on that because, you know, I run into this conversation almost on a daily basis about revenue and profitability and run rate and cash positivity and even cash flow comes into question. If you can imagine some businesses are not cash flow positive or don't think about it and their positivity, you know, I find it interesting that you double click on that because managing the growth has simple scale to it. It sounds like, you know, it's Trust an initial team and allow them to do and execute what you, what you've brought them in for. And hopefully that all kind of take cares, takes care of it themselves.
Michael:
Remember what I said here?
Justin Abrams:
Which is...
Michael:
you hire, you hire people that you can trust and people that you can teach.
Justin Abrams:
Right. And I guess the rest kind of falls into place. The part that's questionable for me and always for small businesses about, um, the financial commitment to scale, you know, it's not, it's, uh, it's a burden. You know, you're adding a tremendous amount of, of responsibility and overhead. And, you know, there's other things when you're scaling a business like that, like benefits and, um, you know, other things that you have to pay for and on top of just an initial team and You know, it's hopefully inevitable. I mean, sometimes I think that it's misconstrued a little bit. Scaling a team is not necessarily an indicator of success. It could be a panic button. It could be an experience. There's lots of negative things that could come out of the moment of scale. But I think if possible, if done right, scaling becomes the secret weapon. It becomes the strategy. It becomes... You know, your, your customer attractiveness, your customer acquisition strategy becomes your retention. It becomes your reputation. And I find it very interesting that, you know, when, when done correctly and very simply as you're saying, if you, if you trust and hire the right people at the origin and they're aligned and you give them the freedom to hire a team that's, that's also aligned, you know, great things can happen and. then you're allowed to prioritize the things like profitability and revenue and, you know, customer success at the core of everything, right?
Michael:
I will give my former partner credit for that and a lot of credit for that. He was good at recognizing the potential of people and the right people to hire and scaling. And yes, you need somebody to drive that. But with his help, with his guidance, we were able to do that well because he had been in that position before. He had done this type of software before. He had been in a growth stage before. And having someone who's been through that, like yourself, to help guide is incredibly valuable. Incredibly valuable.
Justin Abrams:
Well, I want to fast forward just a little bit because I think you, I don't, I don't have access to all of these successful fundraise stories, all of these successful exit stories. You're, you're my exit story, man. So I want to stop here for just a moment. You know, I think every founder, especially the ones that I meet, it's part of my sales process. It's an intake is what is the ultimate goal? What does it look like to exit? because I don't want somebody to just build a solution for today. Even if it's an internal business solution, I want to know what the ultimate goal is. Is it an asset of your business that you aim to sell this business in the next 10 years? Is it a multi-generational business where this is like the next solution to the business problem? Is this an app that's going to change your life and you're looking for, you know, venture funding and a hopeful exit and be worth a hundred million? It, there has to be, whatever someone's goal is there, there has to be some type of dream. at the end of that situation. So I have two questions for you. One is, did you ever think like that? Like, did you ever think about the exit? I know you thought about the entrance and like, where would this start? And it was a long runway. And did you ever think about the exit? And then, if you did think about the exit, I'll hope for that. Is it everything that it was cracked up to be? Like, is it glory? Is it... Is it accomplishment? Does it, does it, does it feel like there's a missing piece? Is there, is that the goal? Like should people be building to exit something? I don't know. For me, I can't even imagine not doing what I'm doing right now. But for me, there isn't an exit strategy. There's grow it. There's it's a growth strategy. And like, I don't even know what exit would look like. Cause what the hell would I do with myself at that point? So. I, in my eyes, as I look at you and I admire you and, and what I think that you have accomplished as an individual and a human and what you have exited and what's that like now? You've been, you've been gone for quite some time now. So is there, is there a formula there? Is there, is there something that you have a recommendation for? Is there something you have a regret on? But all really around that exit experience. I'm interested.
Michael:
on the exit. It's like running a race. When you start running a race, you put your head down and you are focused on three feet in front of you and you are running as fast as you can. And if you're lucky, you get to the exit first. But yeah, no, never focused on the exit. You think about it. You think, okay, yeah, this thing could have legs, but you've at this point, as I think you know, you've uh... started more than one business you've gone down six, seven, eight maybe twelve paths and you start to see
Michael:
one right you start to see one that uh... okay this uh... i don't want to jinx it i don't want to get excited i just i'm just gonna keep working at it because if i get distracted it might come off the rails so i'm just gonna shut the fuck up i'm not going to jinx myself and i'm gonna keep working in this direction because I think this might be the direction to go. And if you're right and you're lucky and you work your ass off and you have a unique skill, you will get there. So to answer your question, don't focus on the exit. Absolutely not. Never focus on the exit. That will only derail you. That'll crush you, especially when those first... 12, 13 businesses don't work. Right, if you focus on the exit, if you had focused on the exit for those first 12 businesses that failed, you'd be crushed. Like, okay, I don't think this is gonna work, but let's try it anyway.
Justin Abrams:
hear it, it's a red flag for me. Um, you know, we talk about it in the sales process. I, um, it's part of my intake. I wouldn't call it the sales process. I don't really have a sales process. I have nothing to sell people. If I'm the right guy to provide you the path to your goal. Fantastic. But I want to know, because when I find somebody that's really a dreamer, they really have dreamt about this pretty much to what the glory looks like at the end. And I think from a, from a dreamer's perspective. You have to be realistic in the fact that like there will be an inevitable end. Does it end in flames for you or does it end in glory? And ultimately, I think, you know, the optimistic side of most people that are going to be entrepreneurial and try to work for something is everybody's hopeful for some type of a glorious end. But I'm not sure that it's the end. You know, I really want to know what the heck you're up to today. I'm sure you can't sit still. You have this entire skill set behind you. You know, you're definitely, I would assume, keeping up with where technology is today. Last time I talked to you, we were talking about Bitcoin mining or something that was totally current. And I'm wondering, like, what do you do today? Like, it's been some time since you had to professionally show up and put a shirt and tie on. Although I don't know if you ever really did that.
Justin Abrams:
What's going on today? What does it look like in the afterlife?
Michael:
So I don't think I ever told you about this. After I retired. I needed to take a couple years off just to clear my head, just to get out of that anxiety that was complicit. Then I spent a year doing research and I bought a 1988 Land Rover Defender, 35 year old Land Rover Defender that was in absolutely horrid shape, rebuilt it from the ground up, converted it to electric and put it all back together.
Justin Abrams:
Is it done?
Michael:
Yeah, it's done.
Michael:
done. It's not done, but it runs. I get about 50 to 60 miles to a charge, which I'm happy with. It's like seven Tesla batteries. But all of the mechanical engineering, replacing the engine with the battery box and the nine inch rounds motor that goes in place. I wrote the software in Python that runs on a Raspberry Pi. that controls the entire car. Putting the charger in and all the other stuff, it was a great learning experience. And when you say, yes, I can't sit still, that is absolutely correct.
Michael:
It's been a great experience. And I'm actually considering, loosely considering turning that into a separate business, converting old vehicles to EVs. There's a bunch of people that do it. Not a lot, but there's a few. It's more of a classic car type thing. But with an old Land Rover, it doesn't go fast. It doesn't go far. It leaks oil, motor oil, not motor oil, but it leaks the transmission oil. It leaks from the differentials. It leaks from the steering units. It is the absolute worst vehicle that I have ever owned. and the absolute best vehicle that I have ever owned.
Justin Abrams:
Mike, you know, I'm sure people are going to be interested. If you could tell me just a little bit, if you if you're all right with it, how can people get in touch? And how can people get involved? And, you know, what's your final advice for anybody that's really on this bootstrap journey? And, you know, if you could if you could give a little bit of last words of wisdom and some inspiration to the aspiring founder, I think that's a great way to send us off.
Michael:
Make a plan. Make sure you have a – you don't necessarily need a plan for – what you're trying to do. Make sure you have a backup plan that can keep you employed or at least alive while you pursue your dreams. That's the most important thing. If you put all of your eggs into your potential future basket, you're probably going to end up failing because it takes a lot longer than you think to get to where you want to be. So have a plan and take your time and do it right.
Justin Abrams:
Well, Mike, this is one of the episodes that I manifested when I thought about doing this podcast and I wanted to do it for our customers and I want to do it for other successful founders that I maybe don't know and want to pull a story out of them and kind of work my way through what I think I'm critical of myself is sometimes a generic interview. I... I have been one of the lucky ones to have sat right next to you and to have built something. And I tell myself every day what I know about building technology and what I know about the evolution of the internet started with you. It started sitting at your desk, watching you pull up a code base and bang on it till it works again. And I just have to tell you that you run right through me every single day. And I appreciate you so much for being on Strictly From Nowhere and your founder story inspires me to be the best one that I can be. Thank you for joining us on Strictly From Nowhere.
[Full Episode](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere-podcast "Full Episode")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/mike-dangelo-former-president-and-coo-of-compliance-science
# Sarah Vilenskiy, Founder & CEO of Blossom Essentials
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2023-07-31
Justin Abrams:
Welcome to another episode of Strictly From Nowhere. I'm thrilled today to have my dear friend and a founder that I admire. Sarah, welcome to the podcast. We have today Sarah Valenskiy, founder and CEO of Blossom Essentials. As usual, Sarah, I'd love to pass it over to you. Tell me a little bit about Blossom, a little bit about the product, the mission, and what your role is with the brand.
Sarah:
Yeah, thank you so much for having me, Justin. This is a long time coming. So Blossom Essentials is essentially a clean and natural hydration company focused on dry and irritated skin. So, you know, there are so many skincare brands out there. We aren't, I actually like to say that we're not a skincare brand. We are a dry skin brand. We really focus on this niche because I personally deal with it. And so I can talk to the products and you know, what makes them unique. why they're different and how they're actually going to affect the people that are dealing with the same issues that I'm dealing with and that was something really important to me starting the brand is that I can actually connect with the audience and make sure that you know what I'm creating is actually going to be Beneficial to them and not just another product on the market because there are so many of them
Justin Abrams:
so many.
Sarah:
as we as we know So yeah, that was really important and then ingredient transparency was something that was really pivotal to the brand as a whole because what I had noticed was that there were so many brands claiming to be cruelty free or vegan or paraben free etc. or just chemical free or even all-natural. A lot of companies are saying all-natural. When you would turn over the label and you'd be like what on earth am I reading? How am I supposed to trust in a beauty store or even online half the time that this product is actually clean for you without having to start And so it was really important to us that we have the derivatives of the ingredients on the bottles themselves so that you can actually know just by easily digesting the label. And then also we take it a step further and we offer ingredient definitions on our website. So let's say you go to our website, you click on a product, you click ingredients. And we're not hiding the ingredients. We actually have our ingredients all throughout the product and our website as well. because we don't want somebody to have to click a million times to find that list. Because again, going back to transparency and actually telling people what it is that we produce. But then if you start clicking around, you'll actually easily be able to understand what that ingredient is, what it stems from, what's it created from, and then why it's beneficial for the product itself. What does it do for that product? So it's really cool.
Justin Abrams:
Yeah, it's wild to see where the product and the business is today. Certainly not where you started. I've known you for a really long time. I've seen this evolve from nothing at all to what it is today. But before we really get into the details of your founder journey, tell everybody about yourself and what makes you uniquely you. And I'd really love to hear a little bit about your background and both personal and professional if you're willing to share some of your hobbies, your human experience and anything that truly makes you uniquely you.
Sarah:
Yeah, so, you know, as I was trying to think through this question, I always go back to my father. He is a very unique man, to say the least, as you know, you met him.
Justin Abrams:
Yes.
Sarah:
He is driven. He's an entrepreneur. He started from nothing. He came from Russia, actually, without a lick of English. He truly started from the ground up and he had became very successful through just hard work and determination. And I think I constantly see myself in him. I think he sees himself in me too, which is kind of cool. But in the in the essence of just, you know, like no matter what happens, we don't have another choice. This is going to work. I don't know how it's going to work. I don't know how we're going to get there, but we will not stop until it works, you know. And that's always been ingrained in us from the get. As a child, we've always, he'd kind of just thrown us at the deep end and then said, swim. And we did, we're still kicking. So my entire family kind of comes from this background as well. And so we all feed off of each other too. My sister's really, really successful. She built this incredible real estate enterprise in Atlanta. Actually, she's living in Israel now because she became so successful that she can just, you know, leave the country and still, you know, make it work. But all of that to say, we all thrive off of that determination and seeing, you know, that end result and seeing us continue to grow in those baby steps. And so it really all came from my father kind of developing that in us, you know, as we as we grew up.
Justin Abrams:
You know, I always like to really tap into some of the things that you developed as hobbies, like in association to the nurture side of growing up. What are like some of the things, you know, the goal is really to have like a formula that, that founders need to just think about like, Whoa, that, that sounds like me. So what are some of the things that like keep you busy and things that you're passionate outside of entrepreneurship?
Sarah:
So my stress and coping mechanism is fitness. It's something that I've been doing my whole life. It's ingrained. I love it. It allows me to detach from the workspace, even if I'm thinking about work, which I'm always thinking about work, but even if I am, I'm at least, you know, entering the gym or taking my workout classes. And then I'm able to, sorry, something just popped on my screen. I'm able to... disassociate from the job for a second and just focus on that. And it really helps me separate, you know, you always say like, so keep your social life, make sure you have that balance. And for me, the fitness aspect, you know, every single morning, um, is critical to me staying calm and, um, you know, being able to face a lot of the challenges that we face today and not only fitness, but something you may not know about me, but I love puzzles, like love them. Really big ones. I do it by myself. I don't like other people coming in and ruining my process But it is it's so it just allows me to zone out and just figure out like my type a Personality just coming and I'm being like, okay, I'm gonna make this Fit together somehow from this massive mess of amino pieces. So yeah.
Justin Abrams:
Hmm, there's definitely a personality test looming in there. That's really cool. I thought you were gonna go in a different direction, which was maybe like the passion of the music or something like that, but to think that it's at home Friday night, your favorite beverage, whatever that might be, and a good old puzzle. I did not know
Sarah:
And my favorite thing to do is hanging out with Teddy, of course. I mean, he's my entire life. So Teddy, my golden doodle is the most important thing.
Justin Abrams:
Well, you know, as I said, I've watched you for a really long time. And I've watched you through a career that you had before becoming an entrepreneur. You are the classic, put both feet into the sun and go all in on a dream. But you took an atypical route to becoming an entrepreneur. And specifically in the beauty and wellness category, for me, again, I've known you for a while, that felt like it kind of came out of nowhere. But it really didn't. Like that's something that you had some significant professional history in from one way or another. And I'm interested, like, what is your form of career in business development? And I believe you were in advertisement and media and like all sorts of different niches, sales background and kind of just a really cool formula that enabled you to have the confidence to bootstrap a brand. And I wanna know a little bit about what that formula looks like.
Sarah:
You are absolutely correct. My roles prior to Blossom allowed me to develop into having the faith that I can, or I guess the trust that I can do this. You know, you're young, you're always like, oh, there's something else that's in the way, maybe it's not the right time. And then going through all of these different roles and succeeding at them and then still not feeling fulfilled is really what kickstarted me being like, enough is enough, I'm doing this and I'm doing this now. Like I do not have any other time to do this. I'm still young enough that if I make a bunch of mistakes and I don't make money for the first few years, which I don't. It'll be okay. We're in a really good position to financially do this because of how successful I was in those roles, right? I was able to save a ton of money and then I put every single dollar, which, you know, as I was telling you earlier, I have quite the story of rags to riches, if you will. But, you know, I put I saved every single dollar and then I put all of that into the business and that allowed me to, you know, bootstrap. for quite a few years before having to start going at family and friends round and running out of money. So, but yeah, it also allowed me to develop the network that I needed in order to start this. We are about 99% digital. We are expanding this year into brick and mortar and working on retail deals and whatnot, but it had our... You know, bread and butter is D to C. We know ads. I built the network that I was able to utilize different people in different places that allowed me to access their knowledge without me having to have known the knowledge in the first place. So you mentioned beauty and you know, jumping into that market. I knew nothing about it, but I knew online advertising, right? I knew who I needed to talk to. create this product. And so I did that. I just started where I didn't know. And I went to the people that did know and, you know, learn from others. And then over the years, I started learning, oh my gosh, the amount of knowledge come into and acquired is just been insane. But, you know, back then it was, it was terrifying. But if you have that network, don't be afraid to ask them for help. They're more than willing to help, especially because they've been in that position too. And they love passing it forward. Just as I Adore adore passing it forward on myself. I help people that are in different, you know Unless lesser positions than me that are just starting out constantly and it's my favorite because I know the struggles, right? I know how shitty it feels And you feel lost 110% of the time and so It's really important to have that support system or at least somebody that you can turn to for questions
Justin Abrams:
What I find really interesting about where the origin was for this particular brand, it's not curious to me at all that you found your way to entrepreneurship. You know, I'm very much of the same design as you. You know, I'm a multi-generational entrepreneur. It was a matter of what was I going to be going into business for and when. So to me, what I find really interesting is that your product initially was created as a solution to a problem that you were experiencing yourself, which is That's the ultimate origin, whether we're building software, whether you're building a D to C brand, whether you're going to build a financial institution, that you're ultimately scratching a problem, your own itch, so to speak, that you've experienced. And I'd like to dig into just a little bit, not about the problem, but about how does finding a solution to something that you experience lend itself to creating a business? Because I think that falls on people constantly and the entrepreneurial mind either kicks in or it doesn't. And for you, it kicked in on overdrive. So how did having a problem, finding a solution to have your own proprietary solution turn into a business for you?
Sarah:
Um, so I'm going to start this off by saying I made a massive mistake and everybody should learn from my mistake. Whoever's listening to this. Um, because I actually started the business as a specific problem that I didn't have and I didn't know much about it, but somebody had told me this is a. Unsaturated niche. You should jump into it. Ironically, it was way too saturated and it was a horrible idea, but all of that to say, um, until we pivoted. to being a dry, chronic dry skin company, we were not doing well because of exactly what you said. Until I realized I can't talk to this problem, I don't have this problem eczema, which is what we were trying to do. I don't have that, but I have horribly dry skin from top to bottom, excuse me, top to bottom my entire life. Like I've dealt with that and I've, you know, and so pivoting to being. focused on that is what allowed us to catapult into what we are today. Because I learned from that mistake and I'm like, why am I trying to fix something that I don't even know how to fix? Let me fix something that I do know how to fix. And so I did that and that was just like, and it's really helped us.
Justin Abrams:
It's age old advice. I'm sure that folks have given it to you. It sounds like that's exactly what happened to you, which is the concept of niching down, right? Like sometimes businesses start a little bit too general. Even mature businesses are a bit too general. You know, like what do you actually focus on is the core mission. And what better way than to speak the language of a problem that you experience every day? You're your own spokesperson, you're your own advertiser. And to me it does... It's naturally in our world for software too. Most of the time folks are coming out to be a generalist solution or they think that they're taking a specific problem, but they forget about the niche and they forget about targeting other folks that have the exact same problem or other businesses that have the exact same problem. And you worry because is the niche big enough to make a market, you know, is the niche going to be fruitful enough? How do I reach everybody in that niche? Those are implementation details, right? Like If you have the problem, chances are there is somebody else out there on earth that also has the problem that didn't make the business and is willing to buy the product. So I find it interesting and I'd love to take your perspective on the topic of niching because I think that you've done a really nice job of identifying, you know, a specific cohort or specific problem that you look to solve.
Sarah:
Yeah, that's a really good point, especially as a DTC company. So what we found is that when we can speak to our audience, and here's a little tidbit for everybody trying to run some Facebook ads there. Facebook ads work the best when you're talking directly to a person. If you're telling them, I know you have this problem and I've got a solution to that problem, they are going to click on that ad. because they're saying, oh, wow, this person, this company is talking directly to me. They offer exactly what I'm looking for. I'm in immense pain. I've been dealing with this forever. Let me click on it and then purchase, right? And what we were finding in our research is that being a general skincare company, A is really hard because you're trying, you have to make a billion different products for all different types of people. And you need to know how to make those products for every different skin type, right? And so... If you don't know about that, you're in a really big pickle. But secondly to that, if you're trying to market on Facebook, which is you're fighting against thousands of other brands and they're just scrolling and scrolling. Same thing for Instagram, of course, but hand in hand. But when you're fighting for that space, and you're saying, hey, I've got another face cream and you know, it's great. And it's going to, if you have oil, it's going to, I've got one for you. If you got dry, it's going to get one for you. That's not emotional, right? That's not speaking emotionally to that person and saying, they're just going to scroll right past it because nobody like they've seen a thousands. Excuse me. They've they've seen thousands of these. in a week's time, all trying to sell you another skincare product that all does the same thing with one minor change, you know, in the ingredient statement or whatever. But realistically, like they don't need another one because they are not giving you any sort of relief. And so when we realize that our market share was in the relief space specifically for people with chronic dry and irritated skin, it allowed us to niche down, but also stay broad enough that we can hit, you know, once we run out of targeting for that niche on Facebook, you need to start expanding. And so, this allowed us to continue to slightly open up that pool of people that we're marketing to and still convert because it became like, oh, do you have dry skin? Do you have eczema? Do you have psoriasis? Do you have dermatitis? It all stems from the same issue. It's an anti-inflammatory, it's an autoimmune disease, but it also stems from inflammation and irritated and itchy skin. And so if you Fix that, you're kind of fixing all of these other things. And so that's what we did as a company. And it works, at least for now.
Justin Abrams:
At least for now. You know, I'm just so inspired and kind of enamored by the entrepreneurial spirit in general. And you embody the entrepreneurial spirit. And what I really would love to kind of reveal is it's not so glamorous. You know, like all of us, I have war stories too, made a million, spent a million in the same year. You know, like we have a drive it into the sun story. And I know you do too. And I want to tap a little bit into, you know, everything, everything seems like it always works out and it really does for the actual entrepreneur that always sees it through, is willing to pivot, and is willing to burn it all down and rebuild it. And I think, you know, from the trajectory of knowing you for quite some time, we're kind of into a new chapter, a new chapter of some stability, of some focus, of recognition. But it wasn't like that always. It wasn't like that for cause of a kind either always. And I'd like to see if you're willing to open up and tell us a little bit about some of the war stories that you've gone through, during your bootstrap experience.
Sarah:
I would love to. Oh,
Justin Abrams:
It's cathartic. Get it out.
Sarah:
dude, it's my favorite thing to talk about because all of these entrepreneurs or these business, you know, business owners and these successful businesses, they only ever talk about the good times and how, oh, all of a sudden they're just, you know, they're doing great. First of all, we are a seven figure business and we are still losing money every month because it is very expensive to purchase advertising. It's the name of the game. And so You know, it always comes down to cash is king. And so you were always going to be running out of money. So make sure you have somewhere to go to figure out how to get more money. It's as simple as that. But okay, so I truly have that, you know, starred on the brink of fail about to be out of the game. I was given January, what year did we, this was at... This was me visiting a family and friend and then coming to your house afterwards and then pretty much telling you how horrible of a situation I was in. We were sitting in your kitchen table and I was saying, you know, this family and friend was like, oh, so just to rewind a little bit, I had put well over six figures into this business. Every dollar I had, I was out of money. It was December 2021. two years ago, one, yeah, wow, two years ago, 2021, literally like new year, so it was about to be 2022. And, or maybe it had already turned, but sorry. This person had said, I will give you this set amount of money and you will be paying me back in interest. So it was a loan. We had lots of legal documentation to build out after this, but, so this was not a handout in any sense of the word. And they said, you either, you take this money, And in the next year, you turn it around and you make this business a viable business, or you need to say, when you run out of this money, you're out. Like you quit. This is done. You have to go find a job. And, you know, thank God. Thank God we were able to make it work. And we found, you know, we found the right people and we were able to afford, you know, certain partners and whatnot that we couldn't because of that money. Thank God. But. All of that to say, like, we had one last chance to make it work and we, I wasn't giving up. I was like, I believe in this business so much. I believe in myself, even though I was still so young at the time and I just didn't even know what that meant. But I said, I'm not giving up. And within like three months of getting that money and hiring some people and me finding my way and getting that like reverberated, like sense of hope and faith in myself. Because you know, you'll break like it's really hard and everybody wants to break you down and tell you that you're a failure and that you don't you don't have what it takes and God knows I heard it left and right and you know who also breaks you down Can I can I curse on you?
Justin Abrams:
Sure.
Sarah:
Fucking agencies not you but like media buying agencies. Oh my god. They broke me like I was I was trying so hard to fight the good fight and be like, no, I've shown, we've shown that there's something here. And now, you know, iOS change, the 14 happened, and then we had to use multiple agencies that were just over-promising. And then they, they had the audacity to tell me that it was my product that was too expensive. And they, but they weren't showing value in the ads and you know, the whole game of like, oh, the owner of the company sells you on it and then hands it off to a junior media buyer, even though we were spending, you know, $7,000 a month with them just to pay their fees was freaking ridiculous. So they made me start over the course of eight months, leading up to that conversation with the friends and family, they made me feel like start doubting myself. They made me feel like shit. They made me feel like, do I have what it takes? Do I have a viable business? Do people really like this? Even though we had hundreds of positive, amazing reviews by then, it was still like those don't let. agencies that don't know what they're doing and that are over promising and under delivering, break you down and tell you that your brand is the fault here. It is them and they are at fault and they don't have what it takes and they're just taking your money and just practically robbing you. So that's what I have to say to that because as soon as we turned it around, I had this Oh my God, I do have this. I know what I'm doing. I can speak on the brand. I can sell this. And we became a six-figure business. I started, excuse me, a seven-figure business practically overnight. It was, it was a wild experience, but all of that to say, like, don't let others, you know, break you, break you down where you stop believing in yourself enough to, to get this business going, because it'll take a few years to get it going. Right. It's not an overnight thing. Businesses don't just like miraculously work unless you go viral on TikTok. But then even then. three days later, you have to, you're like, okay, well now what? So yeah.
Justin Abrams:
And then you spend the rest of your time trying to figure out how to do it again.
Sarah:
Exactly. God, that sounds horrible, but yeah.
Justin Abrams:
Right. There's something about being a bootstrapper and not just a general entrepreneur. Lots of businesses out there that just burn cash. They don't even focus on profit. They don't, they don't focus on refining. They don't focus on a truly repeatable core offering or, um, you know, developing a community of, of trusted customers. The difference between a bootstrapper and an entrepreneur is a bootstrapper is willing to learn every single role. They're willing to try and learn enough information about everything that has to happen within a business. And then things that they don't excel at, at least make them an educated consumer of what another person, organization, agency, manufacturer, whatever is specialized in. And I think you embody that, right? Like that ultimatum conversation was designed to kick you in the butt
Sarah:
Yeah.
Justin Abrams:
and to put you in front of the mirror and give you the ultimatum of like, Well, if you burn this money, you're done. As a bootstrapper, that's not an option. I'm going to conserve this money as thoughtfully and wildly as I can. Not that you weren't conservative before, but when you're playing with your own money, that's one thing. When you're playing with somebody else's money, whether they're a friend, family, institution, whatever it is, it no longer becomes a joke. And if the agreement is based on either matching revenue or profitability or accounts receivable or something that demonstrates that the business is viable. You would not mess around with somebody else's experience here. And I think that is a big delineation. A bootstrapper can become an entrepreneur, but a classic entrepreneur is not necessarily a bootstrapper. Am I right?
Sarah:
Oh my God, you're so spot on. I am the most frugal person ever. I watch every dollar and we make educated decisions on everything. But I do wanna say, I say that while also testing everything but I jump ship as soon as I see it's not working because we cannot waste money on anything. So we're all about testing and then as soon as we see whether it works or not, we're out. And I think that has allowed us to... Extinct state extremely lean while also finding new channels and you know different markets that we can tap into But yeah, no my My family and friends who now invest in the business when we need it, you know in the form of alone Everything's we're in so much debt so much that but But he always laughs he's like Sarah you're asking you need to ask for more money So that this last like longer because I'm tired of you like asking for too little because you're so scared of asking for money. And I'm like, I know, but I'm just trying to like, get us through the next three months. And so he was, he was almost like, you're too frugal and you can go spend some more money and just go have some play money to like see what sticks. And so it kind of put that into perspective for me as well. Cause I'm like, Oh my God, am I that bad where I'm like, I'm watching every single dollar where it's being spent being so stressed over it. you know, always trying to get to that point of losing less money. But at the end of the day, we're so lean already that I don't even have anywhere to cut unless we just cut advertising costs. So it's a tough battle to fight.
Justin Abrams:
And that's a slippery slope, right? Like good and bad businesses. So for example, Cause of a Kind does not spend any money in advertisement, for better or for worse. It's a slippery slope. It can be a wonderful thing for the business, but then you have to maintain that, right? And that simply becomes a burden on a business and it's a love-hate relationship. And it was one area where a fully organic referral-based business. And it was one area where we just did not want to invest precious cash. Now in the future, of course, like as you hit exponential growth and like, we try to get to new milestones, it's inevitable that we'll have to strategically start thinking about, um, paid advertisement, paid media, paid placement, PR, things like that, that just require cash. Um, but I'm your, your career. is in this skill set. Your core competency as an entrepreneur is in media marketing, advertisement, and distribution of that material, whether it be display, whether it be physical, whether it be print, whatever it is, that's your core competency. To play into that is, it's not really an option. That is how you know that you're able to achieve your numbers and obtain your success. That's your hedge. For me, that's like no man's land. And I'm going to pivot into your... you may not consider yourself to be a creative technologist, but look how much technology is built into triblossom.com. I mean, I'm sure not only from the website, you're an e-commerce experience direct to consumer. That has a whole solution set that's built into it. We're talking about all sorts of ad placement platforms. We're talking about what I would assume is financial platforms. Maybe it's a QuickBooks or some other type of proprietary financial model. I'm sure it's spreadsheet heavy. I'm sure there's email and contact lists. And I want to talk about this is a technology podcast. I'd like to talk a little bit about how technology is at the epicenter of your business. And regardless of the product that you sell, technology is used to create the formula, to create the packaging, to create the fulfillment and distribution of that, to create your retention program across your customers. So I could riff on it all day, but I know that you have a sweet spot in a core collection of technology that drives your business. I'd love to hear a little bit about how a beauty brand D to C is leveraging technology in the space.
Sarah:
Yeah, I mean you can attest to this with the brands that you're building up from the ground, right? So as I was thinking about this question, I started writing all of the ones that we use religiously. If we cut these off, we would lose money, no doubt about it. And
Justin Abrams:
Perfect.
Sarah:
it started growing. And I was like, oh my gosh, we use a lot of different software. It's kind of ridiculous. Just on this list, I have one, two, three, four, five, six. seven, eight, nine, 10 different softwares that I don't plan on canceling anytime soon. And they take my money. And so that should say something.
Justin Abrams:
I take that as well.
Sarah:
Well, but all of that to say, I mean, you're absolutely correct. We are, I almost feel like we've become a technology company even though we're selling, you know, CPG goods and products. So it's pivotal. I think... What I would say is though, as you're starting out, really make sure you are using only the ones that you truly need, because you can go down these rabbit holes and just start spending an exorbitant amount of money on all of these different apps and all of these bells and whistles that you definitely don't need in the initial stages of a business when you're just starting out. We only brought on, one, two. three, maybe five out of the 10 that we use this year after a few years of running, you know, just straightforwardly. So until you're at a certain point or a certain stage of your business, you just don't need a lot of these things because you're not driving enough traffic to the site to make it worthwhile. Or, you know, our email and SMS platform, we use a very expensive one. You don't need to use an expensive one now, but because for us, it's so important to our revenue drivers, we use the ones that have the most functionality, the most capabilities in terms of how we can remarket in different ways and all the different, really all the bells and whistles. And so I think just being aware of what you're using from the get is also as important as finding the next best thing to catapult your business.
Justin Abrams:
Again, you keep circling back to the bootstrapper mentality because bootstrappers take a minimum viable product approach and you're talking minimum viable services approach. Like your minimum viable product. I remember you started with one product and it wasn't the most beautiful label. It's not what it was today. Maybe the package itself has changed. The whole idea of testing, failing fast, choosing the minimum technology set that's going to allow you to get the pulse of whether this business is viable. You know, to go all the way down and purchase, let's say, you know, a lofty email and text message software, and you don't even have a list of folks yet to send those emails or texts to is a silly decision to make in a bootstrapping phase. Right. The goal of the bootstrap is grow the list. The email is coming. Who wants a text message alert? Just catch a pulse from customers that can be like part of your review process as you're trying to get feedback from them. But. I love you always are bringing back to your bootstrap mentality, whether you're aware of it or not, but it truly is a minimum viable, super conservative approach to decision-making. And as you're saying, you've adopted technology just in this year out of need. You have, let's say, suffered or have succeeded without these, but now they give you a 10x return because of their capability and your maturation through growing your business has naturally taken you to this point. So I really like the idea of taking a minimum viable approach to the addition of technology or the creation of technology because some folks just like to build stuff for brides early.
Sarah:
Yeah, no, you're absolutely right. And I don't realize I'm doing it, but I guess it's so ingrained, as you said, right? Cause when you start off with your own money, it really changes everything.
Justin Abrams:
That's right. It does. And you know, starting off with your own money is one thing, but I think you also started off with some really core values and a core mission statement that I've known is about you for quite some time before you even built this business, something that you were always talking about and in New York City is prevalent. You can go one way or the other with core values or the other. And I know it's something that has always been important to you. But as we take a look at blossom essentials. There are some very visible core values and to riff on some of them, you'll go way deeper. You know, things from cruelty-free, no artificial scents or flavoring. We're claiming natural. We're claiming a whole bunch of different things that are truly core values and separate us from other products that might be in the market. I'm interested as to why, A, that was important to you to make that part of the mission and brand. And how does that differentiate you from either competition or from other products that might be in the space that are making similar claims that might be legitimate and what separates Blossom Essentials from the pack.
Sarah:
Yeah, so those concepts that you mentioned, cruelty-free or no artificial fragrances, those are just like the bare minimum that we absolutely follow. Like clean beauty standards are really important to us because nobody should be putting toxic chemicals into their bodies. But what really is important to me with Blossom is that we're not just, as I mentioned, we're not just another skincare company. And what a lot of skincare companies do is tell you that if you use our products, you are going to be more beautiful. You are going to be more luminous. You know, what we're trying to do as a brand is allow people to unlock their confidence from within and feel beautiful just by being themselves. We're not a makeup company. We're not trying to fix your bags or, you know, fix your wrinkles. We're not, you know, making you feel less than. We are saying we are going to allow you to remove that discomfort that you've been dealing with your entire life probably So that you can blossom into your best self and feel the most confident in your own skin And that was really important to me because I don't wear makeup. I don't um, I don't use a whole skincare routine I actually just only use my products but um, I created products that um, I Need right? Um, and then I say, okay, do I feel beautiful just being myself? because my products have removed all of the dry patches. I'm actually dealing with this really horrible dry breakout right now that I'm currently using my products on. But I feel self-conscious about it, because I feel it, and I feel it both externally and internally, because that's all I can think about. And so if you eliminate those problems on the outside, then you're removing those thoughts from the inside. And then it allows you to just. feel your most self-confident when you're walking down the street or you know you have a little extra oomph in your step and so those are things that are far more important to me than just being a beauty brand you know offering a product that's going to remove your outer looks.
Justin Abrams:
I'd really like to know, you know, the product exists in a specialized niche, but I'd like to know what your goals are for the brand. You know, every founder has a, has a ultimate vision. Some are grandiose and radical. Some are really, you know, humble. And I'd love to know you could be as radical and grandiose as you would like. For me, I'd love, I'd love to put software in space, me and my partner say. So whether that happens or not. Just the goal, but I'd love to hear like, what is the goal for Sarah? It could also be the goal for Blossom, but you know, you as a founder, this might be the start of your journey, and where do you see yourself as a contributor 20 years down the line with hopefully successful business behind you, and a whole network that you've created, and a whole bunch of success stories that are related to the business, but mostly as you as an entrepreneur and a mentor, and what are some of the things that you're truly hopeful for during and after your career? as a business owner.
Sarah:
Yeah, so as an entrepreneur, obviously I want a successful exit. Um, but I also want to make sure that our core values stay, um, prevalent when it comes to selling our business. Um, because, you know, I really did start blossom from nothing and it means the world to me and the products as, because I personally use them. The last thing I want to do is have to sell this and then they start making products that I don't want to use. Right. That's the last thing I want to do. So I think, um, making sure that whoever I sell it to commits to keeping it the way it is, even as we expand and grow. We do, while I'm currently in the role, we do have some pretty lengthy growth goals. So all of that to say we need a lot more money. So we plan to fundraise at the end of the year. We did just... get into this really prestigious accelerator program that will allow us to prepare for a proper fundraise. So we're hoping that we'll kickstart something really big and introduce us to the right investors early 2024. So fingers crossed that all goes well and we can raise a few mill to get us to that 10 million goal that we're looking for. But that's all to say within the current moment. But. post selling, I really want to just continue to see the journey. You just don't really know where life is gonna take you. And I'm trying to just kind of stay in the moment and see if I can build this before I start focusing on what other businesses should I build? Because I think that a lot of people have that issue, right? They get shiny object syndrome and they're like, oh, let me just dabble in this while I'm still focused on the business. It'll be fine, but it's not fine. Focus on your business. grow it, sell it, or do whatever you want, and then move on and do something else. Because once you start distracting yourself, you're never gonna be successful.
Justin Abrams:
That's all really good advice and I hope all of your goals come true. They are all achievable. There are blueprints for this model. I'm thrilled to hear that you're part of this accelerator program. You were telling me about it a little bit earlier. And the dividends that you'll get from that experience are going to pay off over years to come and will be part of your mentorship as you pass it down to other entrepreneurs and folks that you're mentoring and people that come to you for advice. I'm already thinking about some folks that I'm going to introduce you that you'll know that you'll actually already know. You know, this is we're rounding third base here on our way to home. And I want to give you an opportunity to really just plug the brand. plug your experience. How can people get involved? I'm sure that there are people that are gonna listen to this podcast that have a very similar problem that Blossom solves. And I wanna hear some of the initiatives that you're really proud of and some of the things that you would love for the community to rally around for Blossom and for Sarah.
Sarah:
Yeah, well, I always love a good plug.
Justin Abrams:
Yeah.
Sarah:
Our website is tryblossom.com, T-R-Y. You can also follow us on Instagram, try underscore Blossom. Some of the upcoming initiatives that I'm really excited about are we're going to be in Showfields in November, which is very exciting. That'll be in the DC store specifically. So if you're ever in the area, you should definitely check us out there. And then we are working on some really exciting retail opportunities that I'm hoping will pan out early next year. So fingers crossed on that. But we actually went through a rebrand back in last December. And so we are finalizing our product boxes right now. Actually, they're already done. They're on our way to us. And it is a really exciting moment for us because we I think this will really elevate the look even further from I don't know if you've seen the new packaging, though. But this is this is our new one.
Justin Abrams:
It's beautiful. See how far you've come from your original packaging.
Sarah:
Right?
Sarah:
Pretty wild.
Justin Abrams:
I remember.
Justin Abrams:
Wow.
Sarah:
So yeah, and we have a lot of new products being launched in the next month. Actually, three new ones in the next month in addition to some older ones. So it's very, very exciting. So much movement. Tons of things to do, but all worth it. So yeah.
Justin Abrams:
All worth it.
Justin Abrams:
Well, Sarah, I appreciate you very much over a very long period of time. And I can't thank you enough for participating on Strictly From Nowhere and sharing your founder story and your dreams and your goals and your troubles and trials. It all is the encapsulating definition of a bootstrapped entrepreneur. And I think your founder story for other founders is inspiring and gives other aspiring entrepreneurs a formula to follow because there really isn't a cookie cutter. It's, it's, you kind of have to see yourself in somebody else to know that it's possible and everybody has an independent journey, but all kind of have like the core same spirit. And I think that you embody that incredibly well today. So I thank you for coming onto the show and giving us everything that you've given us.
Sarah:
Thank you so much for having me. And everybody remember, normalize feeling shitty because you will feel shitty more than you will feel good. But the good times are way worth it. They will feel excellent.
Justin Abrams:
Thanks, Sarah, and thanks for joining Strictly From Nowhere.
For the full episode, find us on [Strictly From Nowhere](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere-podcast)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/sarah-vilenskiy-founder-and-ceo-of-blossom-essentials
# Wes Henderson & James Gallagher, Co-Founders of TakeTatt
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2023-07-14
[Full Podcast Episode](https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere-podcast "Full Podcast Episode")
Justin Abrams:
Wes, I want to start with you. You know, as usual, you'll do a better job of introducing yourself and where you come from and what makes you uniquely human. And I'm interested in both your personal and your professional background and your hobbies and your general human experience and how you got here today.
Wes Henderson:
Yeah, Justin, I'm very driven to solve problems, I think. I started entrepreneurship when I was 18, 19 years old. The last check that I got from a company was before I was 20 years old. So somehow I've managed from that point forward to scrap enough ideas together to become an entrepreneur. It started off with freelancing at first through college, I did websites for people. I did digital marketing for people. Eventually that segued into like a deeper desire to like, do more entrepreneurship, actually like create something kind of from the ground up when you're a freelancer, I think like a lot of it kind of feels like there's a pressure. Like you don't have, you're not creating a lot. It's this one person that is just kind of fulfilling the needs of people. So I had a deep desire to kind of like create a larger, bigger brand and product. And one thing sort of led to another. Out of freelancing, I basically became an entrepreneur starting off with like franchise-based business. because the learning curve obviously for entrepreneurship is a little bit steep. I felt like a franchise where you're kind of buying into a product that's been proven already, uh, is a good kind of first step into like the bigger, uh, more risk, uh, based business. And, um after starting that franchise, what I kind of learned was that. there were a lot of those things that I would prefer to have in my wheelhouse. You know, the problem with a franchise based business is that you're kind of stuck to the criteria that the franchise like sets upon you. So quickly from there, I realized like, I would like to have control of X, Y, and Z. And that's where I kind of realized that I started pivoting out into like a bigger business and that really The first thing out of that franchise that I started doing was a tattoo removal business. I had originally done digital marketing for a tattoo removal business. And what I really, really enjoyed the component of marketing for this. So basically like it was we'd have anti-Valentine's day specials. It was like against the grain, a tongue in cheek type of advertising. It was really enjoyable. So, um, that franchise that I had, we had medical based staff on board already. So the transition and the task removal was actually somewhat seamless. And, um we started off small we rented a device. We got people in, we did the marketing, the marketing was effective. And we just kind of grew quickly from there.
Justin Abrams:
You know, I actually had no idea that you had originally bought into a franchise. I know you're from the industry and it makes a lot of sense. Like as you try to figure out the branding and market positioning and your value proposition, it makes sense. I've watched your brain go through this for quite some time right now. And it's interesting that you started with such rigidity. Like the franchise is like, keep it on the rails. You have very limited flexibility. If you follow this system, it's proven to work. And it's so funny that you just went in a totally different direction. I'm curious. You're also quite a savvy technologist. You you've proven that I've watched you riff quite, quite often with Mike specifically, where, where did that interest come into play? Uh, it sounds like you were kind of heavy in the marketing side, but. No, it also sounds like you're, you're a tinkerer and enthusiast and, and want to solve problems for yourself. So where did like the, the deep technologist in you come, come about.
Wes Henderson:
So I'll tell a funny story with that is I I went to a, a small private school growing up and basically they gave these awards every year. And I thought at the time, because I think through grade like two to grade, I think six, it was, I won the computer award every single year. And I thought that was basically like a consolation prize from the school, like, yeah, you're not a mathlete. You're not you're not big into, grammar and spelling is a little questionable at times.
I got this computer award from the very beginning. I have to like, honestly give a lot of credit to my father who always had a good computer and internet connection in the house. And then generally it's like just this overall curiosity to learn. You know, like I always found computers fascinating. I I, I do remember that elementary school teacher, uh, that definitely was encouraging, like while all the other kids were kind of playing video games on the computers, like me and maybe one or two other kids were writing like screensaver code so it was it's been a, like an interesting journey from that perspective. So.
Justin Abrams:
That's really cool, man. I like the origin. I'm going to ping on something and we'll get back to it a little bit later. But also know you have a family and I want to talk a little bit later. We'll save it for a little bit further on about balance. And I have a family and Mike has a family and James has a family and everybody is kind of pursuing the balance. So keep that in mind. But James, I want to transition over to you, man, because I think you have a little bit of a different path. I think you have a different skill set. And I'd love to know what makes you uniquely you. And also tell me a little bit about your background, both personal and professional and your hobbies and interests and what makes your unique human experience.
James:
Absolutely. And to be fair, I don't have a family yet. I mean, I have my dog and I love my girlfriend. I'm sure after five years, like we're starting to go that way, but I don't have any kids.
My background I grew up in this like little small town and the middle of nowhere in New Jersey like super small, like kind of like, very like from like that Friday night light show, like that was pretty much like where I grew up. So I couldn't wait to get out of there. And I ended up going to college at FSU coming from that like type of little country town grown up watching like FSU games on TV and seeing these like absolute smoke shows like in the stands. I was like, I want to go to there. So that's, that's where I went. And that's actually how Wes and I met. Like Wes was buddies with one of my fraternity brothers and he came and he stayed at our house for a couple days. And I'll never forget this because it was like one of the most embarrassing losses in FSU history. We got shut out at home against Wake Forest. It was raining. Like the only person that like sat through the entire game with me was Wes. And I was like, oh, like this guy must be as diehard of an FSU fan as I am what she is. So that's how we met. And then after graduating, I ended up going into recruiting. I didn't really like have any clue what I wanted to do. I was a political science major. I was... going to be like a lawyer, but I was like, I realized I don't want to be a lawyer. So I put my resume up on Monster and all these recruiting companies started reaching out to me. Like in college, I'd never even heard about like recruiting as a profession. So I kind of just like fell into it and I had excellent training at this company tech systems, um, as far as, um really getting a pretty comfortable feeling when I'm speaking to engineers and whatnot. And I continued on that path. I worked for some bigger companies like Google and Samsung, and then I kind of wanted to give startups a try just because I like the idea of truly building something from a people perspective, having a big impact on influence and culture and stuff like that. It's different in bigger companies because all that stuff's already established. know how the engine runs very efficiently and you're kind of just like a cog in the machine. So you can do your job really well, but they don't want to move you to something else because once they have you doing it at a high level, it's like we just want to keep this person. So the growth just doesn't feel the same as I had friends that were working at startups and I kind of would talk to them about all the things that they had on their plate. I was kind of envious of it. So I jumped into the startup world. And Wes and I, we were roommates for seven years in New York City. So I saw Wes's success and what he did with his company, Reverse It Hat in Florida. And when he approached me with this idea, I was like, let's do it.
I enjoy the different challenges and you're constantly like getting shoved out of your comfort zone. And, uh I just really, really liked that element of it.
Justin Abrams:
It probably makes for a really great balance between the two of you kind of yin and yang. It's really a balance that Mike and I strike too. And neither of us are the complete package, but together we get pretty close. And I've always felt that between the two of you complement each other in an incredible way. You know, I want to hear a little bit more about TakeTatt. And Wes, I'm going to give you the question. because I think it was like your original brainchild. And I think what happened, if I'm wrong, is maybe you found a little bit of a gap in the industry historically, and Tagtat is unique in the market from the research I've done and from what we've talked about. And I'd love to hear a little bit how Tagtat is really a solution to an industry problem and how it serves your community and marketplace.
Wes Henderson:
Yeah, I think that, you with any of this, it's, it's an evolution of ideas. You know, like James said 10 years ago, we started reverse attack. It started very small and kind of grew somewhat rapidly, but over like eight years, you sort of like learning, you hear the feedback from your clients a lot, which is I don't want to go to like this fancy place, I don't want to go, I don't want to be upsold on anything else. The, I think reality is as it relates to tattoo removal at least is that there, what it's like very easy. You have a tattoo, you want to remove it. You want to get in and out. You want it to be efficient and you want to see the results and like track your progress. So, um take tattoo is really just an evolution of ideas and learning from the reverse attack model, which was efficient in its own right. But there was also like. efficiencies that we saw that could be gained from it as well.
Justin Abrams:
Yeah, that's so interesting. I mean, it, I've been to, I've been to the hut. Tell me, tell me a little bit about the experience because I think the classic tattoo removal experience, like either puts me in a med spa or maybe even a dermatology office, or maybe it's a retail on main street or whatever it is. And like, to me, I was always most blown away by how your business and where your business is able to operate, which to me was like a unique differentiator in comparison to what else I've seen in the market. So tell me a little bit about the hut, quote unquote.
Wes Henderson:
Yeah, I mean, listen, the hut is, is a trailer that we're pulling behind a truck, but it's very nice. You know, like
I, it's the experience, like when you, one of our nurse practitioners who I, who I adore, she saw our ad on indeed and to be part of our team, she's like her coworker said Are you pulling this thing behind? Like, what's the deal? So you're going to be like a truck driver slash nurse practitioner.
The reality is, is like the hut is the means to, to create a more efficient service we, this isn't something we created out of thin air either like medical services have been provided in a mobile capacity for. sometime now there's mobile mammogram units. We all know the mobile blood donation buses. I would like to think that our hut is so much cooler than those things. It's a very different experience when you walk in. There's a lot of tech right from the very beginning in terms of how we communicate to the clients with the way that they check in once they arrive, once they come in, we try to... recreate a very personal experience, like in an efficient manner. So they walk into a screen with James's face on it. They see pricing or they see our reviews, or if they're a current client of ours, they see like we have calls of the action, like leave us a review or refer a friend, scan this QR code to do something, right? And then they walk into the treatment room. And what's very unique about us is, Our main goal is we're trying to create an affordable product, but we also think we enhance the product substantially because they get to track the progress. Like every time a client comes in, they take a photo of their tattoo. The very first photo and the most current photo shows up on a screen. So them and the nurse practitioner can discuss their, their progress, um, that it's going either really well, or it's going average, or maybe slower than average. And you can talk about the reasons why. those those cases might be. And, um that's at the end of the day, I think what takes that's trying to accomplish is like the make the tattoo, there's a lot of tattoos that need to be removed. So we just want to create that process efficiently, affordably, safely. Um, and we just want to make it kind of like a cool experience and interesting experience too.
Justin Abrams:
Yeah, you guys definitely have adopted technology in an extreme way. And we're gonna talk a little bit more about some of that technology, but it all has a little bit of an origin. And speaking of origin, I think Mike and James, you guys have a really, really unique way of starting off together. And you guys knew each other from a former life and couldn't be further away from what we're all doing right now, but it all kind of has led to that. So Mike, I'd like to give it over to you because I think best coming from you is, is how you and James met and kind of kicked off
Mike:
Yeah, yeah, we started at a startup on the Lower East Side years ago at this point. You know, it's been quite a while now, but I remember it.
Its been about 8 years ago. I believe they're at the unicorn status at this point. They've done very well. I remember being in those early days. I always wonder how working for them effected your experience with entrepreneurship?
James:
I really just enjoyed that, being able to have the freedom to craft something and hone it just the way that I wanted to. I mean, Mike can attest to this. I'm very transparent. I don't like to sugarcoat anything. I just say it how it is. I felt like working at a startup as unique as Bluecore, that really resonated well with a lot of candidates that I was recruiting and looking to hire. obviously getting a taste of working at a smaller company as well, where you really got kind of become this family. Like, I mean, it probably helped that our office was in the Lower East Side. And it was like a former speakeasy, like loft that they converted into an office. I mean, I remember when I went in for my first interview, like I, La Cuerverna was right next door. And I just looked at it and was like, am I in the right place? Like, I remember a lot of nights I was in that basement at La Cuerverna, but I was like, I guess this is the place. And I went in and like, I just got this like kind of. tingly feeling like when I saw like kind of how the space was set up and everybody I met was was great. And when you have like a really talented team, it's kind of like being being an athlete, like in playing a sport, like you want to surround yourself with like other talented people because you want to win. And I feel like Blue Corps before I got there, especially did a really good job of that. So it was easy for me to. kind of build on top of that because you have to have that like existing base already because talented people want to work with talented people. So it definitely at that point, I wasn't I'm going to start my own company someday, but it definitely like led me further down that path.
Mike:
So much of that original team went on to start businesses after that, like from that early team. I feel like, I mean, I'm in touch with tons of the people from there and my jobs before that, but like at that something about startups in early stage, it feels like there's almost something in the water. Like everybody starts starting their own business like from that point. And I wonder how it is now, because they're much bigger now, like are the engineers they hire now and the talent they hire now, are they as entrepreneurial? Do you find that when you were at Samsung, for instance, did multiple people go off to found their own companies or it's not the same at all?
James:
No, definitely not.
I was going to say like, you don't see that. Like when You know, you're, you are an employee, um, even at like a small startup I'm so much more like sympathetic now to like the founders of Bluecore that I'm like kind of like more in their shoes, like I understand being on the other side of the fence now. I'm like, Oh, okay. Like that's why they were doing things like the way that they were doing it. And whatnot. So it gives you definitely like appreciation for that. Uh, and the thing like Wes was alluding to, like the clients, like they don't always see what's going on kind of behind the scenes. Like. You know, when we're out there in Ohio it's every day in a row for, for two weeks, uh, and between seeing clients for eight hours in a day. And then sometimes driving two plus hours to like the next location at night. I mean it's 10 plus hour days and, uh it's a grime. Like I literally get home from like a trip and, um, I just like sit in my room, like in the dark watching Netflix for a couple of days because like, I'm so like burnt out on like again, I don't have kids, so I, that's why I can do that.
Justin Abrams:
Oh, man. Yeah. Right on. Well, speaking of customers and speaking of the customers, really, who we are accountable to as entrepreneurs. mission is also really important and like being authentic and you guys have a really unique perspective on a mission-driven business and a cause-backed organization and you know I know a little bit about what your endeavors are but I think it probably is best coming from you Wes but I'd love to know a little bit about how Taktat services the greater community you've had a very focus very much a focus on on affordability and a high quality experience, but there's also a real component to your organization, which is extreme pay it forward and a community service component. And mission driven is an individual's ethos. And I'm really interested in the way of life and the interactions and how this impacted you as an individual to make this a part of the organization because it's certainly unique in its mission and focus.
Wes Henderson:
Yeah TakeTatt from the business perspective is trying to create affordability and in really the way that you create affordability because the equipment's so expensive to operate, it's expensive to get the word out, it's expensive. You have to create a lot of efficiency. And that's where we that's why we became this mobile business. Um, What efficiency means is really to boil it down. It's like you use the thing that is the most expensive thing, uh, as much as possible. So our laser is very expensive. Um, we need it to be reliable. Uh, it's manufactured by a company called focus medical. Um, and they've been a tremendous partner to us, uh, primarily to support us when things go wrong. Um, Lasers, I tell people, lasers are like lamps. It's like you just, you turn it on one day and it blows. There's no indication that it's gonna go out that day, but it does and these things happen. And Focus has been a tremendous partnership to us to help us remain efficient and reliable to our clients. To your point though, it goes far beyond the clients. What is really important to all of us that take that is paying it forward. And going back to just the efficiency of the laser and just using it as much as possible, we know that like our schedule is not 100% utilized. There's gaps so we want to fill those gaps with helping people that otherwise that need the help that need the assistance. And, um, we have a couple outreach programs. The two primary ones is, um, one for, uh, people that were incarcerated and they have. offensive tattoos on their invisible areas, on their face or hands, or, um, and then even in non-visible areas also. Um, and the point of that is I think, I mean, we hear it time and time again, it's basically goes like I was 16, 17, 18, and I did X, Y, Z. And I think if we put our shoes in our 16, 17 and 18 year old selves, you can realize how easy it is to kind of like end up on the wrong side of things. So I'm very conscious of that. You know, I have family members that have suffered with addiction. Addiction is a big proponent to people that have been incarcerated a lot of the time. I think we can all understand that we believe in redemption. And I don't think that anybody that made a mistake at a young age should have to like suffer the consequence of that. Unfortunately, tattoos are permanent otherwise. So I think that's where we can serve that population, that community very well. And it we see it all the time. These people that come in and their tattoos are getting close to being gone very offensive things written on people's faces, like just bad mistakes that people made. Right. And they're removing these things and they will definitely get a better job. You know, it's a lot easier to get a job. no matter where you're working these days with a defensive tattoo, especially a racist tattoo or a gang related tattoo that's on your face or in a visible area. Um, the other program that our outreach program is for human trafficking, victims of human trafficking. It's a really bad problem. I think anybody that flies right now, here's the announcements that coming over the over the loudspeakers in the airport. So like, um this is a really traumatic experience and what I've learned, and we we've had discussions with people, the FBI in human trafficking. Um, and human trafficking is a lot different than like, I think I realized it to be initially. So, um, it's a slippery slope and again, addiction is a big component of it. You know, it may start off with somebody that's addicted to something that They have to work for to fulfill this their addiction basically. So, um, again, it goes back to like, we have the means and the resources to help the people, um, and I think it's definitely the right thing to do and to pay it forward. Uh, and it, it really does mean a lot to, to all of us that take that.
James:
Yeah, and it's the nicest thing, like these individuals that are a part of our outreach program, by far the most polite, considerate clients. So appreciative, like, and it really means a lot when you see. You know, kind of, I mean, we've had people like tear up and start crying. Like it really, it makes you feel good. Like that you're doing something that is going to help this person hopefully be able to put something behind them or achieve a better quality of life.
Justin Abrams:
And I'm sure that I'm sure they're not shy about how it impacts them. And I'm sure that you have a locker of stories and Most are probably in the order of success for those individuals. Like it truly leads them to better enablement. Even if they're going through maybe a legal battle, it helps them to be taken more seriously. It helps them to not relive their past. It truly helps them to get back to a neutral place to have a really unique, fresh start. And I'm sure that some of the stories that you have are like truly triggering and like truly emotional and like... It's amazing to see, and I'm sure you see it firsthand regularly, like the impact of what entrepreneurship can do, the impact of starting a business and running free, maybe from a franchise or maybe from venture back startup, like you are limited in your ability to drive impact when it's not 100% your own. And I love that you've put mission first. I mean where we stand on that whole topic, but I'm sure you have all sorts of stories. It's wild. You know, I want to position a little bit back into kind of the origin of our partnership, which is really in the theme that we've been talking about, which is to create the most efficient, the most technology forward company that we can to provide the best experience possible to our customers. Create customers for life, folks that will refer you, folks that regardless of where you're located are willing to involve themselves in your service and your business. And some time ago, I think. It clicked in James head to maybe reach out to Mike and start thinking about some, some solutions to some problems that were going on in the business. So Mike, I turn it over to you. And I think from the angle that I'd really like to explore with you and James is there was a big gap. There was a big gap in take tat as far as it's software and the ability to provide a critical point of value to customers. And I just would love to hear you to kind of riff. on this moment of creating a proprietary solution custom for the take-tart ecosystem.
James:
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I reached out to Mike they basically something wasn't working out and all the other components were ready to go. But it was kind of even going back further than that, like with COVID and everything. I literally like resigned from my job where I was running like a recruiting team at another pre-unicorn IPO transfix.
And I quit my job to start TakeTatt and then like three weeks later, COVID happened and I was like, oh crap, like I have like no health benefits now. I was like paying for like Cobra.
James:
So there was definitely like a sense of urgency, like for And there's nothing we could do. I mean, like the hut, like this company Bizbox that like builds these uh, these kinds of trailers, um they were shut down like from manufacturing and there was just really nothing we could do. Um, so once we got to the point where we had everything else in place, I mean, we had like all of our, uh nurse practitioners or tattoo removal technicians, as we refer to them. You know, they're all like trained. You know, we've got the marketing down pat because Wes, with his background prior to Blue, or prior to TakeTatt having like that web design background and like having like that SEO and like marketing background. So we had clients ready to go. We had a schedule and the only thing we didn't have was like the software that we thought that we would have for the start. So like Wes and I kind of just had one of those moments where we're like. F it, like let's just launch we'll have to do all these processes manually and that's going to be a pain in the ass, but we got to get going. So we did and it's funny because the longer you do something like manually that is supposed to be automated the more you get accustomed to it, the quicker you get to doing it. And then it's kind of just comes like a part of the routine. But with how quickly we were scaling and the amount of clients that we were picking up at a relatively rapid pace, everything else just became a lot and we needed to have that software. So having worked with Mike, knowing what he can do and knowing that he had recently started your guys' company. I guess you guys had that for a while. It was kind of like my first time like hearing about it. So I reached out to him and the rest is history. I mean, I remember the first time I used the software, like after literally like a year of like doing all these things manually, like I literally called Mike like driving down like I 75 towards Cincinnati and I'm like, Mike, this software is amazing. Like I'm so happy right now. And it was just pure joy. Um, so yeah, and that's kind of, uh how that all came about.
Mike:
Yeah, I think what's cool about your story too is like we work with a lot of startups that are trying to build like, I want to say like SaaS model type things. And they have this different trajectory with software where they're continuously investing in it and iterating over it and constantly improving features, learning new things from their market. And you guys are there too, but you guys had already done a ton of work upfront to understanding exactly what you needed the software to do. And we come across businesses now. that sort of approach this decision I talk about like the build versus buy type of thing. And what I think we're seeing is more and more people end up in this situation where they're like, well, I was all set to buy an off the shelf solution, except it's crazy expensive and like it's going to cost me this much per month or it has a bunch of features, which justifies the cost for some subset, but none of those features are things I'm going to use and things like that. So we come across this and I guess the historical thought was always you have you should buy versus build at all costs. But now I say with the amount of services and the way that we built your software is it runs off of serverless pretty much everything. We have a serverless database. We have serverless hosting. It scales automatically. It can if you guys saw like crazy spikes, it would scale to millions of users. We know this already. Um, but with these tools, with the modern frameworks, You can really build something and in reality with very minimal maintenance, it stays up and running really nicely. You don't have on-prem servers. You're not backing up your databases every night. You're not worried about all sorts of... There's outages maybe like if AWS goes down, but then everybody's down. It's totally understood. That's the downside of the monolithic internet. AWS or Cloudflare goes down, everyone goes, well, all the websites are down, so it's fine. I know
the internet is down. But I think you guys are a good story of like for some businesses who have a really good grasp on their domain, you can build custom software that's exactly the user experience you want, that matches your business, and the maintenance is not out of control. You don't need to hire a developer on staff. Like you just need to handle, pay for some hosting. We do some error monitoring for you guys, and we make sure that everything is up and running at all times. And that's really all you need. So I think that there's a little bit of a paradigm shift now where people are gonna see like, oh, I could actually have a pretty custom piece of software and leverage these serverless tools to not have all that maintenance overhead that I once would have had.
James:
And I think one of the big things with that too, like us both our companies being bootstrapped and not having like going that like VC route and like kind of giving up equity for that outside funding. is essentially it has to make you scrappier, right? So when, for example, like when you guys were like building all this software, it's like we, that was like an extra expense for us that we didn't previously anticipate. So I'm literally like working consulting jobs recruiting for like startups for like $20 or, no, I'm sorry, 20 hours a week. And then... Um basically that money that I was making doing that was what was like funneling into and like fueling take time, like all the things that we were like building. Um, and I just feel like it's such a different experience than those companies that do go outside and get that VC funding because they don't care as much, I don't think about like the cost of like doing things maybe, um, archaically, um, because it's like. They've got a ton of money, but when you're bootstrapping and you're working another job just to pay for the privilege of being an entrepreneur and working yourself into the ground, that definitely is a big consideration.
Wes Henderson:
I'll take a step back to from like something that you like, all the things that you said are exactly the reasons that we use you guys, but I want to just say something about like, when I spoke to you guys initially, it felt like, like we didn't dive into technicals, we kind of gave you the problem. And you guys offered some like really good practical solutions. And even as a tech savvy person that understands like some servers and some programming languages and everything, unless you're following, like unless you're in that industry, if you're an engineer day in and day out, the technology is shifting just so quickly right now and that technology, those, that underlying technology can give you a strategic advantage in business. You know, whether it's like you use a certain type of image hosting software that segues over into like machine learning, image recognition type of stuff, which is like the direction, like we want to move eventually. So like when we had those conversations with you guys, you very well. Like said, okay, look, these types of this stack of technology, I think is going to be good for you now, but it's forward looking, or we can invest a little more in this. And, or if you spend a little less here and we'll make it up down the road here, because that's an easy shift. I think for any entrepreneur, even the most tech savvy ones, what you really want is like, you want to tell somebody your problem and they spit out the solution, um, which is sort of like where we are with AI and stuff that. So like that that's kind of the thing is like AI is definitely not there. Um. in terms of like, there's a lot of minutiae and like detail, fine detail that you have to read in between the lines. And unless you can spell that out and you can prompt something it's a 10th degree, you're not going to get it. What you really need to do is talk to somebody that understands, that knows the entire landscape. Um, and then ultimately rely on their solution and And that solution sometimes I think is a miss and hit for some companies, but, um, I would say honestly, that's your guys is strong suit. And I mean, we really appreciated it, uh, like right from the get go.
Justin Abrams:
I want to stay down this pathway of how business is innovating. And I'm mostly really interested. You guys are balancing a lot of different initiatives, lots of different buckets to keep full at all times. The operation is one side. You're in the internet of things market substantially. You now have a piece of software that you could potentially innovate in. You have a community that you're focused on increasing and improving. I want to hear a little bit about like, what are the goals? Like what's the short-term plan about how innovation is going to lift Taketatt to its next milestone.
James:
A lot of what we learned from Ohio, that first market, for example, we're pivoting now to a hub and spoke model where we'll have a store front location in Columbus, which is our best market, our city in Ohio that we perform the best in. Um, essentially at scale, like we'll operate out of the store front location, like six days a week. And it also gives us a place where during the winter, when we need to like store the laser inside, because when it's like freezing outside, like that's how you can like damage things, uh, having like actual physical mailing address. I mean, Wes and I used to call like this Hampton Inn in Toledo, like HQ2. Cause like, we just like spent so much time there, but like having an actual physical like address place we could like ship things to. and still being able to then use the hut, because we're only still gonna have that one laser to still go to all those other locations, kind of just spiderweb across the state. And that's the biggest thing right now, is making sure that we're able to get that up and running smoothly, because that's also the point where Wes and I, what we've always wanted, I mean, from the get-go, it's been nearly two years. I mean, we officially launched in August of 2021, so. For almost two years now, we've literally spent two weeks of every month of our lives on the road in Ohio. And that was kind of never the long-term goal, obviously. We wanna be able to manage this remotely. So finally, being on the verge of being able to do that now where we just hired a head of transit and we traded and trained him, and he's gonna be the one that physically moves the hut around the states. Wes and I aren't gonna be truck drivers anymore. But again, you got to do what you got to do to get to this point where you can afford to like hire like that head of transit when you do kind of go the bootstrap route. And it's just the next goal after that is getting New York up and running. I mean, that's the next market that we want to be in. And a lot of that has been pushed to the back burner a little bit just because we spent so much time like building this thing up in Ohio. We just want to make sure that that's running efficiently. with us being able to take a step away and be more remote. But next goal is New York, having a location in Manhattan, having a location in Long Island. So we're really excited about when we do get to that point where we take that next step and have that second market.
Justin Abrams:
We also have a responsibility to balance and I'd like to hear a little bit about. how you're finding the balance of running the organization, but keeping all of these buckets full. Cause it's one thing to call your shot, it's another thing to make it. And I think you guys have done a great job of putting goals out there, checking some boxes off. And I'm interested like how now that you have efficiencies and you're replacing yourselves in some of these critical motions, and we're gonna have some stability with a true HQ and how do you find yourself being able to balance a little bit better? going forward or how have you balanced in the past to kind of make this all work.
Wes Henderson:
Yeah, no, I think that balance is like a really important thing to try to nail down sooner in entrepreneurship than not. Um, I can speak to the fact that I've been doing entrepreneurship now for over 20 years and, um, it was really difficult in the beginning to balance your professional and your personal life, it's not an easy. Uh, thing to do it's hard to like Mike alluded to earlier, which is. Yeah. You can theoretically just work nine to five and you, you create that structure in your life and your professional life. Um, but when it's your own business, the reality is, is it doesn't stop at 5pm. It just, it doesn't work that way. You know, you usually do take it home. Um, but with that being said, I think with. some experience with entrepreneurship, like anything, like you've learned sort of after a period of time, like how to, to manage your professional life to the extent that your personal life doesn't suffer and it is challenging at times. I mean, like James said, we're gone two weeks. So that's, that's half my time. I'm away from my 12, my 12 year old son. And you get back and there isn't much of a. a pause to kind of take a little bit of a break. James has a little bit of one renegade his dog is, uh, demanding at times, but, um, but at the end of the day, yeah, I mean, I, I want to spend that time with my family and, um, it does it means a lot to me. So you just have to prioritize these things. It makes it challenging. You feel like you're burning the candle at both ends, but it's just, it's, I guess. from my perspective, I've always looked at things like, in these, like, I'm going to do this, I'm going to have this push for five years or six years or 10 years. Um, and at the end of that push, my life is going to be X, Y, Z. And I, I don't know if that's the right way to look at things. Um, but I think it's a motivating factor for me. It's there's this light at the end of the tunnel. There's a journey that you're working towards. Um, and then at the end of the day, what I would say to anybody is like I don't think entrepreneurship is, it should be money driven like financially driven, you have to be resilient to the failure. You have to be able to pick yourself up. And I think anybody that's like kind of considering going down any kind of entrepreneurship is just realize that there's going to be like a thousand failures and at the end of the day, you need to pick yourself up 1000 and one times. I mean, that's really what it boils down to. Um, James, if I, James and I two years in, and I think any entrepreneur partnership will realize this is like, you nearly come to tears at some points of these journeys. I mean, you, you've invested so much time and money into the, to the process. You're it's also very, it feels in a way like your child that's like, you're raising this thing, this brand and this, um, And it can be really challenging at times and it's really hard to remove your emotion from the process but um But yeah that's what I would say It's just it's a lot a lot of failure and you just have to keep you know driving forward
James:
Yeah, resiliency is key because everybody's gonna get punched in the face and get knocked down in the mat. I mean, that's inevitable, but who has the grit to continuously, like, keep getting back up off the mat and be like, give me your best shot? You know, that, because technically until you quit, you've never failed so things might not always be going smoothly, but at the end of the day, like if it was easy, everybody would do it. So.
Wes Henderson:
It's funny, all these cliches, like you hear these I just, I remember hearing all these cliches growing up as a child, and early entrepreneurship on various podcasts, reading everything, you hear all these cliches. And then I think you get to a point where all those cliches really ring true.
Mike:
That's so interesting because I say to people like, I remember when I first got out of college and I had moved out to Colorado and I was not doing well, right? It was like 2008 financial crisis. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I had like mounting debt. It was before I became an engineer and I remember feeling so down, but then I always said like, well, what would I have told myself if I could look like five years into the future? I would have just said, don't even worry about it. Like you're... you're going to be fine. You're going to make it all back and you're going to get this career that you enjoy. As long as you keep pushing for it, you would have been fine. I always envision in entrepreneurship because you end up in those same situations. You have issues with finances, cashflow, marketing, generating leads. We run into this all the time. And I always envision like a version of myself five years from now is just like, all that will go away. You're going to be fine. There's going to be other hard stuff and you'll survive all that hard stuff too. And I think there's like this other cliche, which is that 90% of businesses fail or something like that. And I kind of challenged that a little bit in both of our cases, because I say, when you do a service business, it's a little different. Like I don't know, I'm never going to be a unicorn, but there's always somebody buying software, there's always someone who needs a tattoo removed and you have a laser. There's always someone who needs a piece of software built and I have a keyboard and a computer. Right? So while I may not become a multi-billion dollar unicorn as a first business or as a startup business, you do live with the idea that your business is not failing at the same rate as some moonshot crypto AI. We don't even know if the world needs this thing, but we're just going to raise a million dollars and try. Very, very different style, I think, than this where it's like, well, I know people are buying my product. from somebody somewhere. And if I fail at this, it's really because I mismanaged it. It's not because I didn't figure out, it's not because there was no market for it.
James:
Yeah, there's definitely a mark for tattoo removal. I mean, like we've we just crossed like, like the 10,000 like sessions completed mark. We only actually started seeing clients in November of 2021. Um, so I mean, we spent the first three months, like training all of the technicians, cause you can't just like all of a sudden just tell somebody, Hey, uh, go use this laser on this person's skin. I mean, there was a lot of like, uh, excessive, uh, training that went on to get to that point, um a lot of practicing on like temporary tattoos and all that jazz, so, um, yeah.
Justin Abrams:
I really want to know what TakeTatt wants to be known for ultimately. And I don't think my question is specific to the business. I'm going to ask. both James and Wes, what you guys want to become or want to achieve individually and ultimately. But James, why don't you take the question, what does Taktat want to be known for ultimately? Like the box that you will check knowing that you have achieved your grandiose goal for this business, what would that look like?
James:
Yeah, we want to provide a more affordable tattoo removal for individuals that might not have been able to afford it in the past. Even outside of our pro bono work with former inmates and victims of human trafficking, most markets we're in, we're still on average anywhere between 50, 100%. Sometimes they're more than that cheaper than any other option. So... But we'd also want to be able to achieve that without sacrificing quality. I mean, that was always really big for us. So you guys have been inside the hut. I mean, people like walk in, like I'll be getting them checked in kind of in a little waiting area and they're like, oh initially I thought this was a little bit shady initially, like coming up to a trailer to get this done. And then as soon as like, I always tell them when it's their first time, like pop back over after you're done and like let me know what you thought. Um, and they're always like, their mind is blown. They're like, this is literally nicer than the med spa or like doctor's office that I was in. And I'm like really big when it comes to, um client satisfaction. I think like, uh, over 10 years in recruiting and like putting such a big emphasis and really caring a lot about candidate experience that kind of like trickled into how I feel about client experience. I mean, if you like, look at our like Google reviews, I mean, I. I think you can kind of get a good vibe for that. So I take that part like really seriously. Like I want people to be telling their friends like, oh my God, like this was a great experience. That's the most important thing for me. And I think that's kind of like what TakeTat's mission is, is we wanna be able to provide this service that otherwise the person might be stuck with that tattoo. I mean, I think I read that. more than like 50% of people that have tattoos, like don't like them and want to remove them. But the price point before us, wasn't there for a lot of them.
Justin Abrams:
I would ask Wes in the same in the same position you've made a career out of being in this industry. And I wonder what's your grandiose goal for TakeTatt and a measure of success several years down the line.
Wes Henderson:
I find it fascinating no matter what you do, what, whatever your trade is, whether you're, uh you're a plumber, you're a mechanic or, or a software engineer, like achieving the best is really admirable. I think when you can say you're the best makeup artist or you're the best, um, software engineer or you. That type of accolade and it best, I think the client, I think defines that ultimately, but I feel like, um, with the time in the industry that we're getting really to the point of an exceptional experience. Um, and what's exciting about it is the mobile component because I think going in to take tat. We felt like our biggest weakness was going to be this idea that we have to convince people to come to this like mobile unit that's parked at the mall that day in reality. And what I'm excited about is I think that's going to be our biggest strength, which is you got to go to that place that's parked at the mall. You know, uh, it's, it's a, it's definitely a differentiating factor for us. Um, it's the way that we're able to charge the price that we charge. And, um, yeah, I that's what I think I would like this company to be known for is just like sort of being the Amazon of tax removal or being like that, that price point conscious business without impacting, but also revolution, revolutionizing the experience making sure that they can track their progress and eventually using things like machine learning to recognize images. We're actually working on a kind of cool project where it's like upload a photo. And the idea is you upload a photo of like with tattoos on your body and it automatically removes the tattoos and the photo. So it's like, imagine what you would look like without a tattoo with this tattoo.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/wes-henderson-and-james-gallagher-co-founders-of-taketatt
# Karl Runft, CEO of House Crunch
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2023-06-29
__Tell us about yourself. What makes you uniquely you and can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__
Yeah, well, I would say this. I've always sort of, I guess, been someone who's always come at most of my life with a bit of a skeptical view, I don't know, a view that one should always try to find out how things work before you just give into it. I guess that parlays into House Crunch just to the extent that you practice law and you could really just go along with whatever the legal field you're in and accept sort of its premises and just grind along. But as I say, I've always had a sort of an itch to say, well, okay, fine, we can do it this way, but why are we doing it this way and is there a better way to do it? And are there problems which are making the way we're doing it inefficient or problematic or unjust? And I guess that's always been somewhat of my attitude to my life in general, for good and for bad, is growing up and being somewhat of a bit of a I don't want to say contrarian, but someone who's at least willing to say no to the rules, I guess. Which, when I was a kid, wasn't always the best thing to get along with school teachers and stuff.
Although you got to know what your limits are. You can't just run the machine gun fire constantly. But I would say if any personal quality I had that I don't even know where it comes from, just ingrained that's what I would say would be something throughout my life, I've always been somewhat of a willing to at least ask questions as to why are we doing it the way we're doing it. So that would say sort of be the impersonal quality that kind of has brought me to House Crunch and where I am now. And I'd say just on the downside part of that, I guess, not being a total joiner and everything comes with costs because you end up bucking the system and the system bucks back and you find out, well, I start asking questions and the system says, well, you're asking questions, you're not going to advance any further. So there's been some of that in my life over time.
Yeah, I'd say ironically, I chose a very conventional career choice trajectory. I mean, I went through high school, university, Chicago, then law school, and then practiced law for almost 20 years now. Hard to believe. So yeah, I've had, at least on paper, a pretty conventional career path. Well, I shouldn't say that. When I graduated law school, I had an opportunity to work in a large law firm in Chicago, and instead I ended up moving back to Idaho and practice law with my dad for several years. Well, it was sort of an interesting situation. I was a clerk at the Idaho Supreme Court. My plan was to move to the west coast. But long story short, I ended up working with him on some very interesting cases for a couple of years. And then I eventually did move to the west coast with my then girlfriend, now wife, landing in the Bay Area. I guess in that metric, it hasn't been a conventional legal career. I kind of started over when I was six, seven years into my law practice here in the Bay Area. And yeah, sort of just took what I could and found my way into a real estate law, which is the sort of intersect with House Crunch website.
I was really practiced. My legal career was more focused on sort of a hodgepodge of election law.
Replutional law stuff and also some personal injury stuff, an interesting hodgepodge. But when I moved to the Bay Area, I ended up just by circumstance, really getting more and more into real estate law now, over the last, I'd say, seven, eight years, which has really been an exclusive area of my legal practice. I guess in that sense, yeah. Instead of following some straight line trajectory right out of law school, I ended up really zigzagging and landing in an area of law that was really the launchpad for going into house crunch.
__I want to start this off with a question and I definitely mean to put you on the spot. I never knew you wrote and published a book! Tell me a bit about that and how that came to be. That is definitely one of our goals and we would love to hear how you came to write and publish something seemingly off topic from the rest of your career as an attorney.__
Yeah. It was really big, like 10 years ago, I think, maybe more. Oh, my God. Before my first kid was born, I had time to do this thing. Yeah, I did write a novel. That was an itch I always had since college. A sophomoric desire to make your statement, put your thoughts and your ideas into some book that everybody can read and you're going to plant your flag.
Ideological flag out there. It's funny, I looked back at it recently just in connection with house crunch, just thinking, Oh, my God. This thing is out there. I looked at it. It was worth a laugh. It definitely was a first time effort. But I always tell myself, Well, you did something that most people say they're going to do and they never actually get around to doing it.
Yeah, it's called the Rum and the Theory. It's on Amazon. I think I have to... It's available in hardback and it should be available online. I think I need to re up that online, but I'll do that shortly. But it is available.
I got to say, this is my only piece of advice. This is fiction. Nonfiction, I think, probably it's a different world. But non-conviction or fiction writing, at least from my own personal experience, is that I think you just have to have it all in your head already set out. A lot of people, I think, get stymied because they have an idea or nucleus of this story, and then they think this is going to be the springboard to finish the whole thing out. That may work for Stephen King, because I think he said that's how he writes his books. He just has an idea and just runs with it. But of course, he's a professional writer for all his life. My only recommendation is if you're not a professional writer and you want to write fiction novels, to sit down and just, at least as much as you can, think from A all the way to Z as much as you can.
__You embody the type of founder story that Mike and I fall in love with? Your career as an attorney in realestate presented a gap in technology. You adapted to this gap for your entire career, until you decided to do something about it. The idea of HouseCrunch was born. Which fills a massive gap and practically gamifies the home ownership and real estate record keeping.Tell us about the journey here.__
Pain is a good word because the nucleus of the idea, really, as I say, the last seven years, I found myself calling... We're moving more into real estate litigation. And one area of real estate litigation, the firm I work for, we ended up doing a lot of work in is buyer seller litigation. The basic set up being you buy a house, you find out the seller misrepresented the condition of the house and should have disclosed the issues, and therefore the buyer therefore sells the seller in an attempt to get some compensation for the undisclosed problems with the house. This is a classic problem. It is timeless. We go back to ancient England. We have common law. This is as old as this is the Hills, right? This buyer seller disputes about buying real estate. Anyway, so you get into this, especially with residential properties here in the Bay Area. I always tell people 90 % of the cases we handle are just losses. I mean, the person, the buyer will sue, the seller will make up excuses. They'll end up paying the attorneys a bunch of money. At the end of the day, maybe some money changes hands, but at the end of the day, nobody's really compensated.
The attorneys are the ones who end up making any money. And I said, God, this just sucks. You end up fighting the court case, and yet at the end of the day, no broader justice is served. Basically, it's a net social loss. The buyer ended up spending more money on attorneys than they got compensation. The seller did the same thing. They ended up losing a bunch of money paying us. I thought, What if there's a way? What's wrong with the process here? Why is this happening? Why are these problems in the sale that... Granted, as I say, 90 % of the cases probably aren't worth suing over because what people are complaining about are not big enough problems to warrant the litigation. 10 % of the time, Okay, problem with the house is so huge, you got to go for it. You got to try to try to claw back the sale. But 90 % of the time, it's not worth it. But people still sue. They still go through the motion of just blowing up the thing. I thought, what if there was a way to at least push back against that? Why is this happening?
And you investigate the industry and as a litigator, I'm knee deep in it. I see the whole dirty under site, the contracts, the way the sale is done. I get the whole underbelly A to Z transactional picture. I know exactly what happened. Who did what when? I can see right where things started to go wrong where somebody just didn't quite tell the truth or fudged or something wasn't done. Then you can see that's where the ball starts rolling and the whole thing is going to collapse. So I thought, Well, why is this happening? I think one of the reasons, probably the reason, a lot of deals go bad, a lot of residential real estate deals go bad is because of essentially an asymmentry of information that the seller and his real estate agent control the flow of information to the buyer. This is again, timeless problem. This is as old as the Hills. The seller knows the properties, like they live there, they know the secrets. They don't want to let them all out because if they do, that will impact the price now, which results in California, especially, it's a dance where there's certain disclosure laws which require the seller to make certain disclosures and blah, blah, blah.
The buyer can take that under advisement. The buyer has some duties to do inspections and so on. It's this dance. But the seller is still in a position of great power, of tremendous power to make disclosures. This has magnified over the years, especially recently been magnified by the fact that most people at least initially start their home search online. So most houses are presented in Zillow and Redfin and Tulia and these online websites. It's all just seller based information. So again, you go to a house and it's all pumped up. My favorite example is this is the real estate agent photos of houses online. You go there, you look at these photos of these houses, Oh, my God. This house looks great. This room looks really big. Oh, this is like the... My favorite is the third bedroom. The third bedroom and otherwise, it's a two bedroom bungalow with one bath. But no, this is the third bedroom. You see these pictures and you're like, Oh, this is great. Then you actually go in person. You're like, Oh, my God. This is a closet. Somebody took a closet and modded it into a bed. This is not a third bedroom.
It's a pool. Anyway, long story short. I see the transactions that go bad. I wonder why this happens. I realize it's just the fact that there is a definite hand on the scales in favor of sellers to push properties and to distort the reality of what is actually being bought by the buyers. And this is magnified by the internet in which there's no interaction on any of these websites for buyers to come online and say, Hey, wait a minute. I saw this property. I saw it. I was there. And what they're putting on here on this website is not accurate. And I thought, But you could actually expand that, not only just to potential buyers going to these properties and then being able to go on there and directly comment on a listing, you could expand that to get historical knowledge beyond it. Let people in the neighborhood come on there too and be like, Hey, wait a minute. Two years ago, the seller clearly did unpermitted work, which is, again, one of the classic failure to disclose issues. Somebody will buy a house and then the local city or county person will come by and be like, Oh, yeah.
All these walls, apparently, were put in there without proper permits. The buyer is like, What? They're like, Yeah, sorry. You're going to have to do $20,000 or $20,000. Jeez, you're going to do $50,000 of repairs anyway. Long story short, I thought, boy, if there was a neutral information clearinghouse for residential real estate where somebody could go to find third party information, not provided by the seller, third party information that at least, I mean, is it reliable, but at least we could put people on the right track. You could find a place you could go to get some ideas about what is the true value of this property. Is there third party information I can get upfront before I actually put an offer on the property or engage with the seller and do that, as I say, this dance that takes place between a buyer and seller where the buyer will say, Okay, I'm willing to buy your property, but you have to make disclosures to me. I want to conduct inspections. What if you could go to a website where there's information already on the decks that you could look at before you even have to get to that point where you can make a more educated assessment as to whether you're interested in this property or not?
Because as I stated, all the online real estate websites that I know of that I've seen do not allow any third party input at all. I think truly, strangely had an ability to comment on properties, but the exclusions of what you could say were so broad, I don't even think it was going to be useful. I think the exclusion, in fact, said the terms of service said, yeah, you can comment on general aspects of the neighborhood, which was about it. I wouldn't be surprised if that's gone now. I should probably check, but I bet they probably nuked that after a couple of weeks. But anyway, the point being is that it became clear to me that there would be a very much a... There is lacking in the ecosystem of residential real estate, a tool that could be very useful to buyers by which, again, you could make an attempt to engage in some independent investigation upfront about real estate that has input from all various sources, not only other buyers who are interested in the property who may have seen it, but again, neighbors. Also archival information. If people would upload documents that they know would be useful or relevant to the home, such as maybe an inspection report that they saw or got their hands on.
What a valuable tool this could be for prospective home buyers to push back against a seller dominated market, particularly in the last couple of years. It was a seller dominant market from, I don't know, 2019 to at least last year. Things are a little bit flux now. But how great that would be. And I don't have any illusions. I don't think it's such a website would be the end all of real estate, but it would be a very viable tool and a place where you could really do a lot of fun things, too. One of the aspects of the website is the crunch price, which is the idea that people could come in, look at a property, see what it's being offered for according to the seller, and then say, Maybe, maybe not, and then put their own price up there and say, This is what I think it's worth. Then people can look at that as a community rating to say, Well, 50 people came on here and the aggregate price that they think it's worth is less than what the seller is putting up there, which could be a red flag to any potential buyer to think, Maybe I got to be more cautious about what I do.
Because as I say, in a hot seller market, people are just putting bids out there 20 %, 30 %, 40 % over asking right out of the gate. You're just like, Oh, my God. There's got to be some way to push back against that to get some better idea of what you're putting your money down on instead of just falling over yourself to buy a property.
__In early 2023, through a referral, you were introduced to Mike and I. I wonder if you could recap your early experience with us. I am sure you did your due diligence, but why did you ultimately select COAK to be your earliest architecture and build partner for what is now, housecrunch.com?__
Yeah, that's a good question. I mean, just to start out, I'd say, I came to this with zero, well, not zero, but pretty close to zero technical background on building websites. So I was at a very much a disadvantage in terms of knowing who to choose, how to choose, or even what I needed. And as you said, I did have a prior developer work, actually two prior developers. One, which ended up ghosting me, which was a bad experience. The other one was more, it was a different situation. Long story short, I came to the realization that what I really needed was somebody who, this was building a website, right? I would think this is my advice to people in my position of no technical background, I would say, knowing exactly what you wanted, which was just to build the website and not any other bells and whistles, just the, really just the construction, right? I wanted a... somebody could build it, not, you know, anything more or nothing less. That's what I wanted. And basically, and already having two sort of experiences that didn't, well, one didn't work out. One was just sort of a half workout. I did have some experience in kind of the lingo and understanding some of what the universe of development was from those experiences. And so then I really buckled down and did a little... research on what kind of firms out there are the kind of firms that would meet my needs.
And yeah, you're right. I don't recall exactly how I came to Cause of a Kind, but it was through a chain of recommendations, which I really just pressed. I pressed. I contacted people and I was like, this is what I want. Very, just a paragraph. I just, this is it. I don't want anything else. This is it. And I insisted on that and that really did get me to somebody who just said, look, here's who you want. And they gave me like three names. And frankly, I'll tell you guys this, you were the probably the most responsive. It was frankly, your guys' personal people handling that really won me over because, you know, in every walk of life, if you respond and you're positive, your people will react and then they'll follow through, which is what you guys did. You guys immediately contacted me back. you understood my issues and that was really the only way to go as far as I was concerned. And because I had already drilled down to the point where I knew you guys would offer what I wanted, it was really just a choice of who amongst like three choices. And it was just because you guys, again, I even think you guys had some solutions that had eluded me in the past regarding the architecture, which was impressive because I think some of the some outfits, you know, we were like, well, you know, we would have to look into how we'd set this up, et cetera.
Whereas you guys, I think responded immediately with answers to questions that I was probably going to ask at some point, but given you guys sort of up fronted it, I was like, all right, we're already 30% down the road. You know, this is great. I don't have to like, you know, go walk through the whole like, well, how are we gonna do this? And then what are the actual like, you know, scaffolding that we need to build? You guys were already down that road quite a bit, which was very refreshing because as I say, the first bad-ish experience I had, that was one of the problems is that they didn't know how to actually get the thing off the ground, technically speaking, on some of the technical aspects. Whereas it was so refreshing that you guys are basically already there. You guys are like, oh yeah, this is how we can do it. We have the databases, we can set all that up. That's it. And I was like, all right. That's great. So yeah, that was the two things. You guys responded immediately, and two, you guys already had solutions to the problems that I hadn't even broached yet to you guys. So that was a real confidence builder from my end.
__What is it like to put an MVP out in the market? What is your current pursuit and near term goal for the platform and what steps are you taking to achieve these goals?__
Yeah, so I mean, we do have an MVP. It's a little bit of a minimum product, I guess, is the way to best describe it. It doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles that eventually, hopefully, it will get. Yeah, I mean, I'm excited and a little, you know, part of me is just worried about my doing enough to push this forward because I still have a full-time job practicing law. So that is a concern. It's like, how much time can I dedicate to this, to push this forward? So it is a concern.
Right now, I think the idea and pushing it forward is just to get, it's two tracks really, is to one, get as much exposure to the product as possible by people who are interested in real estate, and two, to try to reach out to more institutional players who might be either interested in becoming partners or investors in the product. So that's sort of the two track I'm aiming to do. How I plan to do that. One is I'm going to try to have an integrated, I'm trying to develop sort of integrated system where I will go through recent house listings and just myself make a post on it and get it out there just so that the site just starts building up a little bit of exposure on that front. Because I think the main challenge of the site, and this is something I've talked with people ad nauseam and very well aware of it, it is the one major hurdle is like. How am I gonna drive people to use a site that requires them to do a little bit of work? So, that is the big obstacle, right? Are people gonna be willing to come to the site and actually put a star rating on a house, et cetera? And how many people are out there who are willing to do it? And that's the great experiment. I mean, we're gonna find out. I mean, are people really gonna be interested in doing this kind of thing? Maybe they are, maybe they're not. Maybe I'm going down a dark alley. We'll find out, that's the key.
So. Anyway, what I'm starting to do is to build up a presence on all major platforms. And my short-term goal is to just start plugging away and start just myself starting to rate houses, get some ratings out there, try to get some attention just on that front. And so that hopefully draw more and more people into visiting the site and maybe making some inputs and just hopefully build up some exposure that way. And then the other exposure that we talked about was using LinkedIn as a platform to reach out to more institutional players, players who could magnify the presence of the site.
I haven't really gotten into that quite yet. I've just been, it's, as I say, I have dual loyalties between my day job and the website, which has been a little bit of an obstacle, but things are looking up. I've overcome some hurdles on that front. So that's the short term plan. just get it out there, just start getting houses rated so that hopefully people who are looking at houses start picking up, start noticing that site's out there. And then at the same time, getting some more institutional players who are interested in real estate just to talk to them and maybe get some interest, maybe get some, I don't know, I don't wanna say partnerships necessarily, but just some backing from other people in the industry who would say, hey, this looks like an interesting product. I'm gonna tell some more people about it.
__As homeowners, Mike and I absolutely love HouseCrunch. It provides a very unique experience for the homeowner, the real estate agent, the buyer, the sellers, the appraisers, the neighbors, the lawyers, and so many other personas simply by returning the power of homeownership to the homeowner. We like to say simply, this is Zillow with Comments. What do you see as the future of housecrunch? Why is it important to return the power if home ownership to homeowners?__
I was just going to say that's an aspect of the site that doesn't really come out yet, just because again, it's in an MVP mode, is to bring out more abilities of this. Because right now, most of the stuff we're talking about is empowering buyers to be more informed about purchases. But you're right, this flipped dual side of this, the mirror image is for sellers to use the site proactively to get ahead of any issues.
One of the things I think would be a huge feature down the line if this takes off is sellers in maybe in conjunction with agents to purchase priority space in a site like this, not just out of a cynical like, oh, we're going to sell space just to hijack these people, make them pay to put their notes. So that if you go to a property, you can see, sure, there's third party people saying what they're saying about this property, some of it good, maybe some of it bad, but then you also have the perspective of a seller. who could put their own information. And as you know, one thing you did on in this conversation, which I hadn't quite, I mean, maybe intuitively understood, but you really nailed it was that, you know, there's a lot of aspects of a home that never come out in the actual real estate transaction process from the seller's side that you think would be, you'd want to know about, right? That the seller can say, you know, we love this house and we did this, and we really feel the value here and there because of the things we did. I mean, a little bit of that comes out in a real estate transaction, but not. I mean, the real estate agent, you know, for the seller can say, oh, you know, this family lived here and was so great and blah, blah. And you're like, oh yeah, you're just saying that.
Whereas if you can see in the seller's own words in a direct format, the value they have on it, maybe some of the emotional attachments, you know, it could have great value to potential buyers. So anyway, the point is, as you were just saying, I think there is real value from a seller perspective as well, not just, again, a cynical like, oh, this site is going to, you know. be the tool of buyers to tear down houses? No, I mean, there'd be some of that for sure. If you feel there's a lemon out there, somebody's trying to put a property on the market, which is clearly fraudulent, but at the same token, if there really is a special place that whose value could be augmented by some sort of direct input from the seller in a priority contact format, beautiful. People would value that.
And we hopefully, as this thing matures, a lot of those tracking features can be included in a sort of a one button system where you can really just say new client, boom, just touch the button and it records the date and you can have that as, again, archival history of that kind of information.
The two features which are going to be the ground features are the rating system and the crunch price. If there's anything that's going to drop people in, I think it would be those two things because anything else is going to be more of an add-on that's going to require more of a presence. So yeah, if people are interested in rating houses, this will be allowing them to do so if they're interested.
Not only are you a career attorney, an author, currently moonlighting Housecrunch, and distinguished member of your community, you are also a husband and a father. How do you find balance? What is it like to be a founder in not only business, but also in family? What do they think about your pursuits of HouseCrunch?
So basically what I have to do is to say just block an hour, two hours. to do stuff. And sometimes maybe you end up not doing anything super productive, but you just get on your platform, do stuff. And that's basically my basic philosophy is, within the trap you can get into is to say, oh, I'm gonna do all this stuff, I have a plan, and it's all gonna come together.
And then you're just like, I have no time to do that. And you just say, look, just spend an hour, do what you can, set minor, that's how I call micro goals. You say, okay, you have one hour, here's two things you gotta do. And it would always surprise me, it's like how much time it actually takes to do those two things. You think, oh, I just want to register this or whatever, you know, or post something. That should be like 10 minutes. So you get on there and something you realize, no, it actually takes me 45 minutes just to get it right, you know. I've always, you know, it's the thing in this project. Because, you know, if you're practicing law for 20 years, things do can come quite quickly to you. You can really move things along, you know, because you've done it, it's rote.
Something like this for me is not rote. I have to take a step back and just acknowledge like, doing this one small task you think should take five minutes is not gonna take five minutes, but just set micro tasks, just keep moving the ball forward slowly but surely. So that's basically it. That's basically how I'm operating these days.
__What does Karl want to be known for ultimately? What is the most grandiose goal that you have for yourself? Essentially, what does Karl want to be when Karl grows up?__
Yeah, well, you know... If House Crunch were to take off and become, you know, supplant my legal career, then that'd be something I'd let it do. If it was capable of doing that, I wouldn't mind that at all. In fact, that would be a nice exit point. I guess, you know, the thing about the laws, like people practice till they're like 80 something, they can, and then that's, some people love it, that's fine.
And I don't really see myself doing that, although God forbid, who knows. So if House Crunch were to become sort of the exit from a, I practiced law for 20 years, it's not like I was desperate to get out, but it'd be nice if it did become something, then if it became a way to sort of the next career step, that would be pretty amazing. I'd be pretty excited about that. Anyway, as I've always said from the beginning, if it became successful, but didn't make me rich or whatever, that'd be fine. I mean, if it became a way to reorient a portion of the real estate market to the benefit of consumers generally. That'd be quite a mark to make to say like, there was an idea, I ran with it and it actually did result in the betterment of an industry that was not serving the broader public that well. That would be definitely something to be proud of and to say there was a point to all this. So that would definitely be great.
And God forbid, if it actually became super successful, whatever, it's sold or whatever. As you say, as I was telling you earlier, what would I do if I grew up? You know, I can actually see myself going back to doing some writing. That would be something I might be interested in doing. Historical fiction, that was something I thought would be the next logical step from the first book I wrote would be to get into historical fiction. So we shall see.
Like the fringes of my mind kind of go like totally...
Well, I have to tell you this is a semi joke I made to my wife. So, you know, I'm from Boise, Idaho, So outside of this is a fantasy slash joke. But God, if I actually could do it, maybe I would. Was there's this giant plateau above the above the city, Boise, which has a giant religious. cross on it that lights up at night. That's always been controversial. Anyway, long story short, it's on a large plateau and I always thought it'd be hilarious. It'll save for whatever reason. I became immensely wealthy and I could do whatever I wanted. There's actually a giant chunk of private property on the back end of it and I always thought, I'm going to buy that back end of that plateau above the city and build a facsimile, a replica of the Acropolis or something like that, like a giant, just huge Roman Greek temple. just sort of a counterpoint, counterpoint. I mean, not to, I don't, you know, I'm not trying to be against the cross or anything, but I thought like, if they got the cross out there, I'm gonna put the Acropolis, like some giant, like, Zeus or something. Yeah, Anyway, that would be like my life, like that would be like life's testament, you know, like a giant, like, because you know, if you've ever been to Boise, it's hard to explain, but this like plateau I'm explaining, it dominates the city, it sits like right above it. And mostly it's a park, which is great. It's a public area and people hike to it. But part of it is this private, it's a quarry actually. And I think it's private property. Anyway, long story short, I think it'd be pretty bewildering and awesome to build this huge out of place temple. I think people would hate it at first, but this is just a blight on our Community. Been there like 20 years after I'm dead, they'd be like, this is a tremendous...
Tourist attraction, like, you know, ugh, ha ha.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/karl-runft
# Winsome Kirton, CEO of Heard.io
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2023-06-29
__Tell us about yourself. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__
I'm a founder and I'm an entrepreneur of two businesses. But beyond that, I'm a mother, a wife, a sister. I'm just, you know, yeah, just kind of hanging out here. So I, as you know, as far as hobbies go, I enjoy painting. I'm an artist. I'm a creative individual and I love interior design.
A lot of that pulls through the work that I do. But yeah, I don't know. I think I'm just a normal human being, surviving and thriving at a few things as well.
__Tell me all about Pack Elephant and more recently, your jump into the deep end of eCommerce with Heard.io. What are these brands focused on and how are they uniquely position in the marketplace?__
So Pack Elephant is my first business. It's a corporate gift-boxing business that elevates products from diverse zones, focused on social impact, and environmentally sustainable brands. We have a focus on local sourcing, and are really just trying to help, our enterprise customers scale their sourcing from these types of businesses through the vehicle of corporate gifting and gift boxes specifically.
I launched a new brand, Heard.io, this year in 2023. I actually have been stepping away from Pack Elephant and into this new role with Heard.io, which has a very similar mission to Pack Elephant, but we're actually going a step further with the ESG mission. Heard.io leverages AI to help build out an ESG super graph with every merchant that we're working with in our marketplace. The goal is ultimately to be able to tag for ESG alignment every business in the USA.
So that's Heard.io. It's a marketplace, it's an e-commerce channel. There are a lot of features that help businesses on both sides, transact with each other. But that's really the differentiating point, is the data and analytics that go into it as well.
__You once had a career in Advertising and Marketing for corporate big brands. Your experience with Gifts & Entertainment as a perk of the career path was unique. Tell us a bit about your vision for completely challenging this as it lead to you dedicating your full attention to a mission that disrupts this traditional corporate culture.__
No, not by chance. All the stars did have to align. With my experience in advertising, I worked for a few different agencies on the media side. So I was a digital media director for some bigger holding companies. And then I also kind of worked for a smaller company as well that has grown since I've left. But with all of this, I was on the receiving and giving end of corporate gifting pretty frequently. was receiving items from the vendors that we worked with, gifting our clients, receiving gifts from my employer for different appreciation events. I was always an active member of various Employee Resource Groups that would require some sort of sourcing as well. So the idea of gifting, you really think about like the holidays and you think about specific, landmark anniversary gifts. But when you think about sourcing in general, it's happening around us all the time.
A lot of the organizations I work with are trying to be intentional about the way they source these items and they really care. But when it comes down to it. It's really time intensive and difficult to source from vendors that live in our communities. And I wanted to just alleviate that and help make it much more convenient. Because if it were Amazon easy to source all of these things from the local businesses, the small mom and pop shops and the diverse owned businesses that we genuinely care about then we would actually put our money where our values are and that's just what's been driving both businesses.
__Mission driven is an individual ethos. It is a way of living, interacting and impacting the world around you. Tell us a bit about your past, and what influenced you to dedicate your extended career and passions to mission driven work with not 1, not 2, but 3 endeavors simultaneously with Pack Elephant Retail, Pack Elephant.com and now Heard.io?__
It was something I just always have cared about deeply. It goes back to my roots in college. I was a visual studies major. I am an artist. I'm a creator. There's so many creative people living and breathing around us, trying to make a living and oftentimes they just don't have the access that they need to really scale their businesses.
Like the networks with these corporate purchasers, these buying teams, is hard to break into. I'm directly answering your question, but I think that I've seen this from multiple sides of the table. I've been the person with Pack Elephant specifically trying to break into these enterprise sales channels. It's very hard. I've been the person on the side of sourcing and in my past life in advertising, I was responsible for sourcing at times when I'm like, this is not my day job. I have so many other things on my plate, like why, you know, Starbucks gift card. I love, no shade on Starbucks, but it's one of those things where. when it's kind of piled on top of a list of things that you're already responsible for.
When working on Pack Elephant, I was also doing a ton of sourcing from these small businesses and even though it was the core of the business model, it still was incredibly time consuming. So I don't know. This is... my experience, my personal experience, living through these different challenges, and then being a woman of color, you know, in corporate America and realizing that it's, we're not well represented at the table. It has made me want to dedicate my work towards uplifting people who, like me, are not often at the table.
__In early 2022, through a referral, you were introduced to Mike and I. I wonder if you could recap your early experience with us. I am sure you did your due diligence, but why did you ultimately select COAK to be your earliest architecture and build partner for what is now, Heard.io? Like what was the mindset and position as you are about to jump into the role of “Tech Founder” full on?__
We were just becoming technology focused and we were in pursuit of someone to partner with that could help bring us from this very, kind of, brick and mortar operations heavy business, into the digital space with an e-commerce tool that would allow our customers to do more, and in a more streamlined way, interface with our merchants. I feel like when I was introduced to Cause of a Kind, one of the things that initially just really was a delight was the fact that I was going to have the opportunity to work, you know, hand in hand with you, to be able to have Mike as the fractional CTO on our team was a huge, huge value add because there are so many tools in the marketplace. There's so many things to evaluate in the landscape.
Being someone that is not technology focused, it's just incredibly daunting. I felt that I would have this partnership with two individuals, not to mention your team, but with two individuals specifically that were really listening to what our needs were and willing to walk side by side with us to make the best decisions for our brand. I think that was just different than anything else that we had seen in the marketplace when we're looking for engineers through this recruiting platform that introduced us. They even said, and the reason that they made the intro was like, “hey, you know when you know your project and it's super well defined and you know exactly the type of talent that you need to execute, like we got you. But if you need someone to help you wade through this decision-making process, like we think that Cause of a Kind, Mike and Justin are probably gonna be better suited to help you at this point in your journey.” So, I mean, that's exactly why we went with Cause of a Kind is why we selected your agency to work with us.
Working with you was so illuminating because we got to see kind of the underbelly of the tech process. And that enabled me to start identifying where we needed to augment, but then also really focus on bringing individuals with certain skill sets and expertise. So That process, it was a little bit of a messy process on our side, I can't lie. You know, it wasn't all like rainbows and sunshine, like finding the right fit. But ultimately we did hire three in-house engineers, were contracted with them and they are full-time, focused on front-end architecture and then back-end integrations. So those are kind of the three different areas that each of them own.
Cause of a Kind was super helpful because we were able to, well, first of all, you built the backbone of what it is that we ultimately launched and have in market today. But being able to have experts on your team help with that knowledge transfer was, critical. If we didn't have that bridge, then we would not have been able to get to where we are right now.
So, I don't know, hopefully like staying focused on answering the question that you asked, but yeah, building out our team, you know, was, it really would not have been possible without going through some of the dev process with your team understanding how everything ultimately was being built and transitioning that knowledge was a big part of the process.
__It is no secret that there are significant climate challenges, social injustices, and deep humanitarian issues impacting the entire world. Pack Elephant and Heard.io take a very visible stance in the market around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Shopping Local, Decreasing carbon footprints, and increasing opportunities for the micro artisan, small main street business, and minority makers and manufacturers. How do you see Pack Elephant and Heard.io amplifying solutions for solving some of these global challenges?__
The reason that we spun off the technology into Heard.io is just that because we are genuinely trying to tackle this at a global scale. And, you know, Heard.io, it's a really layered challenge. So on the surface, there are all of these issues. And we really want to be the brand that helps enterprise customers put their money where their values are when they talk about wanting to make a positive impact on people and on our planet. And now, when you unpack that a little bit, many of the organizations that we work with have already made some really public statements about their commitments. They have built out supplier diversity teams within their procurement department. They have, you know, someone that is leading DE&I internally. They have ESG goals that they're trying to meet. They have already put stakes in the ground and they've made, they're making noise about it and that's awesome. That's where we want people to be.
That said, there is still a huge disconnect between these big statements that are being made by organizations and the actual needle moving, especially within our communities when you look at small businesses. Only about 3.5%, it's about three and a half percent of dollars that are going through the supply chain are being spent with diverse owned businesses. Only 4% of those dollars are being spent with small businesses. So, Heard.io's mission is to change that. We want to be the disruptors in the space that allow these large enterprises to really effectively source from these businesses that they do want to support. Now, why aren't they supporting them? Like, why is there this gap in the marketplace?
A big part of this. challenge is that it's hard to discover and identify and then partner with small businesses that don't have the infrastructure to plug into these mega systems. You know, when you think about small businesses. they're only gonna be categorized as a black-owned business or a woman-owned or other diverse-owned business if they hold these certifications, which by the way can run up to $1,000 annually. These businesses are operating in a way that is sustainable. They're using upcycled materials. They're making commitments, but they might not be. green certified, they might not be B Corp certified. So because they're not certified, they're not being picked up by the large enterprises. The large enterprises are here saying, we wanna work with these businesses, where are they?
They exist, they're doing the right thing and they wanna work with the large enterprises, but there's a bridge. Heard.io makes it easy for large enterprises to identify, to transact with and measure the impact of their spend with these small businesses who otherwise are just falling through the cracks of our ESG ecosystem. And, you know, certifications are a beautiful thing. Like, I think we need that. We need some sort of accountability, you know, but at the same time, this system that has been created to help uplift these businesses is the same system that unfortunately is creating barriers for them. So our approach with Her.io is really to help break down this barrier. And we're tapping innovative technologies to do so. We're actually using AI off the shelf, but we're also building our own heuristic for ESG semantic analysis to help build out an ESG super graph for all of the businesses that we work with. Because we want to be able to create a profile, an ESG profile that is easy for these small businesses to... to access and to market and it's not going to ever replace the certification system per se, but I mean, think of it as an on-ramp.
Think of it as the first step that a small business can take to making sure that the good that they're doing, all of the hard work that they're putting towards being sustainable can actually be recognized by larger organizations that really do genuinely wanna work.
__Not only are you a career powerhouse, multi time entrepreneur, employer, and distinguished member of your community, you are also a wife and a mother. How do you find balance? What is it like to be a founder in not only business, but also in family?__
Yes, managing it all is challenging. I'm not going to lie. I feel crazy at times for trying to take it all on. But I think the way that I'm able to manage it, I have two babies, two boys under two, to be specific, is to delegate and to surround myself with a support system so that I can trust other people to help. My husband's awesome at making sure that he's incredibly involved. He's equally as busy as I am, he's a doctor. But he also is just amazing at making sure that all of the responsibilities of the household don't fall on my shoulders. He definitely helps a lot. And now we have an au pair as well who helps with the kids too. So she will help get them ready in the morning.
They do go to daycare, she helps in the evening. You know, it's something, we have a 360 kind of support system that we've built around ourselves here in Michigan because our families aren't here to help. But I would say to any entrepreneur, you know, it's, I always, before I had kids, would say like, oh, I'm not gonna have kids because I, you know, really want to be career driven and there's no way to do both. The secret is there is a way to do both. And that is to surround yourself with a support system that you trust. It's the same as growing a business and in hiring people that you trust to delegate to.
If you try and take the weight of the world on your shoulders all the time, you're gonna feel that and it's gonna manifest itself in ways that you really don't want it to. So being proactive about building a support system, it's just, yeah, it's been my lifeline.
__Speaking of family, you went a step further than most as far as your families involvement with your business. Your brother, Rey is also a large part of the leadership team for Pack Elephant and now Heard.io. He has an entirely different and specialized set of skills. What is it like to have Rey as a part of the team?__
Well, you know, having a kind of almost like a co-founder relationship is like a marriage in a lot of ways, right? So I'm not surprised that you thought that. There's a lot that we need to be on the same page about. We do have disagreements sometimes, but I would say that probably a unique part of my relationship with Rey is we have he's always been like the perfect. balancing weight to my energy in our whole life, like always. I've been always kind of the visionary pie in the sky, dreamer, and he's been the realest that will keep me down to earth. He's also an incredibly talented individual. I trust him personally, obviously with a lot, but professionally, I have no qualms about letting him into like the innermost circle of my businesses. He has an incredible background in finance. He's now in the venture capital world. He brings a prospectus to the table that really helps keep me driven towards growth. I'm going to say that again. He has a background in finance that he can bring to the table and ensure that we're always thinking about growth of the organization, whether that was Pack Elephant and now Heard.io. So yeah, I mean, I know it's a little bit unorthodox to have your brother as an advisor, as a board member on your company, but even if... Yeah, I don't know. I think that he has been like such a rock for both of the organizations. I wouldn't have it any other way.
__What does Winsome want to be known for ultimately? What is the most grandiose goal that you have for yourself?__
I could see myself on like a Nobel Prize stage for impacting global commerce. And like not in a way that's like profit first in a way that's people first and in a way that inspires young people to go into a creative pathway that they can turn into small enterprise to inspire people that are looking for second leases on life. To go and pursue a dream that maybe they have when they were a young kid and never had the security to do. I see something recognizable for me and when I think grandiosity, I think “why not me”.
Full Episode from Strictly From Nowhere
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/winsome-kirton
# HEROES Spotlight: Lucas Coniker
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-06-08
*Lucas Coniker is a Long Island, New York native, pursuing excellence in his three primary sports; Rock Climbing, Wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Lucas represents the future of his sports, trains and performas at an elite level, and is the very first Cause of a Kind Sponsored Athlete*
__Tell us about yourself. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__
About me. As you know I am a climber, but I also am a wrestler and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. I come from a pretty big family, I have 3 siblings: Caleb, Jacob, and Addison. All my life I have been very connected with my family. Other than that I live the life of a normal teenage guy.
__Tell us a bit about your goals and ambitions. As the first Cause of a Kind Sponsored Athlete, where do you envision your sport taking you? What are some of your goals as you continue to progress?__
My main goals and ambitions are really just to stay active always. Whether it’s training in the gym or going to BJJ class I never want to not be doing anything. In regards to climbing my goal is to be the best climber I can be. I envision myself to be one of the strongest climbers in the world and I know I can reach that goal because I’m never not working hard and I’m dedicated. As I continue to progress the most important thing is to take it slow. Go grade by grade and just climb as much as possible. Only being 17 I have all the time in the world to be the best. Why rush it.
__Naturally, you train in a gym, but execute outdoors. How would you describe the difference between indoor and outdoor climbing from the perspective of fear and risk?__
It’s definitely a big transition to go from a gym climber to an outdoor climber. Climbing in a gym it’s a relatively safe environment, the walls all go to the same height, and there pads everywhere. With outdoor bouldering you don’t know what you're going to get with regards to the boulder. Some boulders can be 12 feet tall others can be 25 foot highballs. You have to be more cautious and aware when outdoor climbing and I would advise always having a spot because if one pad is set up wrong and you have no spotter it can go bad very quickly.
__Spending so much time outdoors, you must see some environmentally unfortunate things. What are some ways that you are taking care of the world around you and what advice do you recommend to your peers?__
It really is devastating seeing how dirty some people leave the crags and the beaches. Being a climber on Long Island most of the boulders are on the beach and walking the beaches you see trash everywhere you look. Not too long ago I participated in a cleaning of the beach at east Marion hosted by island rock. It felt really nice to give back to the community and would love to do it again soon.
__You have an amazing bond with your family. It revolves around Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, Rock Climbing, and general competition. Where did this all come from? What or who inspired you to pursue your passions?__
I would definitely say my dad is the guy that really inspired me and shaped me into the person I am today. Without him I would have never been introduced to BJJ. When I was young I wasn’t interested in any of the normal mainstream sports. My dad showing me the life of Brazilian jiu-jitsu really changed me as a whole. Having been in competitions since I was six, It really showed me how to handle my losses and grow from them. My dad has been by my side since day one and he will continue to be there helping me along my journey.
__As you look forward to pursuing your education at SUNY New Paltz, what are your education goals? Where do you see your education enabling your future and what were some of the primary reasons you selected this institution?__
My plan is to continue to further my education and my goal is to finish all four years of college. In addition to creating a network for my climbing and really striving to Pursue my professional climbing career. I chose SUNY New Paltz to be near the mountains. I get easy access to all the boulders whenever I want. It’s the perfect place to work on my dream career.
__Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, initiatives and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to learn about?__
People can get in touch with me by following my [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lucas.climbs). I’m just really stoked to share my progress and my journey as a climber.
__What is your name and a should Bio to attach to it?__
I am a 17 year old teenager who is trying to take there sport to the next level.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-lucas-coniker
# Dave Benson, Founder @ SuperQuickQuestion
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-05-31
*Dave Benson is the CEO of SuperQuickQuestion and a current customer of Cause of a Kind. He brings a career of knowledge and insight to a disruptor technology and aims to solve an age old problem around scaling time and keeping interactions short, sweet and Super Quick.*
__Tell us about yourself. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__
I was the second-tallest kid in my Hebrew School for a little while. I won a juggling contest when I was 12. Didn’t know what I wanted to do when I graduated college so I moved to Paris and then London. I’ve bartended a bunch and realized you can learn a lot by asking people about what they know. I’ve got what someone called “Reverse Impostor Syndrome” because I’m more than happy to admit when I don’t know something (yet).
__It is no secret that you are a New Yorker through and through. Originating from Long Island, pursuing SUNY Albany for your education, and now residing in NYC, what are some of the recognizable shifts in workplace interactions that you have noticed over your career and what makes it different in the Big Apple?__
New York is fast. We talk fast, walk fast and listen fast. I think remote work is allowing everyone else to take advantage of that same quickness. Remote work is here to stay whether hybrid or otherwise. The upside is that my colleagues in North Carolina, Ohio, Florida and Indiana are all connected with me and each other in a way they wouldn’t have been before. The best workplaces (and cities) are both resilient and agile. So, there’s the urge to try to communicate the way we did before, but it has to be coupled with newer and better practices and tools (like [SuperQuickQuestion](https://SuperQuickQuestion.com "SuperQuickQuestion"), thanks for letting me plug it…).
You can’t expect things to be like they were before because they aren’t. The world is changing, tech is changing and the ways in which we work are changing. Adapt or die.
__You are certainly well traveled and have had an extensive career prior to earning the title of CEO and introducing an elegant software solution to the world. Tell us a bit about your early career and how you originally navigated some of the most recognizable logos on earth.__
I was never a tech guy, like you and my pals at Cause. I was a radio DJ in London, a journalist in NY and then got into sports media before moving over to marketing at IBM. Each of those experiences geared me up for what I’m doing now, but I’m an absolute novice CEO. It’s been great because I was forced to learn a ton of stuff from loads of smart people. I had no preconceived notions because I actually didn’t know anything.
__You created a brand out of a problem. [SuperQuickQuestion](https://www.superquickquestion.com/ "SuperQuickQuestion") is rooted in brevity. The opportunity to keep meetings, engagements, interviews, and just workplace questions, short, sweet and productive. What was the inception for the idea and why was the need for SQQ so apparent that you were willing to pivot a whole career, and jump into SaaS, investor land, and the CEO life?__
I moved from sports media to IBM and everything took too long and I’m not a particularly patient guy. Meetings upon meetings that were often far too long. I started zipping over to people’s desks and promising to only take a minute (and never going longer). I’d get the answer I needed and then they’d cancel the 30 minutes we were scheduled for. Win-win. That was the genesis of SQQ – a one-on-one video chat with a 60-second time limit. Of course, now we’re using it for fans to engage with athletes and musicians, experts to give advice or writers to talk to their followers.
I never intended to start my own company, let alone a SaaS one, but the idea took off, investors came along and then I quit a job that I liked a lot in order to take a crack at this. So far, so good.
CEO life is a funny one because it’s really the same as my old life. The biggest difference is nobody can create problems or stress for me other than me. So, if I end up having to work extra hard on something it’s because of something within my control, which is good.
__You are packed with wisdom, a ton of comedy and very practical advice for, well, anyone, that can catch your attention. Why do you enjoy mentorship so much? What are some simple strategies that other leaders can deploy, which would make them as accessible and willing to nurture future professionals?__
First of all…thank you.
I think any time someone learns something they’re eager to share it. Almost any time I’ve asked someone to share their expertise, the answer is yes. It’s also a great exercise to help reinforce learning – tell someone else and you’ll get smarter about it yourself. So, I do really enjoy trying to tell others stuff that I know because it makes me feel smart (wink) but also it makes me smarter. It’s also extraordinarily gratifying when someone who was an intern for me tells me years later that something I told them was actually helpful.
__Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, initiatives and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to learn about?__
[Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-benson-95b0b61/ "Linkedin"). Or email me. Dave@superquickquestion.com The good/bad news is, there are tons of projects and initiatives that need help. There have never been so many worthy causes to donate to, march for or talk about. Just pick something and get to work!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-dave-benson
# HEROES Spotlight: Todd Blumberg
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-05-27
__Tell us about yourself. What makes you, uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__
After nearly thirty five years here on earth my back hurts but overall it's been a solid ride; depending on how you look at it, which I think was shaped in my upbringing / background. I was fortunate enough to have a one-stop-shop super mom and a cool, odd father and bonus, amazing step father. Sure, my household was chaotic and messed up but I've grown up to appreciate the blessings and learned how to be a good person because of all my parents.
After 34 + years, I can say I am happy with who I am becoming because of my past experiences and yes, even the messed up decisions. Learning from my parents' mishaps and wins has been huge too.
Surfing takes priority for me. There is no better hobby or sport, in my opinion. Tennis is good but impactful on my joints and snowboarding needs to be in primo conditions. I consider myself more athletic now than ever and I prefer to use hobbies as exercise versus the traditional gym.
The need to shred burns deep within me and I plan on implementing it into my daily dream lifestyle soon, list follows in no particular order:
1. Surf ( in warm water )
2. Work ( TV & Film Creative Ventures )
3. Cook ( outdoors )
4. Socialize ( host dinners etc )
__You have a creative relationship with nature, theater, art, food, and film. As a lifelong creative with an attraction to comedic and dramatic art, what are some things that inspire you, challenge you, and keep you motivated to continue to evolve?__
I like enjoying the moment and filmmaking is a great medium to create those moments, so is surfing. It’s mental. And when I cook, I'm committed to nature. For me it comes down to doing whatever the F*** you want, which is what I do to keep me happy and what I do best. I can only speak on my instinctual, primal feeling of passion that burns in many forms it can be a craving for Empanadas or a story I just can't wait to tell. Comprehending the opportunities and love around my life, I can say let nature take its course and set sail on all your creative desires, that's the ultimate truth of how I got to here mid-route of this awesome life. Challenges are expectations and daydreaming. Just do the work and the rest will show up.
__As a young man, you explored the reaches of your interests and creativity. What are some notable experiences that have shaped your creativity and have lent themselves to your current bodies of work?__
While I am still exploring, most of my work is centered around identity, whether it be insecurities, comedy, religion, or mental health issues, I use filmmaking as a means of exploration and catharsis to better understand who I am and work through life experiences.
__You have had a very non-traditional route, professionally. There is something to be said about following your passions and pursuing your own truth. Tell us about your relationship with nature, the ocean, the mountains and spirituality and how they have guided you to craft a professional experience perfectly matched for you.__
I grew up climbing trees, scraping my knees and located outside at any given opportunity. I became a “natural” story-teller over time. My interests stem back to the rainforest club in elementary school, to finally going to Costa Rica and seeing some poison dart frogs in person. There's some magic out there, and it's in nature and space. Which is the same, just one has oxygen?
__As an actor, writer, producer, director and business owner, the need to upskill and constantly evolve, pursue relevancy, and explore the reaches of your skillset, we have to ask, what are some practical ways that others can explore towards mastery of their own craft?__
1. Work relentlessly
2. Do not quit just dont stop
3. Commit to creating your destiny and taking control and finding a crack in the system.
__You write, produce and create to evoke emotion and to challenge cultural, social and environmental experiences that you encounter. You discover inspiration everywhere you go, but there must be a couple of things that you constantly drift back to. What are some of your roots? What are some of the constants that keep your grounded, inspired and in pursuit of your art?__
Family overall. My inspiration comes from the feeling of home blended with an imaginary life of the feelings I want to have.
Routine. Routine is key – It’s a sensitive balance between healthy and overdone. As an entrepreneur and creative, my schedule is entirely up to me. Waking up early has been crucial for my work. Go outside.
__Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, initiatives and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to learn about?__
I really like [ART TO ACRES](https://art-to-acres-com.webnode.page "ART TO ACRES") a non-profit initiative. It connects art and large-scale land conservation by raising funds through the sale of specifically gifted art works and voluntary donations.
@theresourceroom.tv
@toddoflosfeliz
[https://vimeo.com/user30283462](https://vimeo.com/user30283462 "https://vimeo.com/user30283462")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-todd-blumberg
# HEROES Spotlight: Dilmer Valecillos
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2022-05-27
__Tell us about yourself, Dilmer. What makes you, uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__
Hello Everyone, I am Dilmer Valecillos and I was born in South America specifically in Venezuela where I spent the first 16 years of my life. During that time I remember growing up and getting my first computer at the age 9, I also remember breaking computers so many times and my parents having to suffer to pay for every repair until one day I was able to take computers apart and fix them myself, YES this was the beginning of my journey with computers and technology.
As far as hobbies, I grew up with technology, I had a big love for computer games such as Mario, Starcraft, Age of Empire, Mortal Kombat, and others, I was obsessed with becoming the best with every game, I also used to play many sports and Ping Pong was one of my favorites which I used to play daily at a local Ping Pong Club in South America.
I grew up surrounded with love, honestly I had an amazing and very large family and within my close family I was an only child but my parents from both sides had between 8-9 siblings which gave me the opportunity to spend so much time playing with cousins and friends.
__As an engineer you figured out how to marry a truly technical skill set with Art. Can you tell us a bit about your passion for Game Development and the artistic outlet it has created for you? Which game are you most proud of?__
I started to get fascinated with game development at an early age but honestly never had the focus and passion to do anything about it, yes I played games with my friends and family and we always talked about the idea of making a game someday but in South America life was not as easy.
After arriving to US at the age of 16 I was given many opportunities such as going to a College and University where I got my degree in Computer Science and right after 1 year of college and having some experience with programming I started to mess with Unity...and the rest is history...jk let me tell you about it...the moment I started to play with Unity I remember telling myself WOW this is way too hard and at the time I was watching stories of amazing indie game developers making it big in the industry, also many of them sharing their FAILURES and how hard it was to make a game, honestly I didn't think it was going to be as hard.
One day I decided to work on a small indie platformer called [Stickman World](https://store.steampowered.com/app/807810/Stickman_World/ "Stickman World"), this game took me 2-3 years to develop on my own, I also was working full time as a dev and going to college so making a game was only a thing I did after work hours which is why the game took so long. I released the game to the App Store, Apple TV, Steam, and it got featured by Apple, after that I did a few [mini games](https://store.steampowered.com/search/?publisher=Dilmer%20Games "mini games") also for iOS and Android which honestly is what got me into loving game development.
__Lots of folks have heard of Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality. You took this a step further. Can you tell us what Extended Reality entails and why it is the future?__
After working on making mobile games I decided to test ARKit with one of my puzzle games so there I was testing AR...I added all the components required for ARKit, added some code, hit compile, build, pulled my iPhone out and there I was, looking at my first AR experience, wow I can see my game align to the real physical world ! isn't this some crazy magic ? Yes, that got me hooked into AR and from that point forward all I wanted to do was AR. Later in my journey I did the same with VR and joined the Oculus Start program where I was given VR headsets to test a few NDA prototypes I was working on.
I tell people XR is the future because just like an iPhone was revolutionary for many back when it was first released I see the same for XR. I think extending our world with AR makes so much sense, there is so much information we can utilize without having to pull our phones out that could potentially improve our lives, I see it used today in so many industries such as manufacturing, health, military, simulation, etc but in the future this will be widely adopted in households, when driving, when preparing a simple meal, and a big part of our daily lives.
__You have a deep passion for giving back to your community as both an education on YouTube with a very healthy audience and a huge amount of content, but also a deep contributor to GitHub, reaching people from all over the world as they explore AR and VR development. Where does this driving passion come from?__
I think giving back is the key to success, if someone else is successful that makes me happy and therefore successful, it honestly depends on your goals but my goal is to help as many people as I can with my knowledge about XR and open source code.
My passion has built overtime, I think one of the biggest contributors to my passion is XR prototyping and seeing how others can use those prototypes to create something amazing and production ready.
__Tell us a bit about your skills and some amazing projects that you are really proud of. Also, what are some of your software goals and aspirations you have with your talent?__
I've a lot of projects under NDA since I work with many clients, but I am definitely proud of all the [open source projects](https://github.com/dilmerv "open source projects") I've provided to the community from [self parking cars to object avoidance all with Machine Learning in Unity](https://github.com/dilmerv/UnityMLEssentials "self parking cars to object avoidance all with Machine Learning in Unity"). I also did a [cool demo of detecting if someone was wearing a mask](https://youtu.be/NstWTuy-dHQ "cool demo of detecting if someone was wearing a mask") and also to detect the distance between people with AR Body Tracking as recommended by COVID guidelines by using Machine Learning.
Other projects I am proud of are VR Hand Tracking demos, Dozens of AR demos, BCI demos to turn lights on and off with your brain, Drone Demo to control a drone with an Oculus Quest 2, and many many more. For more info about my projects go to [https://github.com/dilmerv](https://github.com/dilmerv "https://github.com/dilmerv")
__What is some truly practical advice that you can offer to young people looking to become deep professionals in the emerging industry of Extended Reality? Can you provide some theories as to where you see this headed in the next few years?__
This may sound basic but JUST START, come up with a list of simple ideas that can teach you 2-3 features, build something, and __SHIP IT__. I know the word SIMPLE is not objective, but here is an example:
Create an app that can allow you to place a 3D object on any flat surface by using Augmented Reality..
Well you start by asking yourself a question? What tools do I use? What frameworks are available? What assets can I use? What programming languages do I use?
By the time you start researching and answering these questions you will have a better understanding about what's available, then by working on it, and shipping it you will learn so much even when you thought this was a simple use case.
__Do you see an intersection between climate change, environmental sustainability, humanitarian and social issues, and Software development, particularly with AR and VR? If so, tell us where you think this opportunity is headed.__
Physical experiences are great and there is NOTHING that will replace them, but with that said imagine if you could replace physical hardware with VR/AR, then this could lead to less usage of natural resources needed to be able to manufacture physical items, instead we could offer a variety of AR/VR options which could allow you to do the same but with less consumption of natural resources.
One example is how we use so many monitors today, if we could replace them with virtual monitors then we can get rid of a lot of the resources needed to make them, similar goes to VR, sometimes going to a place can be difficult, if we build better collaboration tools that allow us to better interact remotely then we could have better and more effective conversations when having to make difficult choices.
__Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to know about?__
I recommend people to find me on [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/dilmerv "Twitter") which is where I keep everyone aware of what I am working on, also on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/dilmerv "YouTube") for those who want to watch some practical XR videos where I show everyone in a step by step process how to accomplish different tasks with XR / game development technologies.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-dilmer-valecillos
# HEROES Spotlight: Lily Ray
Published: 2021-05-14
__Tell us about yourself, Lily. What makes you, uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__
Interesting question! I suppose what’s unique about me is that I’ve always been a combination of an artist (well, a musician) and a nerd. Music has been the driving force throughout my life since I was a little kid. I started playing drums when I was 6, was in various successful bands growing up, and I still feel that rhythm is my greatest passion that guides everything else in my life. I’ve been a DJ for about 8 years now as well, basically for the same reason.
My dad is a software engineer and my mom is more of a creative artist type. I am definitely a combination of both of them, which has really set me up for success with SEO, given that it requires both technical skills and creativity.
My brother and I grew up on computers and fully immersed in technology, thanks to our dad (a true Silicon Valley tech OG) - which ultimately shaped both of our careers.
When I’m not doing SEO or music, I’m usually working out, biking around NYC (while listening to music) or hanging out with my friends.
Photo Credit: [Seze Devres](https://www.sdphotography.net/photo/ "Seze Devres")
__Born on the West coast, but now rooted on the best coast, how did you land in Brooklyn, New York and what has kept you here?__
My parents are actually both from NYC, but moved to California to raise my brother and me in the Bay Area (again - we’re a tech family!). The rest of our family is here in the NYC area.
I decided to go to college at NYU in part to be closer to my family, and I haven’t left ever since. NYC is truly home for me. I love this city with every fiber of my being, even though it can be quite exhausting!
__From fitness fanatic, to multi genre DJ, to drummer, to Search Engine Marketer and so forth, you are quite a well rounded individual. How do you find balance in your professional, social and personal life?__
Balance has always been really important to me. When I was in high school, I focused intensely on my academics and on getting good grades, then in the evenings I went and played shows with my bands at bars in San Francisco. When I was 18, I actually got a tattoo of the Golden Gate Bridge that was meant to symbolize this very topic - finding balance between my work and creative lives. I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge to get from my home and school life to my band practice and my gigs, so it felt very fitting at the time.
I’m not much different now; I love my job and the work I do, but I always need a release and I definitely can’t stay sitting down for too long. Both fitness and music serve as releases for me - I start feeling pent up if I haven’t moved my body too much, and as a total extrovert, I most definitely feel starved for human connection if it’s been too long without seeing my friends (i.e. much of the pandemic!).
__You are an incredibly well known and highly respected thought leader in the Search Marketing and SEO community. You have held quite a few positions at some well known marketing agencies working with some of the worlds most recognizable brands to drive incredible value and an Expert-Authoritative-Trustworthy engagement. Tell us about the importance of experimentation as an SEO. Why is it so critical to increase the skill set and wheelhouse with SEO?__
Experimentation - or what I like to call “getting your hands dirty” - is probably the single most important approach that makes good SEOs great. Throughout my career, I never stopped working on side jobs, even with very small businesses, just to stay connected to actually implementing my SEO recommendations and not just talking about them. I’ve found that it’s much easier to communicate strategy and recommendations to clients when you’ve actually done that work yourself and seen the results of your efforts.
When it comes to increasing skills - there are an endless number of skills to learn that can improve your SEO abilities, from web development, to UX, to CRO, to programming, automation and more. That said, I would try to stay focused in two areas: what skills do you enjoy most (you will be most effective this way), and what is truly most impactful for your clients?
Don’t get too distracted or overwhelmed by all the shiny new toys in the SEO industry if they take away from your ability to produce good work (unless, of course, you enjoy honing those skills as a hobby!).
__Fun question: What is the story behind your new superhero arm? What inspired the full sleeve and what gave you the courage to go from blank to badass?__
So in a past life I was actually married to a tattoo artist and spent many years helping him run his business (especially on the digital side, of course). In the process, I learned a lot about tattoo artists (hello, competitive analysis!) and found one named [Roxx](https://www.instagram.com/roxx_____/ "Roxx"), based in California, who specializes in blackwork.
For years, I admired her style and told myself one day I would have a piece by her. Well, when my ex-husband and I split up, it felt like the perfect time to seek out that dream. It was quite literally a pilgrimage to secure an appointment with her and travel across the country for my 4-day tattoo appointment.
There are no words for the transformative experience of spending 20+ hours being tattooed by Roxx - she is a goddess among humans and I truly feel blessed to know her and have work done by her.
Photo Credit: [Seze Devres](https://www.sdphotography.net/photo/ "Seze Devres")
__What would you say is the most important skill set you have developed as a world class search marketer? If you could have access to just a single skill set, without the use of tools, analytics, or measurements, what would it be?__
That’s the thing about SEO - you can honestly do a good job in many cases without using many tools, because so much of it has to do with connecting with users and understanding their needs and desires.
Aside from the menial task of “doing keyword research,” if you can start by getting a deep understanding of your audience and what their needs are, what they might be searching for even before they know about your brand or your products and services - that alone can guide the strategy that sets you apart from your competitors.
I think the main reason I’ve always loved SEO so much is because I am a lover of the internet, first and foremost, and the way it allows people all over the world to find answers to the questions they have on any number of topics. If you can put yourself in the shoes of the searcher for any variety of clients, it can really set you up for success with SEO. Being able to understand the user’s needs and empathize with their experience searching and using the site are invaluable SEO skills.
__As a resident speaker and familiar face on the public industry conference circuit, consistent guest speaker and frequent contributor to the SEO community, what inspires you to keep up with the pace? Even in an abnormal year of 2020, you have been quite busy. What has fueled you for so long?__
This is another good question - especially because the industry really can be exhausting. SEO never stops, no matter what you may be dealing with in your personal life - the rules of the job change every day, and clients need you to stay on top of those changes.
I think the main thing that has always inspired me is knowing that the work I do helps other people. When people write me and tell me that my work inspires them, or has helped them solve problems with their own sites or their own clients, that really means a lot to me. I know how much of a mark people like [Rand Fishkin](https://twitter.com/randfish "Rand Fishkin"), [Marie Haynes](https://twitter.com/Marie_Haynes "Marie Haynes"), and [Glenn Gabe](https://twitter.com/glenngabe "Glenn Gabe") have made on me - people who made it central to their work to share their ideas and findings with others. They have shaped so many peoples’ lives and carved out career paths for so many people, including me.
Knowing that I can help serve in that same role has been incredibly motivating and rewarding for me.
__Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to know about?__
People can find me on Twitter ([@lilyraynyc](https://twitter.com/lilyraynyc "@lilyraynyc")) or Linkedin - or just message me through my personal site or our agency, [Amsive Digital](https://www.amsivedigital.com/ "Amsive Digital").
When it comes to giving to places I care about, it’s always so hard to choose. Please give your support to civil liberties, music and the arts, the rights of people of color and LGBTQIA, animals and the environment, and to victims of abuse and domestic violence.
I have a few upcoming talks and articles coming up, including [Mozcon Virtual 2021](https://moz.com/mozcon/speakers "Mozcon Virtual 2021") and [SMX Advanced](https://marketinglandevents.com/smx/advanced/ "SMX Advanced"), with brand new research and discoveries. Please be on the lookout for those!
Photo Credit: [Seze Devres](https://www.sdphotography.net/photo/ "Seze Devres")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-lily-ray
# HEROES Spotlight: Anna Chahuneau
Published: 2021-05-07
__Tell us about yourself, Anna. What makes you, uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__
My name is Anna and I’m originally from France. Ever since my young teenage years, I’ve had a thirst and longing for new horizons all my life. I moved to the United States alone, on the eve of my fifteenth birthday and since then have lived in Cambodia, Spain, China, the United States, and Panama. I discovered my passion for the environment while studying conservation in Cambodia, when I was eighteen. The climate crisis was already well underway, but it was the urgency of it all that really did push me to pursue a long-term career in environmental filmmaking and non-profit photography. I directed my first full-feature documentary, [Pursuing the Monarchs](https://vimeo.com/262092224 "Pursuing the Monarchs"), at the age of nineteen and worked for non-profits all around the world as videographer and photographer.
__Can you explain your relationship with your camera? Where do you draw inspiration from and do you carry a core goal with your work?__
My core goal with photography is to re-create visions and convey emotions. Many photographers will tell you their camera is an extension of themselves, my story is different. I see cameras as tools. A tool I have chosen to tell stories and to create art, in the same way that I could have chosen a pen if I were a writer. My camera exists outside of me, and lately, I’ve been trying to practice seeing the world anew through these tools. It can be so hard to reinvent yourself.
__Your brand, Not Just Colour is a product that allows for photographers from amateur to expert to produce world class content. Where did this product come from and how did you identify this need?__
[Not Just Colour](https://www.notjustcolour.com/ "Not Just Colour") is the product of two creative minds, mine and Jake’s, my partner. We both are self-made photographers and filmmakers who have had no schooling in the realm of production and filmmaking. We have learned our trade from experience and also through the mistakes we have made and the challenges we have faced. We have no regrets when it comes to the way we have grown professionally, but we also know we could have benefited from a mentor at the start of our journey. This content creation business can be so elitist and un-collaborative and we would like to change that. Not Just Colour is part of the answer and we hope to continue growing to help as many creators as we can start their journeys with the right tools in hand.
__Your brand is clearly focused on a few pillars. Climate Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility are clear with your 5% for the Planet pledge. It also appears that you are offering education and workshops for your community and sharing your knowledge as a humanitarian and an artist. Where do these pillars of your brand's identity come from?__
Somehow, I cannot imagine creating a business that does not give back to the planet. We are in the midst of a very serious climate crisis and everything I do, both professionally and personally, somehow connects back to the earth. There is no good photography to be taken on a broken planet and right when Jake and I started dreaming up this project I remember saying: “Let’s do it, but let’s make it at least 5% for the planet. I won’t do it any other way”. It was that simple really.
__Tell us a bit about your skills and some amazing projects that you are really proud of. Also, what are some of your film goals and aspirations you have with your talent?__
I’m very proud of my first feature documentary, Pursuing the Monarchs, which you can stream on Water Bear at the moment. It came at the price of a lot of sacrifice and hard work, but I think it did a great job at raising awareness around topics such as the importance of pollinators and the adverse effects of deforestation and industrialized agriculture. I’m looking forward to finding the time to dream up my next project and this time, I would like to focus it more on the human aspect of the climate crisis.
__When you look at the possibilities of a film or a photo's impact on climate change and world problems, where do you see these mediums making amazing strides?__
We are undoubtedly living in a very visual society at the moment. We look around us and we are surrounded by pictures, videos, interactive screens and alike. Film and photography have the incredible opportunity to bring attention to subjects that so dearly need it at the moment, and I think the next big challenge is finding ways to appeal to the younger generations and instill some activism in their lives. In a way, to use screens and visual storytelling to pull them out of it, and take a moment to look around at what is at stake of losing.
__Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to know about?__
Anyone can contact me either via my websites [greenwanderlust.org](https://greenwanderlust.org "greenwanderlust.org") and [notjustcolour.com](https://notjustcolour.com "notjustcolour.com"), or directly via Instagram through the handle [@annalechah](https://instagram.com/annalechah/?hl=en "@annalechah"). I love to collaborate with other like-minded creators so I encourage anyone to reach out with a project or idea! If you would like to learn more about me, you can also check out my [Youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfQdsBU4uA7cOok18OuS7-w "Youtube channel"), focused primarily on sustainability and low impact travel.
Pursuing the Monarchs // full-length documentary from Anna Chahuneau on Vimeo.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-anna-chah
# HEROES Spotlight: Barry Schwartz
Published: 2021-05-03
__Tell us about yourself, Barry. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell us a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__
So I was born and raised in the Hudson Valley region of New York and 40 years later, I am still here. Both my residence, my family and my business are within a short distance from where I grew up.
My hobby is really covering and writing about search engines, search engine optimization, Google and how things are changing in the space. I started my blog, the [Search Engine Roundtable](https://www.seroundtable.com/ "Search Engine Roundtable"), in 2003 and have kept posting consistently, every day, several times a day, since then. I’ve probably written over 40,000 articles on the topic in the past 17 plus years. It is not a normal hobby, like rock climbing or swimming but it is what I love to do. I enjoy tracking the changes and keeping a log of those changes. What I love most is hearing randomly how it helped others with their careers or their client successes.
__A true New York native, hailing from Baruch College, and clearly blessed with the gift of gab, how did you blend your natural affinity for story telling with your professional path?__
The funny thing is I am not a great storyteller. In fact, I kind of dislike listening to storytellers. I am more of a direct and straight-shooter when it comes to information. Specifically, I prefer to read and listen to people who will give me the facts and evidence once, without telling a story around it. I rather hear more facts and less of a story if that means I am given more knowledge in a shorter amount of time.
So when I write or speak, I often leave a lot of the storytelling aspects out and just give the information. It can come off as monotone and bland but everyone has their tastes and I prefer plain vanilla over strawberry with whip cream and sprinkles.
People know they can come to me and get the quick and direct answer without any of the fluff. Not that fluff is bad, it is just not my style.
__You have a very interesting intersection of skills. Your software development and marketing agency [RustyBrick](https://www.rustybrick.com/ "RustyBrick"), is well known and well traveled. But possibly even more notable is your contributions as Executive Editor and daily contributor to the well respected [Search Engine Land](https://searchengineland.com/author/barry-schwartz "Search Engine Land"), founder of the [Search Engine Roundtable](https://www.seroundtable.com/author/barry-schwartz/2.html "Search Engine Roundtable") and annual host for [Search Marketing Expo](https://marketinglandevents.com/smx/ "Search Marketing Expo"), better known in the industry as SMX® on the international circuit.__
__Fueled by passion, and a seemingly endless supply of knowledge and information, what's your secret sauce? How do you stay so relevant, so timely, so neutral and yet, own and operate a business, with a healthy staff?__
Consistency is my secret sauce. I am a strong believer of having a set routine every day and trying your best to stick with it. It is easier to get things done, in a more efficient way, if you have a set schedule to stick with. If you are consistent, those who you interact with; i.e. my RustyBrick customers or my Search Engine Land and Search Engine Roundtable readers, know what to consistently expect from my output. It helps build a trusting and loyal relationship with your employees, customers and readers.
__You have a deep perspective and a very long career at RustyBrick, creating solutions that solve business problems and position technology as an opportunity to “decrease costs and increase sales”. Can you tell us about a few projects over the years that you feel, truly meet the mission? Tell us about some that truly impacted the community, the climate, humanity and so forth?__
One of my other passions, which you might get from my writing output, is looking for solutions to become more efficient. The one thing we don’t get more of is time. So if we can make more use of the time we are given, and get more output in less time, then that is a huge win both for business life and personal life. That is how my mind works and that is the culture ingrained in every person who works at RustyBrick.
We are all about finding ways to make companies and organizations more efficient through software solutions. It can be a web based application or a mobile application or both. It can be a clever way to use a third-party API to help our customers communicate better with their customers, reducing in-bound calls. It can be a way to drive more leads to those businesses. Or ways to leverage the workflow systems we custom build for our clients to funnel some of that data dynamically into their marketing channels.
I have so many stories I can share with you on this front but I am honestly afraid of singling out one client over another. So let me share more of a personal set of applications.
Like I said, ingrained in us is looking for ways to be more efficient with our time. I am an observant Jew, and the requirements in the Jewish religion are embedded throughout our daily lives. My company has built numerous apps to help Jews live a more productive Jewish life. One example is our [Smart Siddur](https://www.rustybrick.com/iphone-siddur.php "smart siddur") that dynamically customized the prayer book text based on what day and time it is; is it the new month and you need to say a specific prayer, or perhaps it is a Monday or Thursday where you need to read a set of passages from the Torah and so on. The app also tells you when you have to pray during the day, where the nearby synagogues are, who is in need of prayer if they are sick and so on. We have countless apps like this aimed at various areas of Jewish life. We don’t really make much money from these apps but it is good to help the Jewish community in our small way.
__In the world of SEO, meets software, meets human experience, if you could boil the ocean of advice, what would you offer to young, fresh eyed and ambitious marketers, SEO's, developers, or thought leaders?__
That is a tough question, especially in the SEO world. There is so much good information out there but at the same time, for every one really good piece of advice you will get, there may be two or three pieces of advice that is outright wrong or misinformed.
My best advice is to question everything you read, even what I write, and question it by testing to see if that advice works. There are some great software tools out there that help you test.
Always stay on top of what is changing in SEO and you can do that by following me on Twitter [@rustybrick](https://twitter.com/rustybrick?s=20 "@rustybrick") (it is a lot of stuff) or you can subscribe to my YouTube channel which summarizes the more important topics of the week at [youtube.com/rustybrick](https://www.youtube.com/user/rustybrick "youtube.com/rustybrick"). Then if you find something you like, test it, and then test it again. Even if it works on one client, it might not work for another client. So test, test and test.
__Fun Question: The movie [Spaceballs](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094012/ "Spaceballs") came out in 1987. At this time, you’re just a young man trying to figure out his place in the world. “The Schwartz” is definitely with you, Barry, but like all Jedi, there must be a balance between success and failure. Tell us a bit about staying the course and relentlessly pursuing goals, and maybe some speed bumps, road block and New York potholes along the way.__
Yep, I was about seven years old and people were telling me, may the Schwartz be with you. In terms of staying the course, I think it goes back to what I wrote above around being consistent. It is rare to have successes overnight. It takes a lot of hard work, over many many years and even then, you might end up failing. Heck, look at all the [Google failures over the years](https://killedbygoogle.com/ "Google failures over the years"). Just keep trying new things, and you will know if something will work or not and if you should keep putting effort into it.
I’ve launched many new products over the years, some took off and performed very well. Some did not but those experiences helped me with future projects. The most important thing is not to let the failures bring you down, in fact, they should bring you up. It is about the mindset.
__Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to learn about?__
People can learn more about me at [rustybrick.com/barry](https://rustybrick.com/barry "rustybrick.com/barry"), follow me on Twitter [@rustybrick](https://twitter.com/rustybrick?s=20 "@rustybrick") and of course, on the [Search Engine Roundtable](https://www.seroundtable.com/ "Search Engine Roundtable") or [Search Engine Land](https://searchengineland.com/ "Search Engine Land"). If you want to interact with me, the best way is over Twitter and share what you found or learned regarding search marketing with me. Maybe I can amplify that. I love highlighting new discoveries from people within the industry.
> So if there is one thing I want to do, it is to help amplify the community and the people within it. The SEO/SEM industry is great and filled with awesome people.
>
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-barry-schwartz
# HEROES Spotlight: Stacy Kutyepov
Published: 2021-04-26
__Tell us about yourself, Stacy. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__
I have lived in 5 different countries, I know how to cook Italian pasta and speak a little bit of Swedish!
I love spending time and my living on experiences, not things! I like writing about everything tech! One of my hobbies is taking beautiful photographs while traveling to new places. I had a dream of visiting Hawaii, and it’s coming true this month!
__Once upon a time, you were going down a path to become a pharmacist. What drew you to that path, and how did you pivot to become a software engineer?__
At school I liked science and chemistry in particular. I wanted to develop drugs and help people feel better. When I got to University I enjoyed studying and working in a lab. However, after my graduation, I realized it wouldn’t work out for me. The main reason was that I planned on moving abroad, thus making my degree not applicable in other countries. I was traveling, changing countries, and had to be flexible. When I was studying, I couldn’t imagine my life being that intense. After all that, my pharmaceutical knowledge has served me well.
__Lots of people come to software from outside of a traditional CS background. What other types of jobs did you work before becoming a software engineer? How do these skills now help you as a software engineer?__
I had plenty of jobs, from running a restaurant to working abroad serving cocktails on a beach! I’m proud to have all kinds of experiences that make me who I am today! What I have learned from all of these experiences and jobs is that you should stay open to new things and let changes come in.
__You are now helping new software engineers get into the field. What are the top tips that you would give to a new software engineer coming into the field right now based on your experience?__
"Consistency is the key to success" - That is my mantra!
I know it is hard to get your first development job, but it’s possible and doable! Everyone had to do it, so just don’t give up!
Also, work on your skills and portfolio, build confidence and try contributing to real projects! I saw that many newbies don’t know where to start, so I have created an open-source project where everyone can contribute! The name is [Inter-Camp](https://github.com/Inter-Camp/InterCamp "Inter-Camp") and you can start contributing on [GitHub](https://github.com/ "GitHub").
Once you get the job, never be shy about asking for help from a senior engineer. Learn how to do it the right way and remember, there are guides on the internet!
__We also know that you are a dedicated activist to the WomenTech Network as well as a highly-skilled multilingual software engineer. Tell us a bit about your balance and the association between your philanthropic work and your craft.__
Somehow, many women don’t feel that they have the power to change things. Instead, I want to show them a different perspective. I was a girl myself once and I grew up in Ukraine, a country where women do not have a lot of opportunities. I had little support for studying Computer Science or Mathematics as my parents thought it was too hard for a girl. These gender roles exist in many places, even if we don’t necessarily notice them.
I am thrilled to make an impact on breaking these stereotypes and help women to reveal their power through the community.
__Tell us a bit about your skills and some amazing projects that you are proud of. Also, what are some of your software goals and aspirations with your talent?__
I am a Software Engineer, proficient in JavaScript and Python. I also know C, C++, but I don’t use these daily. I work on both, frontend and backend.
Lately, I have been building an online school for learning English, it is a big project which is still in the development stage.
My goal is to grow as a Software Engineer, learn how to build scalable architectures, contribute and make a difference at global scale! There’re a lot of things to learn for an aspiring learner like me! I also want to continue writing about things I learned.
__Fun question. What is your absolute favorite framework, stack, library? If you were building something from scratch today what would you want to be in your toolbox?__
Fun answer! JavaScript would be the language of my choice! I’d use Node.JS & Next.JS for my project. However, if you ask me again in a month, everything could change! I don’t fall in love with a framework, because it’s just a tool for accomplishing a task. The tool depends on a task and not vice versa.
__Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions, and adventures you're proud of and would like others to know about?__
I have a tech blog on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/codemyjourney/?hl=en "Instagram") & [Medium](https://medium.com/@codemyjourney "Medium").
You can find me by looking for @codemyjourney.
[Netlify](https://codemyjourney.netlify.app/ "Netlify")
[GitHub](https://github.com/codemyjourney "GitHub")
The project I’m currently working on is an Open Source Project I’ve created. It’s focused on learning advanced programming concepts.The initial idea was to create a small project for my portfolio, but it turned out to be something bigger.
I’ve developed a solid codebase and made it Open Source, so now everyone can contribute and make a difference.The goal, for now, is to develop new features and keep things simple. I build the UI using React.JS and I use Firebase on a backend.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-stacy-kutyepov
# HEROES Spotlight: Madeline Zhang
Published: 2021-04-23
__Tell us about yourself, Madeline. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__
Hi! I’m a software engineer at Google. I’m passionate about STEM outreach, and I am very interested in web dev and programming video games. Born and raised in California, I went to college on the east coast, so I have a soft spot for New England springtime. In my free time, I love running, singing, playing board games, solving puzzle hunts and escape rooms, and watching way too many Reddit cute cat videos.
What makes me, me, is that when I get interested in something, I get extremely into it and give it my absolute all. This ranges from a quarantine crocheting phase where I crocheted for 20 hours straight until I finished an amigurumi bunny, to learning how to sing several Bulgarian songs and arranging piano accompaniments for them because I wanted to improve my Bulgarian language skills, to running everyday for the past 2.5 years. My current obsession / interest is playing social deception board games - I’ve been playing a particular one (Blood on the Clock Tower) 4 days a week, at least 3 hours a day, for the past few weeks.
__While just getting started with a wildly impressive role as a Software Engineer at Google in the Health Business Unit, you have had absolutely no shortage of incredible work experience. In some way, you always seem to map your love of engineering with some cause for the greater good. Can you tell us a bit about this mission critical ethos, using coding for a greater cause?__
Yep! I’m passionate about using software and tech for altruistic causes. When I started university, I actually wanted to study biology and become a doctor. I ended up pivoting towards computer science, but my passion for biology and trying my best to help others stayed strong. I think coding is so powerful because of its versatility - software engineers with the same skill set can make an impact in lots of different fields, from medicine to academia to environmental sciences.
At MIT, I worked as an undergraduate researcher at D-Lab, developing Bayesian modeling algorithms and creating a Django server to diagnose pulmonary disease in rural South East Asian populations. Also, for a MIT program called Patrones Hermosos (Beautiful Patterns), I travelled to Aguascalientes, Mexico, where the other instructors / TAs and I taught high school girls some basics of computer science, including search and sort algorithms, binary trees, web development and more. This experience meant an incredible deal to me, not only because of the passionate group of MIT instructors that I got to work with, but also because of the amazing Aguascalientes girls who were so eager to learn and also ended up teaching me so much. Finally, I was a mentor for MIT CodeIt, an educational outreach program that introduces middle school girls and nonbinary students to computer science, and taught weekly Scratch and Python lessons.
Patrones Hermosos instructors - 2019
__You once worked on a project at your alma mater MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) called “Code for Good Consulting” This initiative has allowed you to work on mission driven projects that have allowed technology to intersect with people, places and limitations, all over the world. How do you remain laser focused on this as your career evolves?__
Being a part of Code For Good Consulting was such an amazing, rewarding experience. MIT Code For Good Consulting is a club that pairs local non-profits with student teams who build technological solutions for their assigned nonprofit.
I first heard about Code For Good purely by chance, but after going to an informational session, I felt it was a perfect fit for my goals and mission, and decided to apply. My team and I worked with Green Streets, an organization that promotes sustainable transportation by working with corporate partners to host fun commuter challenges to encourage walking, biking, and ride sharing. Later, I joined the executive team of Code For Good as part of the Dev Exec Committee.
Even after graduation, I still hold onto the values that drew me to and the skills that learned from Code For Good. I help out with Google’s university outreach efforts quite often (e.g. tech panels, resume reviews, career fairs, mock interviews). Also, during the pandemic, I’ve been a virtual speaker for various nonprofits and technology / STEM outreach focused organizations, including Feira de Ciências Itinerante (a nonprofit which provides science and technology resources to public school students in Brazil), Codeista (a youth-led organization which uses technology to encourage STEM participation in the fashion industry), Girl Genius (an online magazine which promotes female leaders and participation in STEM), and InTechual (a youth-led organization which empowers students to pursue technology careers and programming).
Feira de Ciências Itinerante virtual speech - 2020
__You have been known to help new software engineers get into the field. What are the top tips that you would give to a new software engineer coming into the field right now based on your experience?__
I’d say that it is very likely, especially for junior engineers starting in the field of software engineering, to experience imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is a phenomenon in which people (often high-achieving ones) doubt their own abilities and skills, assume that they achieved any successes due purely to luck, and are afraid they will eventually be “found out”. It is something that I personally struggled with throughout my entire life and still gripe with to this very day, and it is extremely common not just in the software realm but also in many other scenarios, as there are reports that ~70% of individuals have suffered from imposter syndrome at some point in their lives.
In order to effectively start combating imposter syndrome, one has to acknowledge their thoughts and put them in perspective. It’s important to realize that in a scenario where >50% of the population believes they are inadequate, it is mathematically impossible that every one of them is actually low-achieving. Because people often don’t broadcast their mistakes and failures to others and only showcase their successes, I have seen many new software engineers panic because they are aware only of others’ achievements, making them very self-conscious on asking questions (which is totally normal and should be encouraged!) due to fear of appearing unintelligent. Another tip is that one should definitely try to find a mentor who has been a software engineer for a longer period of time. Having the perspective and advice of a more senior member of the software engineering field will be invaluable, especially one who works for the same company.
__You have always been quite busy. As the valedictorian of your Albany High School and the president or vice president of what seems like an unmatchable list of clubs, varsity sports, commitments and extracurriculars, what experience do you feel has shaped you the most.__
I have certainly done my fair share of extracurriculars in the past, and all of them have impacted me significantly, each in their own way. However, if I had to pick, I’d say that being president of MIT Model United Nations (MITMUNC) has shaped me the most. When I started running MITMUNC during my sophomore year, I really had no idea what I was getting into. In the end, I learned a lot, both about myself and about how to effectively lead an organization.
Throughout my presidency, I oversaw many moving parts, including sponsorship negotiations, merchandise design and shipping, topic planning and background guide writing, venue booking, website coding and updating, and retreat planning. As a result, I learned a lot about project management techniques, a skill I utilize to this very day. MITMUNC also taught me how to think on my feet - I had to put out quite a few fires, including a gas leak scare that required the evacuation of a building in the middle of our conference, disputes between rival schools, several attendee health issues, and delayed shipments.
In addition, I also helped organize our international branch and went to Shanghai China, twice for MITMUNC China, a high school Model UN conference we held with ASDAN China, a educational charity which hosts skills-based student conferences and international educational programmes specialising in China. During those trips, it was fascinating to learn about the parallels between American Model UN and the international circuit.
Madeline With MITMUNC X Guest Speakers - Bengt Holmström (pictured left), recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Economics, and Esther Duflo (pictured right), recipient of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics
MIT Model United Nations Secretariat - 2020
__Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to know about?__
Please feel free to reach out to me on Instagram[ @madeline.m.zhang](http://instagram.com/madeline.m.zhang/ "@madeline.m.zhang") or LinkedIn [@Madeline Zhang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelinemzhang "@Madeline Zhang").
If you are in university, I’d highly recommend getting involved in any tech for nonprofits / mentoring extracurriculars if your college has any, or reaching out to local nonprofits directly to help with their causes. I’m proud of my part in building [Google’s COVID19 self assessment](https://landing.google.com/screener/covid19 "Google’s COVID19 self assessment") and the [Valentine’s Day themed escape room](https://www.escapeit.xyz/ "Valentine’s Day themed escape room") I helped build.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-madeline-zhang
# HEROES Spotlight: Tara Kleinhans
Published: 2021-04-19
__Tell us about yourself, Tara. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__
I had a humble upbringing in the Hudson Valley region of New York, where I lived on a small horse farm raising goats and riding our horses through the apple orchards. I was raised in a single-parent household most of my life, with my Dad and sister. When I graduated high-school I wanted to explore the country so I picked up and moved out to Colorado. Since then, I’ve built a passion for travel and photography and now reside back in the Hudson Valley.
__We also know that you are an incredible drone pilot, have a significant draw to the great outdoors, focus personally and professionally on eco sustainability and impactful change as well as an activist in multiple facets. Tell us a bit about your balance.__
Being drawn to the outdoors __IS__ my balance. John Burroughs wrote, “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” When you grow a deep appreciation for nature, you can’t help but want to have a positive impact. In all of my work, I want to feel that connection. It’s something my mom instilled in me at an early age. My drone is fun for me and I’m thrilled to be able to share my passion with others. It allows us to capture perspectives we don’t usually get to witness. I’ve always had a fascination with flying and it certainly gives me a special feeling when I’m zooming through the air!
__Tell us a bit about your craft. How has existing technology and the exploration of new technology allowed you and your team at the [Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County](https://cals.cornell.edu/cornell-cooperative-extension "Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County") to explore and reach new heights?__
I’m a firm believer that technology can solve a lot of issues. Working for a non-profit, your resources are limited but technology doesn’t always have to be expensive either! Our (CCE’s) culture is changing. We are becoming more open to technology like adopting CRM databases to better understand and serve our stakeholders, we’re creating more digital content, and engaging much more in the social media environment to provide education and outreach.
__During the pandemic you did quite an interesting project with CCE around local farms. Tell us about the problem you identified and how you and your team helped solve it?__
When the pandemic hit, our food supply chains broke and unemployment rates rose. I used a simple Google mapping tool to locate local farms and pantries in Ulster County so that we could connect our community with food sources. Before I knew it, people were calling asking if they could add their farm business, update their hours and offerings, and if I could expand the map to the surrounding counties. Now, it has data points mapped across six counties in the Hudson Valley and is becoming a state-wide project. The map has over 30,000 views one year later.
This type of technology, a simple map, has so much potential to aid our work in food systems. The data has the potential to promote local agribusinesses, provide better food access and resources to our communities, stimulate entrepreneurial projects, promote a more equitable food system, and provide a foundation for further research and development. We’ll be able to see where gaps in food access and where bottlenecks in processors exist. If we can collect information about where food is travelling, we can begin to understand how our food moves throughout the state -- the entire lifecycle from seed to waste. This is really important information to further our research and better understand our food systems.
__Sometimes it feels like technology is swallowing up the little folks out there like these local farmers. What do you think needs to happen to make it more appealing for people to build tools that are more focused on the local community and grassroots issues?__
This is a great question and something we took into consideration with the mapping project. Our farmers are so busy that learning and using digital platforms usually falls to the bottom of their list of priorities. What we’re seeing happening in the Hudson Valley is this more “regionalized” approach. It’s not just “this organization in this town” and “that one in the other town”, it’s a more unified and collaborative approach which is so exciting! If we can work together to create a single touch-point for users, it will make the whole process more simplified and really amplify the work being done.
__We would venture to say that both personally and professionally, you are mission driven. How do you see the future of business and consumer trends adopting a greater environmental or social mission with software and technology?__
I think there’s this new recognition that sustainability is profitable, it doesn’t have to be either-or. I already see consumer culture shifting to more reusable and recyclable products, and those that have been made out of recycled products. This is really exciting to see! As far as big-data, we’ve really only just scratched the surface. As more and more businesses begin to incorporate data analysis into their operations, we will be able to see the big-picture from start to finish. We can continue to ask questions like how was this product sourced and what is it’s life-cycle? What do we know about our partners, suppliers, and distributors and how can we hold everyone accountable? Moving forward I think we’ll see a lot more businesses with sustainability as a core component of their mission.
__Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to know about?__
To get involved, find your [local Cooperative Extension](https://cals.cornell.edu/cornell-cooperative-extension/local-offices "local Cooperative Extension") (we’re in every county of every state!) and see what’s going on in your community. Consider serving on the Board of Directors or volunteer to mentor youth in the 4-H program. Of course, I highly recommend checking in to see what Cause of a Kind is working on. I’m super fortunate to be able to participate in some of their projects! My drone work can be found [@hvdronegirl](https://www.instagram.com/hvdronegirl/ "@hvdronegirl") on Instagram and [hvdronegirl.com](https://hvdronegirl.com "hvdronegirl.com") and check out [@CCE_Ulster](https://www.instagram.com/cce_ulster/ "@CCE_Ulster") on Instagram to see the fun stuff we’re doing.
### Drone Footage Captured By Tara Kleinhans of HV Drone Girl
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-tara-kleinhans
# HEROES Spotlight: Adriana Brownlee
Published: 2021-04-16
__Tell us about yourself, Adriana. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience? Climbing, Mountaineering, Alpinism and Philanthropy and Motivational speaking are relatively new endeavours for you in the grand timeline of your life. How did you come to find these passions and pursue them at an elite level, surrounded by history's greatest vertical athletes?__
So where do I begin! I guess what makes me, me is that I just love pushing myself to the absolute limit… There is nothing in this world that can truly expose your strengths and flaws like a huge challenge and so that’s why I climb. Since age 9 I have been involved in endurance and hard core fitness projects, starting with the Three Peaks Challenge in the UK where I was the youngest to complete it. From then on, with the help of my father, I found that I had a crazy ability to focus my mind on the challenge ahead and block out the pain that comes with some of the things I have done.
My life at the moment is pretty much fully devoted to mountaineering. My goal is to transform my passion into a full time career and so to do that I must focus 100% of my attention on this. At the moment my three year goal would be to complete the 14 8000m peaks - with the potential of being the youngest person to do so. An exciting, yet challenging project which will push me to the limits whilst also being a financial nightmare too!! More recently I had the huge privilege of being on the K2 Winter expedition alongside [Nimsdai](https://www.nimsdai.com/ "Nimsdai Sherpa") and his epic team who I now consider family. This gave me my first proper taste of what life as an extreme athlete is really like, and well, i frigging loved it!! I was exposed to all angles from PR to Communications to Social Media and all matters in between that make up what it is to be a successful and influential climber.
__With your travels taking you all over the world, what has your experience been with respect to the degradation of the environment and the effects of climate change? Where have you witnessed some of the largest impacts?__
So for me climate change is a relatively new topic that I am coming to explore in detail. Following Nimsdai’s interest, I decided to look into it myself and started by reading a few books such as Bill Gates “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster”. Just recently on my trek into Everest Base Camp we came across a flood warning sign in the town of Dingboche - the glaciers are melting and there is a risk that the small village can very quickly be flooded by glacier water - a real life, real big problem that nobody can fix. Another issue was the air quality in Nepal - I had the pleasure of learning to solo paraglide in Pokhara for 2 weeks in a beautiful hilly area of Nepal where once the mountain range in the distance was crystal clear, now you would be lucky to see them on a bright sunny day.
These aren’t just small changes, these are noticeable and sad changes that we can’t reverse. So the only solution is to completely change the way our world functions - something that is certainly not going to be easy. I am now in a partnership with [Save the Duck](https://savetheduckusa.com/ "Save the Duck"), an amazing clothing brand which promotes anti-animal cruelty and sustainability by using other materials such as Plumtech instead of Down in their jackets etc. I’m super excited to learn more about sustainable living and also more specifically sustainable climbing! I’m very new to this area so it’s one step at a time but I’m loving every moment of this new experience and hope to become an influential advocate of sustainable climbing some day!
__In your travels, have you seen any highly effective, simple ways that people have implemented to reduce their impact on their environment? What are some simple ways that you yourself reduce your own footprint?__
I recently came across a man called [Tommy Gustafsson](https://adventureascent.com/team/tommy-gustafsson "Tommy Gustafsson") who has created the [Sagarmatha Next Center](https://www.sagarmathanext.com/ "Sagarmatha Next Center") in Namche Bazaar- a village on the way to Everest Base camp - which allows artists from all over to create artwork from recycled materials found on the trek to base camp. He also has created an initiative called __Carry Me Back__ which simply gets people to carry a 1KG bag of waste from the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park to Kathmandu airport where it can then be recycled by a separate company - if every trekker did this, over 70 tons of waste would be removed from the area each year!! So simple yet so effective! I really loved his idea and will be promoting it for sure :)
__It seems as though your father was integral in developing your passions, introducing your education at altitude and fostered your young experiences as you pursue elite climbing. Tell us a bit about your relationship with your father, and what is some advice you have for other young women as they pursue support from their parents.__
My father is the reason I am where I am today. He pushed me beyond my limits when I thought I had reached them and was the ultimate idol for me. I remember being so proud of my father and boasting about him at school to my friends!! A big moment was when he climbed Aconcagua and I just remember thinking I want to do this one day, I want to achieve big things. And eventually we did get to climb Aconcagua together in 2018 which was just a magical moment :)
My advice to young women would be to find what you’re good at, and more importantly what makes you happy, and be the best at it. Point your heart and soul at your passion and huge things will come your way. Your parents are ultimately the only people you can fully trust , so don’t be afraid to talk to them and ask them for support, Sometime they may not agree with your choices but at the end of the day it’s your life to live, SO GO LIVE IT!
__Climbers have an inherent obligation to nature. To preserve it. To protect it. To teach about it. What are some ways that you use your talents to perpetuate the soul of a climber to others that you cross paths with?__
In modern times, the best way to promote, advocate or put across any beliefs is via social media. I am of two minds when it comes to social media. I absolutely love the platform it provides and the reach it can have - which is how I use it to promote my beliefs such as sustainable climbing and women empowerment! My aim is to be as real as possible and not create a false identity or picture of what my life or climbing is really like. Unfortunately social media has its downsides - such as mental health related issues. However at the end of the day it’s the best way to communicate with the world and make real impacts.
__What is next for you in your young career? You have had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented professionals in the world and in the near future, that will hopefully continue to expand. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?__
Next for me is to complete Everest/ Lhotse followed by K2 and Broad peak in summer 2021. I am also planning on climbing some unclimbed mountains in the Kanchenjunga range which will be more technical in terms of ice climbing, etc. My three year goal as mentioned above would be to complete all 14 8000ers and hopefully become an influential young climber where I can promote and advocate important issues and hopefully make a positive mark on the world :) I also hope to get more into paragliding and find a way to incorporate both climbing and flying into one! Now that would certainly make me an adventure athlete haha
__Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to know about?__
The best way to get in touch with me is via email or through my Instagram. I absolutely love having people ask me questions and show interest in what I do!! My biggest project at the moment is working with the charity [Friends of Himalayan Children](https://www.f-hc.org/ "Friends of Himalayan Children"), which gives young children in difficult living situations access to accommodation, food and education. My main role within the charity would be to teach young girls to become trekking guides - an occupation which is heavily dominated by men , not only in Nepal but all over the world! I’m also super excited to be able to use my platform as a young female climber to promote both female empowerment and raise awareness on mental health issues in young adults through the [British Inspiration Trust](https://www.britishinspirationtrust.org.uk/ "British Inspiration Trust") which is an organisation that provides young adults suffering from mental health related issues with support and help.
Website - [adrianabrownlee.com](https://adrianabrownlee.com "Adriana Brownlee Website")
Instagram - [Adri.Brownlee](https://www.instagram.com/adri.brownlee/?hl=en "Adriana Brownlee Instagram Link")
Facebook - [Adriana Brownlee](https://www.facebook.com/a7summits/ "Adriana Brownlee Facebook Link")
[Survival of the Summits](https://www.survivalofthesummits.com/ "Survival of the Summits")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-adriana-brownlee
# HERO Spotlight: Julien Jarry
Published: 2019-06-14
__Where were you born and raised? How has your life today been influenced by your roots?__
I was born in the Bronx, New York but grew up in Connecticut. We visited my mom’s parents, my grandparents a lot in San Diego county at least once a year and I like to believe I’ve always had roots out there. My mom is from California and after I graduated high school in Connecticut we moved out there. I ended up staying for three years then drove across the country to come back ‘home’ to Connecticut. She stayed. My wife and I are able to visit her at least once a year.
My parents divorced when I was very young. I learned a lot about survival from my dad and a lot about living from my mom. As an only child my parent’s friends were my friends and I grew up being able to converse with them just like if they were a friend. I feel that this had a lot to do with developing my intuitive communication and leadership skills.
__How did you first come to realize your passion for film, photography, cinematography? Tell us a bit about your inspiration and some struggles along the way.__
I didn’t pick up a camera until I was 22 years old. My mom had bought me a little point and shoot and I started taking pictures here and there. This was during the early days of Facebook and photo sharing. Earlier in life my dad was a photographer and after giving me a few bits of feedback on my images and imagery in general I really found a few frames I had captured interesting. Soon after and on a whim I bought myself a little micro four thirds camera as a graduation present to myself. I had done a bit of research and thought I found a great camera. Something about buying it, the lens choice, the gear, I was hooked.
I started looking up photography everything online every waking minute until the camera arrived and the rest is history. The camera showed up, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing but kept learning and shooting.I started buying a few vintage lenses and adapters to use on the camera. I had finally found my calling. Over the last nine years everyday has been a learning experience giving me one more nugget of something good to make me better for tomorrow. That’s the short version.
__Life behind the camera often forces the professional to focus on the subject, removing emotion, opinion and even reaction. Describe a scenario where this was tested. How did you use your camera and professional experience to navigate a difficult project, yet still retain the passion for the final quality product?__
Over the years I have shot many a mission trip and adventure in places like Uganda, Haiti, India, Jamaica and Colombia and life isn’t easy. There’s is a lot of poverty and injustice in the world. There’s almost too much to take it all in at once. Being behind the camera naturally gives us something to hide behind. It gives us a purpose but it can also be a distraction to what is really going on. I remember there was a hospital in Uganda where I decided not to shoot patients because it would have been disrespectful.
Whether a place is tough or not there will always be light and composition. A passionate photographer can and will always feed of the little beauty to be captured.
__You seem to focus on several different initiatives, but appear to be passionate about people and their lifestyles as well as the environment such as the Cannondale or Flow campaigns, Dark Horse Bouldering Series, or even the Osito Coffee campaign. How do you feel about using your skills to capture the human element and changes in the environment?__
I am about to go on a week and a half long trip to Romania as part of a longer journey following a young adopted girl who is trying to find her birth parents. Though I do a ton of doc style stuff this will be my first real long form documentary and I am quite excited. As a creative I want things to be perfect and this project has forced me to let that go a bit. This isn’t a commercial campaign. It’s a raw documentary.
I am still figuring out what type of filmmaking I like best and will have a better sense after this project is finished. I have a few friends really into fishing and sustainability and we have a large docu-series idea surrounding that. It’s a matter of finding the time and balancing it with paid work.
All I want to do is shoot and create more because I love the craft.
__What is your position on organizations rooted in social and environmental consciousness?__
Osito Coffee who I went to Colombia with to capture content for is a coffee exporting company rooted in exactly this. I also just did a video for a local organization focused on the fight against human trafficking. I also work part time for Trinity Church in Greenwich, Connecticut as their creative director. My position on these issues is supportive. My personal and internal passions in this area are geared towards restoring the environment and combating injustice.
__What are some of the most significant success that you have had over the years? In turn, what are some significant loses and what has the ultimate result been?__
I think my entire life and then freelance career journey has been a success so far and I am very humble and thankful to say so. I’d like to believe it’s just the beginning. I not only have had a very supportive family, church family and wife but now living in the same town I grew up in I know a lot of people and that helps with networking. I tell everyone this: 99% of all the work I have ever done has been from someone I know. Share your work on your social channels so people can see what you do and know what you do. You’ll soon get a call or email. My biggest contract and job to date has been this web series and now commercial content for Sennheiser. A friend from high school is their marketing manager and hired me.
On the flip side of success I recently got sick with a sinus infection due to lack of rest and had to miss a big job last minute for someone I really wanted to work with. Thankfully they were understanding but I missed out for sure. I learned that my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual rest is very important and should be more of a priority.
__You are exposed to a ton of people, places, corporations and scenarios. What are some practical and simple ways that people can document their own lives with a focus on social and environmental consciousness?__
Start capturing stills or video or writing about what you’re passionate about today. Don’t wait. Don’t wait for something you think you need to wait for in order properly get something out there, just start.
__Where can people find you, engage with your story and hopefully work with you?__
[Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/julienajarry/?hl=en "Instagram")
[Facebook](https://facebook.com/julienajarrymedia "Facebook")
[JulienJarry.com](https://JulienJarry.com "JulienJarry.com")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-julien-jarry
# HERO Spotlight: Alex Puccio
Published: 2019-06-14
__You have had a seriously significant rock climbing career. Tell us a bit about your origin story. How did Alex Puccio find rock climbing and why did it become your life's work?__
Well, it all started when I was 13 years old and my mother, Kim Puccio, introduced me to climbing. My younger sister was actually the naturally talented one and I was the scared one. The one great thing I had going for me was my competitive spirit and stubbornness. I was determined to get better and overcome my fears!
Fast Forward to being 16 years old. I entered ABS Nationals for my very first time, not knowing how strong the field of woman were since I never really did any Pro Competitions before that, and ended up WINNING! I was stunned and shocked for months! That feeling of winning that comp for the first time will never be replaced! Since then I have been named Adult National Champion 10 Times.
__You have quite an impressive trophy room. What is it like to compete at the highest level of a sport? Where do you find the motivation to train and improve?__
I believe you are your biggest competition. You are the only one that can win or lose a comp or get to the top of your project or not. Climbing is a individual sport so naturally being a pro in the sport you have to deal with a lot of pressure! Losing a competition or not achieving your goals on a trip is not always a bad thing. It gives you an opportunity to reflect and learn and then improve from your loses. This is a good chance to get reenergized and motivated to improve! :)
__Maintaining a position as a top athlete in the world for so long and being in such a visible position comes with a lot of pressure and expectation. How do you balance your career, your family, and your passion?__
Pressure just comes with the career. In most people's jobs, whatever they do, there will be parts of it that are challenging and dealing with the pressure from different directions and balancing your time is something that will never be easy, but you just learn to get through it the best you can.
For me I found climbing outside more in Summer of 2014 helped me A LOT! I was doing a lot of the World Cups before that point and doing alright in them, but always coming up a bit short from my goals. I would always mentally break down in finals and find myself not standing on top of the podium, my goal, not because I wasn’t strong or good enough, but because of my head and not being able to deal with the all the pressure I put on myself.
So Summer of 2014 I ended my WC Season early and decided to enjoy bouldering in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) in Colorado. I had climbed outside here and there before that point, but never really, seriously, pushing my limits. I was always known as the “Comp Queen” before that point. This is when I climbed my first V13, Top Notch, and then went on to climbing my first V14, Jade, shortly after. I was no longer just a “Comp Queen”! Now I have a healthy balance between training, Comp climbing and climbing outside and it balances each other out! :)
__Do you have trouble balancing outdoor climbing goals with training for indoor comps? Which do you prefer and why? Are there other disciplines of climbing you want to explore?__
I usually don't have a training plan at all these days. Actually I mostly climb outside when I can and then just go to the competitions. It's been working for the past few years so why not! For the Adidas Rockstar Comp I just won a couple months back I only went to because I was already in Europe, Magic Wood Switzerland, on a climbing trip. I think I have less pressure on myself if I don't put all my eggs in one basket and just train for a competition season and then go and compete in it. When I climb outside I still feel really strong in my fingers, body and head. I might be lacking a bit in the jumping department since you don't get too much of that outside, but my head is WAY better and I’m much happier!!! :)
__What has your experience been like as a female that is better than nearly all the boys? It is extremely obvious that the gap between ability is shrinking and will likely flip in the near future. How does this motivate you?__
Honestly, I don’t actually pay attention to the fact that most of the time I’m the only or one of the few woman in a group climbing. I feel that we are all just people doing what we love to do and helping eachother out. The only time I get annoyed, and this doesn’t happen a lot anymore, is when there is a guy that I can tell gets competitive with me because I’m a girl that is climbing as well as or better than him. In that situation something lights up inside of me and I naturally just want to out perform him then, just to prove a point that he better get used to it and woman are just as strong and can be stronger!
Maybe this isn't the best way to be, but it’s just a natural instinct. I see every person as just a person and that we are all different sizes and all have our own strengths and weaknesses, not that he's a guy so he is strong and she is a girls so she is probably more flexible. I’m a woman and let's be honest, i’m not that flexible at all, but I sure do have a lot of power and muscles! I’m only 5’2” as well!
And yes, I believe the gap is closing in fast. We are just seeing more and more women in the sport these days and they are pushing their own limits naturally! This is a beautiful thing to see and be a part of!!!
__What advice would you give to a young climber today that is moving up in the competition circuit?__
Have fun with it and don’t expect the pressure to ever go away or get easier, but you will learn your own way of dealing with it. There isn’t a right or wrong way to improving, but we all simply have our own ways and try different things out till you find what works for you! Like I said before, we all have OUR OWN strengths and weaknesses so something that works for your friend or someone else might not work for you. Don’t be afraid to be different, embrace it!!! :)
__You have been literally all over the world for your career and to climb. You must have seen first hand, the darkest of environmental crisis. Can you tell us a bit about some experiences you have had that made you feel upset or concerned for nature's well being?__
Wow, this answer could go on forever! I will just leave it at, we should all try our hardest to be kind to each other and treat others how you want them to treat you! And if you are passionate about your climbing areas then respect them! It was sad when I was in Magic Wood Switzerland climbing outside just a couple months ago and saw ALL the trash left behind at the boulders! Everyday I would pick up trash as I saw it even if it was just a little piece of tape. Don't just treat others the way you want to be treated, but the environment that you say you LOVE so much as well!
If we all just start doing a little each day to help out our environment and communities then they will thrive and you in return can keep climbing, hiking and playing in the places you love. I am not saying everyone needs to be a huge activist, but we all have a part to play; so make your's a good one!
__How do you express the environmentalist within you while you are simply living day to day? What are some simply things that you are mindful of which keep your own footprint on this earth small?__
Being honest, i’m not a minimalist, but these are the “guidelines” I try to apply to my life, whenever possible.
1.)Recycle what can be recycled.
2.)Eat the food I buy.
3.)Keep our lands clean and pick up trash when I come across it!
4.)Stay on trails when they are there!
5.)Walk places if you can or take public transportation… it’s also a good workout to walk more! ;)
6.)Don’t abuse the environment as much as possible!
__With the Olympic’s being included as a recognized event in the 2020 Olympics, what are your plans to represent the USA?__
I will try out for them in hopes of being selected, but not sure if that will happen or not. It’s going to be a tough selection!
__What is your next great adventure or goal?__
I’m currently in Hueco Tanks climbing outside and I have a project here, well maybe more than one! I will be here till Jan 3rd and then it’s time for a few more big Competitions here in the states, like nationals in Feb! After that we will see. Right now I’m thinking I might want to do some World Cups for Bouldering and maybe Sport Climbing! Time will tell though. I kind of just have a rough draft plan that can change and I like that! :)
ALL PHOTO CREDIT: [@julienajarry](https://www.instagram.com/julienajarry/?hl=en) and [@darkhorseboulderingseries](https://www.instagram.com/darkhorseboulderingseries/)
[@alex_puccio89](https://www.instagram.com/alex_puccio89/?hl=en "Instagram")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-alex-puccio
# HERO Spotlight: Sophia Pavelle
Published: 2019-03-27
__Begin by giving us a bit of your upbringing and your journey till today.__
Despite to my thick British accent, I was born stateside in Augusta, Georgia and spent my early years talking in a long, southern drawl! When I was four, we moved back to the UK and I grew up in beautiful Devon - leaving the deep south far behind. Our first house was right on the Exe Estuary - the beach was literally our garden and at high tide in a storm, the waves used to lap against the living room windows. I guess it was living in such proximity to such a significant natural environment teeming with Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and nationally important nature reserves, as well as being a stones throw from the Jurassic Coast and Dartmoor National Park; that my love of the outdoors and wildlife really came into its own.
I have been blessed with strong interest in lots of different areas - which can be good and yet confusing when choosing a career path! I loved sport and music and chose quite a mixture of A-levels compared to other people on my undergraduate course; including English literature and Psychology. I chose to study Zoology at the University of Bristol, to feed my broad passion for biology and the natural world. Up until my final year I had plans to continue my studies into veterinary medicine; but after long and honest chats with veterinary professionals during my work experience placements, I realised that an extra five years of hard study didn’t really appeal to me! I also began to realise that I got a real kick out of talking to people and getting others excited about science and the natural world. It was then during a late night on the laptop that I came across the MSc Science Communication programme at the University of the West of England (UWE) - which safe to say has been monumental in helping me forge my next steps!
I completed the MSc in November 2017, after a jam-packed year of exploring the rapidly expanding field of science communication and its importance in shaping societal perception of science and the future of the natural world.
__As a young person, how has nature shaped you?__
Honing my love of nature has been a relatively slow burner - the passion has always been there, but I never truly nurtured it until the last year or so during my masters when we were trained to become professional science communicators. Timing wise, it couldn’t have been better - 2017 was marked by a sudden and widespread recognition of the damage we inflict upon our marine habitats, food webs and vulnerable ecosystems. Fuelled by hard hitting reality, broadcast by the fantastic Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II, I think as a population we have never been made more aware of just how destructive our lifestyles can be. That being said, I am so encouraged at our response to issues like plastic pollution and the drive in some people to make those small changes to their consumer habits that can amount to meaningful, positive impact.
WIth this in mind, I believe that there has not been a more important time to get people back outside and engaged in the natural world on our doorstep. Earlier in 2017, I embarked on a 300-mile solo trek around the entire coast of Cornwall - Sophie’s Wild Cornwall. Having grown up in ‘the Digital Age’ I was curious to see how we can adapt our obsessive relationship with social media and use its huge influence to show off British wildlife, inspire interest in nature, the outdoors and celebrate the UK’s incredible landscapes. Having to fulfil the criteria for an MSc Science Communication dissertation, I decided to do something a little different and plan this three-week expedition to test this rather ambitious aim. Armed with my iPhone and a backpack, I was on a mission to see whether our obsession with social media can connect us back to nature. The digital world has an incredible power to attract massive audiences and I was determined to test its potential in championing some of the best environments the UK offers and raise awareness of its unique wildlife.
Walking solo for 22-days, making 22 video blogs documenting the wildlife and landscapes I encountered, was an incredible experience. Spending that time with the wildlife and elements as my sole company offered a chance to connect with nature and truly empathise with its beauty, its intelligence - and its fragility. I can’t stress enough the relationship that I’ve found between being outside, and allowing that to develop and nurture an empathy for the natural world. As cheesy as it sounds, once you open your eyes to wildlife and quirky habitats and feel the power of the weather, you begin to become addicted - you want to see as much as you can - feed the questions that pop into your mind - be openly curious and engage with other people you encounter on the trail. I often found myself asking total strangers, “did you see that buzzard just then?!” or “how cool was that kestrel?!” - even if I did get funny looks, my excitement about the UK’s immense biodiversity was bubbling - and it has been ever since!!
__As a zoologist, early in your career, what are some of the areas you focus on?__
I am really passionate about the relationship between adventure and scientific curiosity - I think the simple act of getting outside can solve a lot of communication problems and re-vamp traditional learning. Modern issues like plastic pollution have a powerful cause-and-effect positive feedback impact; you become much more appreciative of the problem once you actually see its effect on the environment - you want to take action - and that’s where the magic happens. I’ve always been interested in the human-wildlife interface and I think plastic pollution is a key and accessible example of that.
Sophie’s Wild Cornwall made me realise the incredible potential social media presents for science communication. The touch of a few buttons enables an unrivalled sharing opportunity to a global audience, to spread good messages and form like-minded communities and present science as something cool and worth talking about. So many of us make social media part of our day and instead of lamenting the digital shift of society, we should embrace it and learn to harness the unique opportunities it presents to make adventure, science and wildlife trendy and ‘instagrammable’! It is our responsibility to ensure nature is protected for years to come - and only if we encourage people to develop a relationship with the natural world will that happen - and I believe social media can have a hugely important role in fostering this. As the wonderful Dame Jane Goodall so beautifully said, “Only if we understand, will we care.”
__How has the environment’s decline affected your research and your purpose?__
If anything it’s spurring me on. Instead of working in the industry being a pipe dream that ‘would be nice’ - it’s fast becoming something I feel I need to do. Like most of us, I work best if I have a purpose, a goal that I can work towards producing a meaningful outcome. I can’t think of a better purpose than one which puts the natural world first and aims to encourage others to do the same.
I think it’s so important to think about how we present environmental issues and conservation - scare mongering and the classic ‘doom and gloom’ approach simply does not work. In this age where people’s interests are largely defined by their social media feeds, we need to engage people in seconds. In my opinion, it’s better to attract attention to science using vibrant, punchy and informal yet informative content that nails a topic, versus distressing images of the ivory trade or plastic-choked marine life. While it’s important to present the reality of a situation to ground it in context, as a scientist and millenial - positive content with achievable actions attached is more likely to spark my interest and help me feel that I can make a small difference.
__What are some startling statistics?__
30% of all time spent online is used to engage with social media - with new research detailing an average global rise to at least two hours using social media everyday - that’s five years and four months in the average lifetime.
By 2050, the amount of plastic in the world’s oceans will weigh more than the entire fish population. 84% of people surveyed said they are concerned by the level of plastic in the world’s oceans and 60% support a deposit return scheme in the UK. Now imagine if we used some of the time we spend online to channel these concerns and promote action? Imagine the potential audiences we could reach and the voice we could generate to stimulate change?
__What are some ways that you think people can reduce their carbon footprint and slow the rate of climate change?__
There are lots of simple changes we can all make. One of the easiest and my favourite is to switch up your mode of transport if you can - mine is to opt for my bike and public transport wherever possible! I’m a bit of an outdoor geek as you’ve probably guessed, so any chance I can get to stay out there - I’ll grab it! Also things like re-using your water bottles, buying reusable coffee cups and cotton shopping bags, using hard soaps for showering, using loose-leaf tea instead of non-recyclable teabgs etc - can significantly reduce your plastic footprint too!
__How do you envision the world in the next decade?__
That’s a tough question! It’s quite unsettling to be edging towards the significant ‘statistical years’ such as 2020, 2030 etc - where supposedly we will start running out of fossil fuels and have X-amount of population growth and X-amount of habitat loss…
I would like to think that the next decade will see a big shift in public attitudes to science and the environment - I’d like to think that something will ‘click’ within us and we will start acting wisely and become more environmentally conscious. We all harbour an innate dependance on the natural world and I think we have been seeing that seed growing during 2017 - which I have found fascinating.
__Where can people find you, follow you and support your journey?__
Please find me on Instagram [@sophiepavs](https://www.instagram.com/sophiepavs/?hl=en) as well as my [personal page](https://www.dfmanagement.tv/sophie-pavelle/).
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-sophia-pavelle
# HERO Spotlight: Savannah Cummins
Published: 2019-03-21
__Where were you born and raised? How has your life today been influenced by where you grew up?__
I grew up in Cincinatti, Ohio. Being raised there really inspired me to move away from there ASAP since it stopped feeling like a place I wanted to live while I was still in high school. Moving away from there was the best decision I could have made because it led me toward and down the path I’m on now!
__Climbing, Mountaineering, Alpinism and photography are relatively new endeavours for you. How did you come to find these passions and pursue them at an elite level, surrounded by history's greatest adventure athletes?__
I first found climbing because it was part of the curriculum in the ‘City Kids’ program that I worked for in Jackson, Wyoming. Lucky for me, I met some long time, prolific climbers in my early days on the rock who were willing to take me out on some of their adventures in the mountains to show me the ropes and the ways of the master. That’s basically how I was introduced to mountaineering and ice climbing. Then, combining some of my skills and experiences with my blooming photography passion led me to alpinism. Once I had a taste of any style of climbing, I’d be hooked, and the idea of taking photos in those big, beautiful and remote places that climbing takes us continues to fuel me. If you want to get up there to even have a chance at capturing a perfect mountain moment, you almost don’t have the choice to be anything less than ‘elite’. I feel very lucky to have been able to team up with so many amazing athletes along the way in my own journey as a climber who have helped me climb to new heights, and it’s been inspiring to see how willing they all have been to share the stoke and their knowledge with people like me who are excited to enter their world.
__With your travels taking you all over the world, what has your experience been with respect to the degradation of the environment and the effects of climate change? Where have you witnessed some of the largest and most obvious impacts? __
Every time I’m planning a trip I think about how big an impact me even getting to the destination has on our fragile planet. It’s a tough line to walk since my work life requires me to ride in airplanes and cars much more than your average person does. It breaks my heart to see and feel when our presence in the world is hurting it. I don’t have an answer to solve this problem, but we can all do better, and everyone should start by not using plastic straws or disposable plastic water bottles!
__We have to ask; What was your experience in Antarctica like? For such a pristine, undeveloped place were there any signs of environmental distress? Scarcity of wildlife? Glacial or ice shelf melt? Vast fluctuations in temperature and weather? How did the combined experience of the team open your eyes to that frozen world?__
Antarctica was an incredible experience! It was unreal to spend such a long stint in a place so remote and quiet and untouched. I personally couldn’t see any signs of environmental distress or scarcity of wildlife, or ice melt because I have nothing to compare it to. Conrad was the only member of our team who had previously been in that region and he never commented on any crazy difference in temperature or landscape compared to 15 years prior. Everyone in our team was blown away by the setting and the beauty of all the rock rising from the flat, icey planes. There was a giddy energy in us all, and it was neat to see how even the most bad ass, hardcore experienced alpinists, film makers, and climbers had a similar respect for the landscape we were there to explore.
__Climbers have an inherent obligation to nature. To preserve it. To protect it. To teach about it. What are some ways that you use your talents to perpetuate the soul of a climber to others that you cross paths with? __
I aim to shoot raw, real moments in amazing places in the vertical world. I don’t pretend to be anything that I’m not, or try to make any adventure appear to be any different than how it actually was. For me, shooting the ‘soul of a climber’ in pursuit of their own ambition and dreams and goals speaks for itself.
__What is next for you in your young career? You have had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented professionals in the world and in the near future, that will hopefully continue to expand. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?__
By 2024, I hope to be a more seasoned version of the current 26 year old version of me! For now, I’m going to continue to diversify my climbing experiences and do some new to me things like develop some of my own routes, plan and go on more expeditions, and feed and water my photography and videography skills so it continues to bloom!
__Where can people find you, follow you and get inspiried by you?__
You can find me on Instagram [@sav.cummins](https://www.instagram.com/sav.cummins/?hl=en) or my website [savannahcummins.com](http://savannahcummins.com/)
All photo credit to Savannah Cummins ([@sav.cummins](https://www.instagram.com/sav.cummins/?hl=en)) and Drew Smith ([@_Drew_Smith_](https://www.instagram.com/_drew_smith_/?hl=en)) directly.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-savannah-cummins
# HERO Spotlight: Jesse Burke
Published: 2018-10-23
Jesse Burke divides his time between personal art projects and commissioned work. Jesse's work deals with themes related to vulnerability and identity, as well as human's complicated relationship with nature. Daylight Books published his monograph, [Wild & Precious](http://www.wildandprecious.co/) 2015. He received his MFA from Rhode Island School of Design, where he is a faculty member. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in the U.S. and abroad and is held in many private and public collections including the Museum of Contemporary Photography Chicago, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum. Jesse was recently named by Time Magazine as a top 50 US photographer to follow on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jesse_burke) and by T: The New York Times Style Magazine as a top 5 to follow on Instagram.
"We all want to be associated with something greater and more beautiful than ourselves and nature is the ultimate. I just think it is the one thing we can all agree on." -Bernd Heinrich
__Where were you born and raised? Do you remember a specific moment in time when you realized your passion for photography and particularly, nature. __
I was born and raised in Stratford, Connecticut. I didn’t really get into photography until I moved to the Arizona desert in the mid 1990s, in my early 20s. Once there I started by taking an introduction to photography class at the local community college. I very quickly realized that it was something amazing and it quickly became my passion. As far as nature is concerned, I grew up using the woods and ponds near my house in Connecticut as an escape from daily life. It was my favorite place to go, and I would often go with my friends to play and look for animals. I think that’s what instilled in me a deep connection to the natural world. I can remember those days like they were yesterday.
__Tell us a bit about your journey and your obvious alignment with the environment. You have quite the resume. Your work can be found everywhere from publications like Wild & Precious, to campaigns for L.L. Bean, Carnival Cruise Line, Floating Hospital for Children and so much more. How does this variety of experience map back to your passion for nature?__
The journey in my professional photographic life has been interesting. I started by photographing what it means to be a man (in my personal circles) in an attempt to understand who I was as a man and who my friends and family were as men. Then I had a daughter and I realized quickly that my work would probably change. The thing that shifted my work away from exploring masculinity and more into the nature experience that I practice today is deciding that I wanted my daughter to be deeply in touch with the natural world. So I focused on introducing her to nature by exposing her to it first hand. Taking road trips, exploring, adventuring, constantly being out there. Over the years I have acquired a lot of my family photos doing things in our personal life that have led to my current commercial client situation. Clients like L.L. Bean, Honda, and Carnival Cruise Lines have hired me just to do what I do- which is to document my kids in the way that introduces the natural world into our lives and expresses our love for it. It really makes logical sense for specific clients. Floating Hospital for Children was a little bit different because they were interested in the idea of strength and vulnerability in the face of childhood- which is also something that I am really interested in. It’s evident in my personal work but spills over into my professional client work as well.
__How do you live an eco-friendly lifestyle on a daily basis? What are 3 basic things that you would prescribe to anyone looking to do the same?__
We try to live as eco-friendly lifestyle as we can, we really do give it our best effort. One thing that we try to do is recycle as much as possible and be really good about it. Don’t be a lazy recycler. All those little lids make a big difference if you put them in the bin instead of into the trash can. The other thing we do is we try to raise and grow our own food when we could. We have a chicken farm and eat lots of eggs. In the summer we grow a big garden so that we can rely less on the grocery store and more of the natural world. It’s also our favorite thing to do. The other thing we do is go to the beach pick up litter when we’re down there. It looks cleaner and it’s better for the animals. We’re very concerned about the animal's wellbeing and plastic often looks like food to animals. Whether it’s birds or fish, or what have you. So it’s not uncommon that when we leave the beach we have pockets full of trash. These are simple things that we do that jive really well with our lifestyle and aren’t that complicated. I think when you give it a little bit of an effort it’s simple to do.
__Your relationship with your children is beautiful. How do your children inspire you? How is their outlook on life internalized by your inner child?__
Oh man, I am always being taught and inspired by them. They constantly teach me about patience by pushing me to the limits of mine. They teach me about wonder and seeing things anew. Seeing life and nature through a kid’s eyes is incredible. They teach me about compassion and love. The way they interact with the animals in our lives and their friends is awesome to watch. I have been fortunate enough to raise three kind and considerate souls. I watch them and their kindness and it rubs off on me. They inspire me to be the best dad that I can and to always set a good example, especially when I am inclined not to or in a moment when it’s hard. That is when I really try to look outside of myself and do what is right. They inspire me to show them what being man is about and how men and women are equals. They make me live my life hyper aware of how I can operate in my own life while making sure women are always treated fairly. Their future depends on it, all of ours does.
They inspire me to let go and stop being worried about the small stuff. To take your shoes off as much as possible, to climb trees, to look up and to look down when maybe I would just look forward. I think we are constantly teaching and inspiring each other.
__Life behind the lens is always interesting. Do you ever put down the camera to simply live in the now and capture the moment in your mind's eye instead? Describe a scenario where this happened. Who was with you? Where were you? And why this moment?__
This is a great question, it's something that I increasingly think about. What is the difference between capturing a moment with the camera, so you can relive it over and over and relive the sentimentality of it, or just experience the moment in real time, so you can truly embrace it without any distraction. It’s really hard and as a photographer, I tend to do more of the filming rather than just simply experiencing. But recently, on the 4th of July I decided to leave my phone home and went to the beach with my kids. We watched the fireworks and just hung out. It was amazing to not have the burden of the phone with me, to get any calls or emails, or even use it to take pictures of the fireworks. We just sat there and watched everything unfold, it was awesome.
__What are some unique challenges you have had with your journey? Becoming a well known photographer, father, explorer certainly has its challenges. What were some bumps in the road?__
Sometimes I think people have a hard time interpreting my photographs and might just read them in the wrong way. I have this image of my daughter with a bloody nose, which has gotten a lot of slack, mostly online. I’ve had a lot of comments about being an abusive father, taking advantage of a child, etc. But the truth is she simply had a bloody nose- she was calm, I was calm and it was beautiful. It was one of those moments in life where you can physically see the vulnerability of your child and I really wanted to capture that and add that to the body of work we were creating, which is about empowering my daughter, embracing all things that life throws at us, and being strong in the face of adversity.
Blood can be scary and I wanted her to feel comfortable with it. I wanted to capture it as it was laid out before me, but when you see it out of context it’s really misconstrue. You have to have a thick skin if you’re going to be a photographer and expose your family and private moments. I’m fine with the push back because I believe in what I am doing.
__If you had the attention of fathers and their daughters, what would be a bit of advice you could offer? Girls, historically, are sheltered and protected. Nature builds character and wonder and imagination. What would you say to break that stigma?__
I would say try not to think of your kids as boys or girls but just think of them as little creatures that need love and exposure to things. Expose them as much as possible- to the natural world- let them get dirty, muddy, wet- who cares, you can wash it off. It builds character and allows them to be freer and a little more wild. I like to think of my kids as lion cubs. What does the mother lion let her cubs do? She doesn’t watch them overly closely but she keeps an eye on them, she lets them wander and play, and sometimes even get get dirty and hurt.
All of those things teach the children what’s possible, what’s safe, what’s not safe... and I think if you allow for a little freedom, and loosen the leash, that you can see your children grow exponentially. It has worked for us. Also, try to sit down and explain things to your kids that might be scary. Break it down for them to show the beauty and respect, not fear. Spiders, bats, certain animals can typically scare children but if you take a more scientific approach and explain how incredible spider's webs are, how amazing bat's echolocation is, kids won’t be afraid of them and they won’t scream, they’ll be excited and actually look forward to the opportunity to see one. Maybe even hold one.
__Where can people find you, follow you, get in touch?__
The best place to find me is on Instagram at [@jesse_burke](https://www.instagram.com/jesse_burke/). We are always posting current pictures, events and things we do. It’s like a working journal of our life and farm. Also, my work can be seen at [www.jesseburke.com](http://www.jesseburke.com) and [www.wildandprecious.co](http://www.wildandprecious.co/)
 
 
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-jesse-burke
# HERO Spotlight: Gillian Levy
Published: 2018-10-15
Gillian Levy is the co-owner of [Humboldt Apothecary](https://www.humboldt-apothecary.com) and started HA with her business partner, Susan Cleverdon in 2015. Gillian's background is in watershed management and botany. She worked as an environmental consultant for many years before collaborating with Susan on the development of the company. Outside of their interest in cannabis, they both have a strong background in herbal medicine and holistic health. Their desire to start the company sprung from a marriage of interest in the growing cannabis industry and their! love for all things botanical medicine related.
__Tell us a bit about where the idea for the Humboldt Apothecary was born? __
We initially decided to create a cannabis tincture company with offerings that addressed specific symptoms that could be supported with cannabis use. Our first tinctures all featured a suite of other medicinal herbs with the cannabis to maximize the benefits of each formula. Cannabis was historically used in combination with other medicinal herbs. This is because the suite of constituents that exist in the different plant compounds have a synergistic effect and are thus more potent and effective when taken together. We designed our line of products to fill a niche in the industry that seemed to be lacking. The result has been mind blowing. We have a growing following of customers and some pretty amazing testimonials about our products.
__How has the cannabis industry offered alternatives to traditional treatment and medical supplement?__
Most western medicine is based on using pharmaceutical drugs to treat symptoms of a disease. In some cases, it is extremely effective, such as antibiotic use for bacterial infections. In other cases, especially when there are a range of symptoms, traditional western treatments fail to treat the underlying problem.
Cannabis can be incredibly effective for a range of complicated disease pictures. The core of the efficacy of this plant is based in the cannabinoid content and it’s unique ability to play a significant role in moderating our own endocannabinoid system. By using cannabis to modify the endocannabinoid system, we can reduce inflammation throughout the body and can frequently have a broad effect on patients that are dealing with chronic pain, sleep disorders, mood disorders, etc. Regular cannabis use can be extremely effective and is considered safe and generally well tolerated by most patients.
__What separates Humboldt Apothecary from other cannabusinesses?__
At [Humboldt Apothecary](https://www.humboldt-apothecary.com), we focus on whole plant extracts, and we feel that it is the synergy between the suite of plant constituents that makes the best medicine. We source all of our cannabis extract from small extraction operations and small farms in Humboldt County. This is because we want a top quality, vibrant product. We also source organic ingredients whenever possible. Essentially, we aim to create a product that is the highest quality available because we don’t want to compromise the product in any way. We want our customers to know that every time they purchase one of our products, they are choosing quality and consistency that they can count on.
__What are some current challenges that the cannabis industry is facing as this alternative becomes more widely acceptable?__
One of the larger challenges that the industry is facing seems to be the standardizing of the testing for cannabis products. Many of the testing facilities have a huge disparity between their results, which becomes a problem for manufacturers that receive vastly different feedback of cannabinoid content, depending on the lab that they work with. This problem can be compounded by the fact that there are many other ingredients that may alter or modify the potency results.
__Where is your ultimate goal for Humboldt Apothecary?__
We would like to continue to expand our product line to include other remedies besides tinctures. Currently we are working on a topical line that we plan to roll out over the next several months. Additionally, we would like to start offering our products in other states. We aim to be a leader in the cannabis tincture industry and to continue to offer the highest quality cannabis products available as we grow and expand into new regions.
__What about the outdoors and your environment inspire you?__
We are fortunate to live in an extremely beautiful part of California with access to beautiful coastline as well as remote mountain wilderness and wild rivers. In my own experience, I have found the most joy and mental peace in staying connected with the natural environment. Additionally, having access to clean water and clean air are some of the most significant contributors to healthy communities.
__Is there a specific environmental issue that you personally feel passionate towards?____
I think that I feel most passionate about clean water and healthy rivers. In our community of Humboldt County, some cannabis cultivation practices have definitely impacted the quality and quantity of water in our rivers. One of the great benefits of legalization in California is that farmers must work very hard to minimize impacts to their water sources in order to be permitted and licensed to cultivate cannabis. They now have access to state agencies and private consulting entities to help guide and inform their cultivation practices and to minimize impacts. This regulatory infrastructure has really raised the bar for many farmers. I think that is of utmost importance.
__How does Humboldt Apothecary and preservation of the environment intersect?__
We try to be good stewards of the land and to build that into our business model. All of the cannabis that we use is sun grown. That is of critical importance to us because indoor growing contributes a huge carbon footprint. We believe that it is imperative to support farmers that are using the sun as their energy source.
We work with farmers that pride themselves in creating farms that minimize environmental impacts by limiting nutrient runoff, building healthy topsoils, and preventing erosion that might impact water quality. We also source as many organic ingredients as possible to limit contamination to the environment from pesticide use. Additionally, we try to minimize the amount of plastic in our packaging and to make use of as many recyclable materials as possible.
__What are some practical recommendations for consumers as they consider their impact on the environment?__
I hope to encourage more consumers to value sun grown cannabis. As the industry develops, cannabis cultivators are starting to define the unique environmental conditions that shape the quality of the cannabis that is produced. Terroir, or the environmental factors such as soils, climate, and topography that can be expressed in sun grown cannabis, is unique to growing outdoors. Likewise, the carbon footprint from indoor grows is so significant that it is really important to look at the contribution to greenhouse gas production.
Where can people find you, follow you, and get in touch?
My website is [Humboldt-Apothecary](https://www.humboldt-apothecary.com), and my social handles are:
Insta: [@humboldtapothecary](https://www.instagram.com/humboldtapothecary/)
FB: [Humboldt Apothecary](https://www.facebook.com/humboldtapothecary/)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-gillian-levy
# HEROES Spotlight: Ariane Resnick
Published: 2018-02-19
*Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef and certified nutritionist who specializes in developing accessible, organic, farm-to-table recipes from whole food ingredients. She has cooked for celebrities such as P!nk and Gwenyth Paltrow; as well as having been featured in Cosmopolitan, CBS’ The Doctors, ABC News, Forbes, Shape, Star, Huffington Post, Refinery 29, Men’s Fitness, and Food Network’s “Chopped.” She is also the author of two Amazon #1 best selling cookbooks, “[The Bone Broth Miracle](https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Broth-Miracle-Ancient-Improve/dp/1634507029)” and “[The Thinking Girl’s Guide to Drinking](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Girls-Guide-Drinking-Cocktails/dp/1682450481/).”*
__Where were you born and raised? How did your childhood introduce you to your passions?__
I was brought up in rural Massachusetts until my family moved to California when I was a teenager. My mom ran a co-op out of our basement and made all of our food, so that set a strong foundation for me. My parents are (and were) very holistic so my upbringing was informed hugely by that.
__When did you first get started cooking and when did you first start seeing food as medicine?__
I had my first chef job at age 19, and no matter how long away from kitchens I spent after, I always landed back in one. I knew of food as a tool for healing because my childhood had had that as a focal point, but I gained first hand experience with it when I dealt with two different chronic illnesses in my 30s, both of which I healed without Western meds.
__You have a significant reputation with some of the world's most recognizable media outlets, business and celebrities. How do you always maintain creative control and continue to innovate and refine your craft?__
I’m a human beyond anything else; I’ve been privileged to see how becoming known can change people, and have made a conscious effort to remain authentic as my personal brand has grown. I only work with people and companies I’m excited and passionate about, because I think consumers can sense that.
__It is known that you have had Lyme Disease. Talk to us a bit about that might have happened and how controlling your nutrition and including holistic treatments has led you to a high quality life.__
Lyme is the result of a tick or mosquito bite. I didn’t heal it purely with nutrition — it was an assortment of holistic modalities that cured it. I was very intuitive about which I chose, and since I was so public about that, it led to others coming to me for advice. I gear people into choosing what feels most right for them in treatments, rather than suggesting what they do based on what ailment they have. I’m a big believer that illness is an opportunity for you to get to know your body better and to get more in touch with it.
__Most people enjoy cooking, but have significant difficulty cooking nutritiously. What are some basic pieces of advice that you can provide for those who enjoy simple creations, but can’t seem to avoid the unhealthy options?__
It’s all about adding rather than subtracting, and making small changes. Swap out one unhealthy food item for a healthy food item you know you enjoy, and when your schedule has become acclimated to that, choose a second one. I think going “whole hog” and trying to overhaul your life is a terrible idea, as it rarely leads to success. The last thing we need is to feel like a failure! Congratulate yourself for every small positive change, and you’ll find yourself making more of them.
__As a best selling author, you are no stranger to the power of effective communication. How are you able to explore your expertise and digest it into an enjoyable reading experience, ultimately resulting in a 2X - Amazon Best Selling Author with "The Bone Broth Miracle," and "The Thinking Girl’s Guide to Drinking"?__
Writing, like cooking, has always been second nature to me. I have no formal culinary training, and while I do have a writing degree, it’s in creative writing/poetry. I’m incredibly fortunate to have turned my hobbies into my career, and that was mostly the result of a lot of meditation and intention setting to let the world guide me in the direction where I’d be most helpful. I didn’t plan any of this, and I’ve never sought out work, or advertised. When you find your purpose, the universe helps line things up for you. That’s the best explanation I can give, kooky as it sounds.
__In your expertise, how do the ingredients we use and consume affect the environment? What are some essential things for the public to be aware of when thinking about their own food consumption in and out of their home?__
We desperately need to find a balance between consuming the most healthful foods and the most sustainable ones. The best example of that is quinoa; our consumption of it has made it unaffordable for the residents of the Andes for whom it was a main staple. Yes, it’s nutritious, and yes, it tastes good, but did we really need to harm a culture to have a new food in our culinary lexicon? I’m wary of many foreign superfoods for this reason. Do some research before delving right into the next food trend to see how the production of the food affects both the environment and the indigenous cultures growing it.
__Is there an obvious connection between food consumption and environmental sustainability?__
At this point, most of what we eat comes from packages, so sadly there isn’t an obvious connection. One exists, of course, but it can be hard to recognize and takes a lot of conscious thought and research to discover.
__Where can people find you, follow you, and get in touch?__
My website is [ArianeCooks.com](http://arianecooks.com/), and my social handles are:
Insta: [@chef_ariane](http://instagram.com/chef_ariane)
Twitter: [@ArianeResnick](https://twitter.com/ArianeResnick)
FB: [Ariane Resnick](https://www.facebook.com/ChefArianeResnick)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-ariane-resnick
# HEROES Spotlight: Tobi Deckert
Published: 2018-02-12
*Tobi Deckert is a poly-extreme sports athlete, entrepreneur, engineer, and DJ. An all-around incredible human that just can't seem to sit still, he's consistently pushing the boundaries both as a professional and an athlete. Thanks to his love of nature and well-rounded skillset — he is trying to forge new ways to reduce his own footprint by applying his business and engineering skills into larger solutions.*
__Where were your born and raised? How did that influence the man you are today and all the interests you have?__
I was born in southern Germany in Munich close to the alps. So I got my ambition to the mountains and all those different sports there from my father.
__You are quite the world traveler. Can you give us a bit of a list of the top places you have been to? When you travel, what do you typically do?__
Indeed I have been quite lucky traveling many countries so far. The purpose is quite different, sometimes it is work related, sometimes it’s rather leisure connected with sports. During the last couple of years I was visiting the US, Australia, China, New Zealand, Brazil, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and many places all over Europe. In most of the cases some commercial and promotional shootings and products tests took place there.
__You are a super eclectic individual. You have interests in everything from engineering to kiteboarding to extreme backcountry skiing to DJing. Tell us a bit about your passions and why you participate in such an array of extreme sports?__
Yeah, you listed already all my passions (so far). I just love doing and learning new things. Getting bored of an ordinary life, I was always looking for synergies among my interests. That’s why I probably worked as a product developer at Skywalk, a company that produces kites and paragliders. As soon as I had access to all this different gear, there were no borders anymore. I started mixing those sports throughout the seasons like I would mix my music on a party. Soon I began to earn some money with those side jobs as companies needed versatile content for their social media channels. This even got me some more possibilities to move on with my doings and learn other skills like movie editing or stunts for movies in the theatre.
__With so much risk, what is the ultimate reward for you? Is there a particular mantra that you live by the fuels your urge to live an extreme lifestyle?__
I cannot deny that I love taking risks, no matter if in a sporty way or business related. Breaking out of your comfort zone is one of the most important things to get progress. The ultimate reward is good vibes together with friends and that can be caused by a nice session of kitesurfing, flying or skiing for example. So sport is definitely my fuel to overcome challenging hurdles at my business and djing and movie editing unleashes my creativity which is quite as important to face daily tasks.
__Throughout your youth, how did you originally discover all of these activities, find time to practice them and become world class? Did you have a particular mentor or support system that kept you focused?__
Well I’m not performing at a world class level but gaining skills at some sports in particular is all about the people you are around with. That means my support system has always been my network of really good friends. This is one of the highest influences of pushing yourself to next levels. I have never performed very well in only one sport, as I loved to mix them but exactly this was the reason for cross progress to other disciplines. As one day lasts 24 h, I needed 8h for working, 8h for sleeping, which means there are 8h left over to do some crazy stuff. The only thing is to remain motivated to do some after work “productivities” — and I’m not talking about sitting in front of the TV.
__With so much exposure to land, sea, mountains and air, you must be unfortunately intimate with the poor condition of our environment? What are some of the issues you recognize in the remote places you visit?__
Indeed, when I’m in the mountains in the winter I can evidently see melting of the glaciers, when I’m at the beach, there is almost no spot anymore without garbage. Of course I recognize the issue: it’s us. Everywhere where there are human beings, the world does not look like it should look. The more people the worse.
__How do you express the environmentalist within you while you are simply living day to day? What are some simple things that you are mindful of which keep your own footprint on this earth small?__
This is a really trapping question as all (my) travelling is leaving a footprint. It’s always easy to blame politicians or big business managers but start thinking about yourself also, for example your buying behaviour (no matter if food or hardware). As environment and it’s healthcare is related to money in most of the cases, look at what you buy for which price. From my point of view as an engineer I can tell that the cheapest things can’t be the most environmentally friendly ones.
To get a better conscience regarding all my traveling burning a lot of fuel, I try to use my engineering and business skills to keep my footprint small. One way is to produce and use upcycled products which I do together with “rubbish upcycling” ([https://rubbish-design.com/pages/tobi-deckert-kitesurf-snowkite-freerider](https://rubbish-design.com/pages/tobi-deckert-kitesurf-snowkite-freerider)) Another example is one of my inventions “SHRED RACK” to allow carrying a lot of gear on the roof of a small car. With these inflatable car roof racks people can use only one car and fit in there all together with all their gear.
__Where can people find you or get in touch?__
[www.tobideckert.de](http://www.tobideckert.de/)
[www.shredrack.com](http://www.shredrack.com/)
[https://www.facebook.com/TobiDeckert/](https://www.facebook.com/TobiDeckert/)
[https://www.youtube.com/user/Deckardinhostuff](https://www.youtube.com/user/Deckardinhostuff)
[https://www.instagram.com/tobi_deckert/](https://www.instagram.com/tobi_deckert/)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-tobi-deckert
# HEROES Spotlight: Angy Eiter
Published: 2018-02-08
*Angela Eiter is a professional climber hailing from Austria. She's a champion competitive climber holding multiple Lead Climbing World Cup championships. Last year, she became the first woman to climb 5.15b by sending La Planta de Shiva at Villanueva del Rosario, Spain.*
__Where were you born and raised?__
I was born and raised in a valley near my today's home region Imst in Tyrol, Austria. Since I was a child I have always played outdoors enjoying the mountains and forests. Nature has been a part of my life for as long as i can remember.
*Angy Eiter climbing "Planta de Shiva" 9b. Villanueva del Rosario (Spain) 25-10-2017. © Javipec / ASP / Red Bull Content Pool*
__You have had some recent significant accomplishments in your climbing career. What are some of them and what has the dedication and work been like over the past few years towards achieving?__
I experienced successful competitions where I became 4 time World Champion, 3 time World Cup Winner overall and European Champion in 2010. There are more, but these are some of the most significant to me.
My motivating factor is my passion and pursuit of fun. With this drive I am eager to learn how I can improve in climbing and in my life generally. Then, I want to pass my experience over to other people.
*Two time world champion Angy Eiter competing at the World Cup of Kranj, Slovenia. © Stanko Gruden/Red Bull Content Pool*
__Being in such a visible position within the sport comes with a lot of pressure and expectation. How do you balance yourself?__
The pressure mainly comes from myself. Over time I have learned how to deal with it. Being satisfied with my performance and accepting the situation leads me to success.
__Do you have a specific focus within the environment?__
I simply love nature and as it is my playground I want to keep it clean.
__Where in the world do you identify the most with?__
I identify myself with a flower in the alpine areas in my home region of Imst. There, I lead a life in an almost completely clean area, where people protect this specific landscape in order for that rare species of flower to survive in this region.
*Angy Eiter during the ascent of 'Turkish Airways' (8a+) in Anatolia. © Bernhard Ruech/Red Bull Content Pool*
__If you could send a message to every young person in the world today regarding the environment and the great outdoors, what would it be?__
Nature is your basic tool where you lead your life. Go out and look around at how beautiful nature is, our plants, our animals, the sky, the sun etc. Nature is getting destroyed day by day. Act differently and keep it clean by doing small things. Protecting nature means protecting your future.
__What is your next great adventure or goal?__
I want to explore different areas and rocks for climbing. I am interested in meeting other cultures and see the beautiful sides of our planet.
__With respect to the environment and its current critical state, what about the future truly scares you?__
I am quite afraid of the result of the disregardful behaviour of human beings. However, I am sure nature will always resist and gets stronger. I am afraid that we simply have come too far and we cannot completely secure the environment for the future.
*Angela Eiter performs during the IFSC World Climbing Championships in Paris, France on September 15th, 2012 © Stanko Gruden/Red Bull Content Pool*
__Do you have a plan to use your gifts as an athlete in combination with your desire for a better environment?__
I take care of my environment with small, simple things. For example, I do not waste water, I recycle, I buy products with little or no wrapping, and i look for recyclable things. I want to act as a positive example and pass on my attitude to other people.
__If you could have one wish, what would it be?__
Peace forever and for everyone!
__Where can people find you, follow you, get in touch?__
Instagram: [@angyeiter](https://www.instagram.com/angyeiter/?hl=en)
Facebook: [@angy.eiter](https://www.facebook.com/angy.eiter/)
*Header Photo Credit: Portrait of Angela Eiter in Fuschl, Austria on July 7th 2011 © Philip Platzer/Red Bull Content Pool*
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-angy-eiter
# HEROES Spotlight: Jenna Hogg
Published: 2018-02-01
*Jenna Hogg is most notably the co-founder of Free Spirit Equestrian Center & Rescue. A not-for-profit organization dedicated not just to the rescue of horses in need, but also to helping humans who could benefit from the therapy offered by these incredible animals. She is also the vice president of I Stand With My Pack, an organization dedicated to the prevention of animal suffering and cruelty around the world. A primatologist by trade she's also spent time studying orangutan's and their capacity for cognitive development. What she experienced with these creatures forged her path toward helping all creatures in need, large and small.*
__Where were your born and raised? How did your youth ultimately influence the work that you do today?__
I was born in Tampa, Florida. I was frequently moving as a child and cannot say that I was raised in one particular place. Every year or two years of my life I lived in a different city in Florida to North Carolina. I went to three elementary schools, two middle schools and five high schools. Because of this, it has made me very open minded. I have met and befriended people from all walks of life, all classes, all races, from the tiniest towns to the big cities. It made me adaptable but also confident in who I am. Every place I’ve lived taught me something and was completely different than the last. The biggest lesson I learned is that society has a way of socially constructing viewpoints and ideologies into our everyday lives. But it is up to us to choose how we live, what we believe in and who we are to become. Our perspective is everything.
__You have done so much for animals and the environment. Tell us a bit about your non-profit efforts with Free Spirit Rescue and I Stand With My Pack? What are each of these missions designed to do and what is your participation?__
I am the co-founder for [Free Spirit Equestrian Center & Rescue](http://www.freespiritequestrian.org/), which has been opened for almost three years. My mother and I opened the rescue and built it with our bare hands and only $800 to start. Blood, sweat, and tears has been poured into this animal rescue. Our mission is to create a safe place for both people and animals. A place that is built on compassion as the foundation. We aim to inspire people that each and every life on this planet has a purpose and compassion can change the world but it has to start with each of us.
I am the vice president for a non-profit organization called [I Stand With My Pack](https://istandwithmypack.org/). I was drawn to this organization because of its need to bring awareness to global animal welfare initiatives. From saving dogs in Puerto Rico to elephants in Sumatra, this organization is ran mainly by a group of strong willed women who are determined to help keep this world beautiful for our children.
__You pursue a career as a Primatologist and Medical TA at an Animal Hospital. Can you tell us a bit about this career choice? What is the intersection between your career and your personal missions?__
Since I was a child and old enough to verbally communicate my love for animals, I have always wanted to work with primates. When I was 12 I was given the book, [Gorillas In The Mist](https://www.amazon.com/Gorillas-Mist-Dian-Fossey-Dr/dp/061808360X) by Dian Fossey. Since that moment I dreamed of jungles and saving primates. In my final year of college, I studied orangutans and their abilities for cognitive development and interspecies communication through enrichment. What I learned was fascinating and completely changed my life. These beings are capable of conscious thinking, problem solving, having emotions such as love, and the ability to communicate their thoughts and their needs. My heart broke for their species on the brink of extinction. I went on to work with gibbons, capuchins, marmosets, tamarins siamangs, and lemurs. After four years I wanted to take everything I learned and really make a difference. That is when my mother and I decided to open an animal rescue. We started out with equines and animals saved from slaughter houses but in 2018 we will expand to help non-human primates. These primates more than any other animal are the most similar to us and yet they are tortured in laboratories, locked in tiny cages, and kept as pets. I hope that every life we save we can bring awareness to the fact that we are not superior. Compassion is superior.
I have always been an avid learner. In the last ten years, I have learned a vast amount in many different facets of the animal world but one area I was lacking was animal medicine. I wanted to expand my knowledge, so I sought out a position that would allow me to gain more experience at an animal hospital. As someone who rescues animals from abusive and neglectful circumstance, many of these animals need medical attention and care. Being able to learn how to help them not just emotionally but physically has been essential.
__You have a particular affinity to horses. Why are these animals your particular passion? Do you focus on other species?__
My mother is the one who showed me how magical of a species horses truly are. While primates where my specialty, horses where hers. Because there was such a prevalent need to rescue horses we rescued our first horse named Apollo, who was rounded up from the wild in Nevada. He was completely feral. He was the definition of a free spirit, or at least he was. When we rescued him at the auction, he was on his third strike and had been shipped across the country from Nevada to Florida. He was broken, I could feel the heaviness of his soul. His eyes simply stared blankly and held such an emptiness. Lost, alone and scared this once free-spirited animal left me with a fierce need to protect his species. Today he is safe and happy, integrated into a new herd where he is alpha and will always have a home at Free Spirit Rescue. But the look in his eyes when I first met him will haunt me forever and make me determined to be a voice for his kind.
Currently free spirit mainly focuses on horses, and will be expanding to non-human primates but we rescue a variety of species of animals. From goats to pigs and cats and dogs, we try to help any life that is in need.
__How do you express the environmentalist within you while you are simply living day to day? What are some simple things that you are mindful of which keep your own footprint on this earth small?__
Sustainable Palm oil is something I am extremely passionate about. The palm oil industry is responsible for animal cruelty, deforestation and climate change. The massive impact it has on deforestation is pushing many species into extinction. The effect of carbon emissions it releases into our environment is crippling.
I try my hardest to not purchase or use any products or support companies who are not palm oil sustainable. I try to make my own footprint on this earth small by altering the way I live from "aimlessly consuming" to "mindful consuming" that is where a difference can be made. While I alone cannot create a difference by practicing mindful consumption, imagine if everyone did?
__What is next for you? How do you see your mission expanding and your hobbies translating into impact over the next 5 years?__
Besides expanding our primate rescue program, my next step is to launch our pony therapy program to help people in need. I am a big believer in animal therapy. They have an incredible potential to heal in their own way. Much like dogs, ponies can provide an intense form of therapy for those with disabilities, children, veterans, and basically anyone who could use a smile. Over the next five years I hope we can show people that animals have such a beautiful purpose and that it is a gift to share a planet with such amazing creatures.
__With regard to your efforts in non-profit, what are your hopes? How do you define mission complete? When will you know that you have achieved your goals?__
My hopes for my rescue is that it will be an inspiration, especially to our youth. I hope that we will be able to grow to create a place that is not just safe for our animals but is a safe place for all of those who walk through our barn doors.
Free Spirits Rescue’s mission will be complete when there is no longer a need for it. I love what I do but I hate that the need for it even exists. I will know my goal is achieved when animals have rights and animal cruelty has diminished. Until then we will continue what we do and we will be their voice.
__Everyone has some kind of a soft spot for charity or non-profit work, but most people lean on the crutch of not having enough time. What is some advice that you have for people?__
If we really want to make a difference we will find the time to do it. There are multiple ways for people to get involved and help a non-profit and our Earth. Life is so overwhelmingly busy, that we make the excuse of not having enough time to deter us from helping create a positive change. Even volunteering once a week for a few hours helps. Hosting a fundraiser to help local organizations, educating friends and family on an environmental issue, spreading awareness on social media outlets or choosing to be more conscious of what you are consuming in your everyday life can make a difference. There is always time to do something. Whether great or small every good deed matters.
__Where can people find you or get in touch?__
If people would like to get in touch with me they can contact me via my social media: [@JungleJen](https://www.instagram.com/junglejen/) or reach out to Free Spirit Equestrian Center & Rescue at [www.freespiritequestrian.org](http://www.freespiritequestrian.org/). I absolutely love talking to our youths and answering their questions and giving advice on what they can do help our planet and spread compassion.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-jenna-hogg
# HEROES Spotlight: Sarah Uhl
Published: 2018-01-29
*Sarah Uhl is an artist and activist from Carbondale, Colorado. If there were the perfect example of art as environmental activism, it would be Sarah's work. She has dedicated her efforts to creating art that promotes the protection of our public lands, clean water, and fighting against climate change. She's a free spirit and self-proclaimed joy evangelist. We absolutely fell in love with her work when we first saw it and got a chance to catch up with Sarah to talk about her story, her inspiration, and her dedication to conservation. *
__Where were you born and raised?__
I was born in Allentown, PA and grew up in the Appalachian woods up and down the east coast. My parents were avid rock climbers and cave explorers so we spent most of our time outside in nature.
__When did you realize that creating art was more than just a hobby?__
I have always been an artist but it wasn’t until I turned 30 that I actually gave it enough attention (and value) to pursue it as a storytelling mechanism. My sense of curiosity for the world needed a new outlet and pursuing professional life as a creative allowed me to chase that further.
*Photo by: [Andrew Chad](https://www.andrewchadmedia.com/)*
__Where do you pull inspiration from?__
My inspiration is most certainly born in the mountains. I love the alpine and feel most alive when I am high up in the hills. I moved to a mountain town in 2012 because I wanted to be able to look out my door and see a mountain on my horizon every morning. I kept saying that I wanted to be able to “have breakfast” with Mount Sopris every morning because I knew that would set me up to thrive.
__What are the kinds of emotions you look to evoke when your work is complete?__
Creating artwork is a form of chasing the truth for me. I hope to convey my own experience combined with the experience I perceive from the land. When I paint a mountain I am not only painting what I see but also what I feel. I feel as though my work is a visual recording of the conversations I have with the landscape. Sometimes the land is jumping for joy, pleased to share her beauty and wonder with us. Sometimes she is weeping, begging us to know her more so we may find ways to live more harmoniously together. My goal as an artist is to provoke all of this in hopes that the work serves as an invitation to others to create their own relationship with the land and whatever the land has to say to them.
__Your work seems to reflect the world around you. What is your personal connection to nature and the environment?__
I believe in magic and I think the best place to find and experience magic is in the natural world. She is full of wisdom and beauty. I go into nature to seek a sense of connection, guidance and reassurance that we are all one… that we all coexist in the same cycles, the same woes, the same joys. I also go into nature to feel a sense of constant growth. We only know so much and if you keep seeking growth you will discover an endless world of opportunity to expand in all dimensions.
__What about the world inspires you?__
People practicing kindness inspires me. People being vulnerable inspires me. People seeking growth and personal expansion throughout their inspire me. The magic kingdom of the natural world is also a constant source of awe and wonderment that seems to dish up unlimited refills of inspiration. Getting to know myself and my own edges inspires me to keep digging in, asking hard questions and going to places I’ve never been before. We are such resilient beings and I feel fortunate to be surrounded by so many incredible folks living beautiful lives and making a difference in the world. It makes me want to do the same and never fall to complacency.
__Is there a specific environmental issue that you personally feel passionate towards?__
Yes. Like many of us, I believe in the protection of our public lands. Time spent in the beautiful wild places is our reservoir of hope and connection; it is the keystone to caring about our planet and paying attention to how our actions impact the world as a whole. If you do not have access and exposure to a beautiful wild river, it’s hard to care about clean water or water conservation. If you have never seen the remnants of those who have come before us, it is hard to think that anyone will come after us. Access to our heritage and the wild world that sustains us is paramount to protecting it.
__Has there ever been a time in your career where you felt extremely passionate about using your work for cause?__
Right now, Right now, Right now. I actually always have wanted my “work” to relate directly to causes I’ve cared about but I didn’t have as direct of an equation to pull this off as I do now. I have always wanted to be an advocate for the land, and for sustainable practices, but I couldn’t quite figure out how to apply myself in other ways that made me feel like I was really moving the needle. Creating art that can be used to bring attention and connection back to the land is a very satisfying equation. My success as an artist is directly related to my ability to draw more people into these challenges that need all hearts and all hands on board. I am extremely motivated and that motivation stems directly from my deep love of the land and my desire to carry her voice through my works.
*Photo by: [Andrew Chad](https://www.andrewchadmedia.com/)*
__Art seems to be a universal truth. A final product left to interpretation by the audience, but ultimately, focused on the artist's ability to tell the story. What is it about art that allows you to be so expressive, but also focused?__
Great question! I think it just stems out of my own love of the land. My work is a transcription of an incredibly authentic and gushing wellspring of love for the land. I feel more like an advocate for the land than an artist. Art is just the mechanism I’ve chosen to convey something so wildly important and compelling to me. I hope that everyone can find their way into knowing what makes them come most alive so they too can serve the world through amplifying their own truth… their own undeniable question about why we are here and what makes us tick.
*If you love Sarah's work and want to see more check out her website at [sarahuhl.com](http://sarahuhl.com/) or instagram [@sarahvirginiauhl](https://www.instagram.com/sarahvirginiauhl/).*
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-sarah-uhl
# HEROES Spotlight: Lizzy Asher
Published: 2018-01-22
*Lizzy Asher is a sponsored rock climber as well as a climate scientist, a potent combination. She received her PhD in Oceanography in 2015 from the University of British Colombia and her accomplishments in science run as deep as those in climbing. Lizzy offers a unique perspective as someone that understands both the science behind the changes our planet is undergoing as well as the joy one experiences from a life spent playing in the mountains.*
__Where were you born and raised? How did your environment growing up introduce you to your current hobbies and career interests?__
I was born in Austin, Texas, but grew up partially in Toulouse, France. I spent a lot of time tagging along with my older sister, Alexis and her friends (still true!). My dad first introduced us to hiking, backcountry skiing and climbing at a young age. My love of the outdoors really fueled my passion first for environmental science in college and atmospheric science and climate science thereafter.
*Climbing Democracia (8b/13d) in Terradets, Spain Nov. 2016 | Photo by: Ben Shear*
__As a climber, what have been some of the greatest challenges you have experienced both on and off the wall?__
The greatest challenge that I’ve faced is having to set a dream aside, whether it’s injury related, a climbing project I’m simply not physically or mentally strong enough to climb yet, or a job or an academic opportunity that slipped through my fingers. Thankfully, or perhaps as a result, I’m rather tenacious.
__How did you end up focused in climatology and transcontinental pollution for a career?__
I care deeply about the environment and about the human experience of our natural world. In my opinion, air quality and climate change are the two greatest problems threatening that experience today.
*Atom-3 (last deployment) group photo. Oct. 2017*
__Most people are aware of environmental problems, some are aware of solutions, but few are likely to be as intimate with the data as you are. What are five startling statistics with respect to climate change and marine pollution?__
1. The surface ocean has warmed at least 1 degree Celsius since 1970. Due to thermal expansion, this (even without glacial melt) leads to an increase in sea-level (something not many people consider).
2. Overall, sea-level has risen by 0.2 m since 1900.
3. Less than ½ of the anthropogenic CO2 remains in the atmosphere, leading to observed rising CO2 concentrations (~¼ is absorbed by the ocean and ~¼ is absorbed by plants)!
4. Yet CO2 concentrations continue to rise at record rates (3 ppm yr-1).
5. A 0.1 change in pH (a log-scale) is equivalent to a ~30% increase in Hydrogen ions, which drastically changes environmental conditions for marine biota (i.e. corals and phytoplankton with calcium shells). Just think if someone reduced the available oxygen by 30% (it’s a little bit like climbing a really big mountain for which most people require supplemental oxygen).
*Skiing in Silverton, CO Jan. 2016 | Photo by: Ben Shear*
__With respect to the climate, what is one major threat that nobody is talking about?__
The Southern Ocean (and remote atmosphere in the southern hemisphere) are relatively well insulated from the rest of the globe due to strong circumpolar winds and currents. As a result, the majority of Antarctica, is warming at a much slower rate on average than the Arctic or West Antarctic Peninsula, and remains less polluted as well. Whereas melting the West Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctic Ice sheet would cause a sea-level increase of ~0.25 m and ~3 m respectively, melting of East Antarctica’s glaciers are estimated to cause a 60 m rise in sea level (time to redraw the world maps)!
__Through your education and now your career, what are some of the greatest successes you have seen focused on a cleaner tomorrow?__
I am impressed with the environmental legislation that has improved regional air quality by reducing industrial emissions of various pollutants, particularly in the US thanks to the EPA.
*Group photo after teaching a women's climbing clinic in Bishop Feb. 2016 | Photo by: Ben Shear*
__What is your formula for a sustainable tomorrow? What are some simple ways that everyone could potentially implement this into their daily lives?__
- Try to go on vacation (or work trips) less often but stay longer when you do!
- Have an apartment or small house (as opposed to very large one because it takes much less energy to heat or cool it)
- Consider having a small nuclear family (unfortunately, a rapidly growing population only exacerbates problems related to anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and pollution)
- Commute less, or carpool, or drive an electric car (or hybrid) or motorcycle...
- If you eat meat, eat smaller animals (i.e. chicken vs. beef)
- Try to buy locally made stuff...also buy fewer, nicer things
__What is your next adventure, assignment, expedition and why there?__
I’m currently participating in the Atmospheric Tomography Mission, which circumnavigates the globe on a NASA aircraft and aims to map out the layers of the remote atmosphere in different seasons. Our next field campaign is this spring.
Where can people find you or get in touch?
I’m an postdoc at NCAR. Send me an email at [easher@ucar.edu](mailto:easher@ucar.edu).
Instagram: [@lizzyasher](https://www.instagram.com/lizzyasher/)
*Header photo by: Ben Shear*
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-lizzy-asher
# HEROES Spotlight: Sara Jagielski
Published: 2018-01-18
*Sara Jagielski is the founder of [Joy Is My Armor](https://www.joyismyarmor.com/), an Ashtanga Yoga studio in Hoboken, New Jersey. Not only does the studio bring the practice of Ashtanga Yoga to her local community, but it also serves as a platform for Sara to raise funds for charities. Right now that charity is the [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/), which rescues and rehabilitates birds on the Upper West Side of New York City. By donating its profits to these missions Sara's studio is able to both enrich the local yoga community as well as the work of important charities like the [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/). Currently Joy Is My Armor has a [campaign on Indiegogo](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/joy-is-my-armor-ashtanga-yoga#/) so they can continue their mission.*
__Where were you born and raised? Tell us a bit about your childhood and how it influenced your passions today.__
I was born in Roger's Park, Chicago and spent most of my childhood on a farm outside the city in a small town called Hebron. My dad commuted an hour and a half each way to his job in Chicago, which seems very far, but I think he liked the idea of raising us in a rural setting.
We owned Morgan horses, and showed them saddleseat, which is a type of English-style pleasure riding. We bred and raised a lot of other animals too, including doves, quail, pigeons, ducks, pheasants and chickens.
My childhood was pretty eccentric. My sister and I had a lot of freedom to do whatever we wanted. We'd take a horse out on our own for a long ride through the countryside, go ice skating in the winter on a frozen floodplain in the pasture, and play on the rooftop of the barn (talk about dangerous!). One year, we even built a winter chicken coop near a window in our basement because we thought it was too cold for the birds to be outside. Winter mornings meant waking up to the sound of a rooster crowing in the basement. We also had a lot of chores too, mostly involving taking care of animals, but as long as we did those my parents didn't seem to mind what we did.
Growing up this way left a lasting impression that the world was filled with promise, and I could do anything I set my mind to. It also gave me a boundless imagination and taught me how to be alone with my thoughts. To this day, though I appreciate the company of other people, I prefer getting lost in my head and don't really get lonely.
__Tell us a bit about your journey, when did you first get into yoga? How did you get into teaching?__
When we were kids, my dad taught me and my sister Hatha Yoga and a type of mediation called Yoga Nidra. Eventually, they bought us a book with illustrations so that we could practice. I remember really liking kurmasana, turtle pose, though I don’t like it so much today!
I stopped practicing when I became a teenager and instead did amateur long distance bicycling. I was a very meditative sport, a bit like running, where you can lose yourself in the repetitive movement.
I got back into yoga after college. My first real job was at an ad agency in Chicago, and they had a gym for employees. I'd walk across the street and practice vinyasa yoga. I remember that I felt so good afterwards, I couldn't believe I'd ever stopped. Then, a couple years later I moved to New York City and made it my mission to try different styles of yoga. I think I tried them all -- Bikram, Iyengar, Anusara, Jivamukti and even Tantric. Then one day in 2001, I walked into an Ashtanga yoga class. It was the toughest class I ever took, and it seemed to go on forever. The teacher was unrelenting -- posture after posture, transition and non-stop movement with interlinked breath. I thought it was the craziest yoga I'd ever experienced. So, of course, I made it my mission to master it. Now I realize how absurd that was. I’ve been practicing Ashtanga since then and still have not bested it, nor will I ever.
I decided to teach Ashtanga because there is no shala where I live in Hoboken, NJ. The classes in Hoboken are mostly vinyasa and hot power yoga. I think that's fine for many people, but Ashtanga can deepen your practice and be personally transformational. I am stronger, kinder, better person because of Ashtanga. My mind is clear and my body is strong. I wanted to share this with my community, so I opened up my own Ashtanga studio in September called Joy Is My Armor.
__How does Ashtanga differ from the other disciplines in Yoga? What drew you to Ashtanga over Hatha and Nidra that your father taught you?__
The major difference is the way that it's taught, which is as a set sequence of postures in the same order with the breath linked to each movement. Students practice the Primary Series, or part of it, three to six times per week, 30 to 90 minutes each time. If and when those postures are mastered, the student moves to a second and third series of postures, called Intermediate and Advanced A. There are more series beyond this, but the level of difficulty is so great that most humans never attain them. I practice up to part of the third, but do so with laughter because it's crazy hard.
Secondly, Ashtanga is taught as a self-practice supervised by a teacher in a group setting where students memorize the order of the postures. This is called Mysore-style. You can think of it as a "open gym" where everyone has a different start time and is working on different postures. It can seem a bit intimidating at first as a new student, until you realize that you're practicing at your own pace, building stamina and focus gradually with a community of like-minded people supporting you. Once a week the student will attend a "led" class where the teacher calls out the poses like any other yoga class. This ensures that you're not cheating the breath count and following the order properly.
I started out enjoying the physical challenge, but ended up liking how grounded it made me feel. Because I had memorized the postures, I could unroll my mat anywhere at any time and practice. When I travel, the first thing I do is the primary series. I've done this in a tiny hotel room in Amsterdam, a river boat cruise in Germany, a sailboat in the Caribbean, by pools, in backyards and in other people's living rooms. It wipes away all of my anxiety and stress.
I still practice Yoga Nidra because I enjoy the meditative aspect, but I don't follow Hatha at all anymore. I prefer the rigor of Ashtanga.
__Mindfulness is a cornerstone of yoga. You live and work between New Jersey and New York City, which are extremely chaotic places. How do you practice mindfulness amidst all of the chaos? Do you find you need to take a step back sometimes and if so what is your method of doing so?__
I love living in the New York City area. I am an introvert, so the chaos draws me out. If I lived in a quieter place I would not have a healthy lifestyle and probably would become fearful of the world. So for me, finding a balance here is easy. When I need to unwind I practice or teach Ashtanga, write or relax at home. Meditation is also very helpful to clear the mind.
__So we’ve heard you actually wanted to be an Ornithologist once upon a time. Where did your love of birds come from? Do you own birds today?__
As a kid, I was in charge of taking care of all the birds. So being an Ornithologist seemed a natural career goal. I liked the idea of living in a cabin in nature, studying birds. They’re fascinating creatures, diverse and quirky, a vestige of dinosaurs. It’s beautiful to think, from an evolutionary perspective, they crawled out of primordial sludge, grew colorful feathers, became winged and now fly above us.
Today I only own one bird. He's an eight-year-old bright red Fire Finch named Sanjay. I don’t think I’ll own domesticated birds again for awhile though. I’m focusing more on caring for those in the wild.
__Tell us a bit about your work with the Wild Bird Fund. What do they do? How are you working to help them?__
The [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/) rehabilitates sick, injured or orphaned wildlife and releases them back to the wilds of New York City. They also educate New Yorkers on how to help wild birds thrive. They’re a 501(c)3 charity with a facility located on the Upper West Side.
Each year, they rehabilitate over 5,000 of New York City’s birds. This includes medical diagnosis, surgery, medication, bandaging, splinting, physical therapy, feeding and sheltering. All native and migratory birds are treated, from common sparrows to swans and owls. Their work is accomplished through private donations and volunteers.
I’m raising funds to help the [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/) through my yoga studio, which I created to serve my students as well as the community at large. I’m not out to make a profit off of Ashtanga yoga. To me, that’s the antithesis of the practice. I just want to get the studio to pay for itself and donate whatever is left over. [The Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/) is enthusiastic to work with Joy Is My Armor.
__What are some of the more surprising birds that have come in to be rescued?__
There are a lot of birds that live in and pass by New York City during migration, so it’s naturally a diverse group.
[The Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/) assisted a Yellow-billed Cuckoo who collided with a building in Brooklyn, then was attacked by a cat and lost its tail. It needed antibiotics to save its life.
*Yellow-billed Cuckoo at the Wild Bird Fund © Antonio Sanchez*
A Ruby-throated Hummingbird was rescued lying helpless in Harlem. He needed 2 weeks of rehabilitation before being released back into the wild to continue his migration to Central America.
There was also a Great Blue Heron who had fishing line wrapped around his legs and feet with deep cuts. Fortunately, he was rescued by the [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/), treated, then transferred to another wildlife facility on Long Island where he could recuperate in an outdoor cage. He made friends with another bird named Jackson while he was staying on the Upper West Side. I think Jackson is a funny name for a bird.
*Jackson the bird.*
__We were surprised to hear that there is a bird rescue here on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Are any of the injuries to birds common and/or due to human causes? What can the average person living in cities do to be mindful of this and help prevent it?__
90% of animals brought to the [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/) are there because they were injured directly or indirectly by human activity. This includes being struck by vehicles, hitting skyscraper windows and falling pray to cat and dog attacks, as well as litter and pollution.
A lot of garbage that causes injuries to birds, including everyday household items, like ribbon and string, plastic rings from 6-packs of soda and milk jugs. Cut these items into small pieces before throwing them away.
Birds also get tangled in refuse along coast lines, including the Hudson and East Rivers. When walking along our city’s rivers and lakes, keep a bag with you and pick up any garbage that you think animals might get tangled in. Plus, picking up garbage will help beautify our city.
Of course, if you see a bird in need, call the [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/). You can also place it in a paper bag and take it to the center. A paper bag makes a good bird ambulance because the bird can't strike the side in fear and injure itself further, as it can in a cage. If you do use a cage, put a towel over it so that the bird can’t see out. This will help it stay calm.
__What environmental issues are you most passionate about and what do you do everyday to try to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle?__
I am really alarmed by the use of disposable plastic bags. I see people take them for one-time use and then throw them away. Where do they go? Gutters, oceans and landfills. I hope one day soon that we'll have to pay for plastic bags to encourage people to bring their own, as in many parts of Europe. I carry my own bags with me.
Also, let's talk about cars. One of the reasons I like living in New York City is because we have access to public transportation, can walk or bicycle. It's environmentally friendly to avoid driving when possible. My husband and I own one car, but we only drive once or twice a month and would rather bicycle or walk. I also pool rides when I can. Pick up a friend or co-work and drive together. It’s much more fun!
__Where can people find you, follow you, get in touch?__
Website: [www.joyismyarmor.com](https://www.joyismyarmor.com/)
Fundraising: [https://igg.me/at/joyismyarmor](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/joy-is-my-armor-ashtanga-yoga)
IG: [@joyismyarmorhoboken](https://www.instagram.com/joyismyarmorhoboken/)
FB: [Faceook.com/joyismyarmor](https://www.facebook.com/joyismyarmor)
If you want to donate directly to the Wild Bird Fund: [www.wildbirdfund.org](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-sara-jagielski
# HEROES Spotlight: Tommy Caldwell
Published: 2018-01-15
*Tommy Caldwell is a professional rock climber and personal inspiration to us here at Cause of a Kind. We grew up watching his incredible ascents around the world in every discipline of climbing. He is one of the world's greatest all-around rock climbers with ascents like Flex Luthor (5.15a), the first free ascent of [Dawn Wall](http://www.tommycaldwell.com/dawn-wall-yosemite-climbing-pictures) on El Capitan, and the first ascent of the [Fitz Traverse](http://www.tommycaldwell.com/patigonia-fitz-traverse-artical) in Patagonia. For those that want to hear even more we encourage you to check out his memoir, [The Push](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRNJOBF?tag=randohouseinc37971-20), released in 2017.*
__You have had a seriously significant rock climbing career. Tell us a bit about your origin story. How did Tommy Caldwell find rock climbing and why did it become your life's work?__
My dad was a mountain guide and had me out climbing from age three. I never aspired to make it my life's work. I just did what I knew and what inspired me. In my early 20’s I started to understand what a privileged life I lived. I traveled the world and went on progressively bigger trips. I did a lot of sport climbing and bouldering. I became increasingly obsessed and at some point I realized I could actually make money climbing. It has always felt like a bit of a dream to live my life doing what I do.
__You’ve been kidnapped in Kyrgyzstan, cut off part of your index finger, freed Yosemite’s most difficult big walls, sport climbed 5.15a, completed the Fitz Traverse — the list goes on. Throughout your career we’ve seen you through incredible difficulties, setbacks, and triumphs. It seems that burnout is not something that happens to you. How do you maintain motivation and continue to set your goals higher and higher despite both failures and the exhaustion that comes with success?__
One thing that has kept me immune from burnout is that I have been able to embrace the ebb and flow. Setbacks and and hardships are great perspective builders. They humble me in a way that makes me feel lucky for all the good times. Progression is the most addicting thing in the world for me and continued progression would not be possible without the occasional reset.
__Maintaining a position as a top athlete in the world for so long and being in such a visible position comes with a lot of pressure and expectation. How do you balance your career, your family, and your passion?__
The balance is probably the crux of my life these days. I rarely feel like I have it quite right. With my family I have been forced to up my productivity. Constantly ask myself what is really important to me focus on that. I am also quite lucky that my family loves the climbing life. So road tripping to climbing aras and traveling fulfills both climbing and family expectation. I have definitely had to sacrifice sleep in the past few years.
__How do you come to set new climbing goals? Are there any goals that have eluded you? Do these goals ever seems impossible when you start? And if so, how do you get past that doubt?__
I feel like I spend the majority of my life failing to reach goals. But I am really persistent and in climbing you can just keep coming back to something until you finally manage to do it. I have come to a point where I love process and the lifestyle of pursuit more than the achieving of goals. That helps with the doubt because in a way it doesn’t really matter if I succeed in the end.
__In general, what is the scariest or most profound experience you have ever had, personally or professionally?__
My experience in Kyrgyzstan in 2000 was the most impactful of my life. It reset how I view the world. Most days since I have felt incredibly lucky to be here and alive.
__What has been the biggest surprise and challenge of fatherhood?__
All the cliches of fatherhood become absolutely true once you have kids. I live my life both overwhelmed and absolutely in love. I have been somewhat surprised by how much introspection fatherhood has created. I feel a need to constantly analyze how I live so that I can both support and be a good example for my kids.
__What advice would you give to your child as they set out to achieve their own life goals — whether that be in climbing or whatever their passions end up being?__
Maintain a humble heart but an ambitious mind. Focus on the way you live more than on how you are seen by others.
__You have been literally all over the world for your career and to climb. You must have seen first hand, the darkest of environmental crisis. Can you tell us a bit about some experiences you have had that made you feel upset or concerned for nature's well being?__
The most obvious symptom of environmental change I have seen is in the receding glaciers. The big mountains are melting out and falling apart at an astonishing rate. Bug infestations are wiping out forests all over North America. Forest fires and floods are bigger and more devastating than ever. It hard to pin down the darkest. If your eyes are open you see it everywhere. Travel makes you understand that it is a worldwide issue.
__If you could send a message to every young person in the world today regarding the environment and the great outdoors, what would it be?__
In the words of my beloved lost friend Hayden Kennedy, “Respect.”
__What is your next great adventure or goal?__
After the Dawn Wall I wondered if I would be done with Yosemite for a while. But I realized that the Family/ climbing/ work balance is best when I am there. So last fall I found a new big El cap project. I am also planning on renting out my house and hitting the road for a full year with my family starting this summer. That will certainly be an adventure.
*All photography credited to [Corey Rich Productions](https://www.coreyrich.com/index).*
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-tommy-caldwell
# HEROES Spotlight: HaeJun Jeon
Published: 2018-01-11
HaeJun is a writer and award-winning director based out of New York City. We had the pleasure of working with HaeJun when creating our own short film "[Lessons](https://vimeo.com/236393275)," over the summer. Her incredible passion for her craft as well as the environment was emphatic. She is a indieFest Film Awards winner and her films have been featured in festivals such as the New York Short Film Festival, the Out Of The Can Film Festival, and Les Films del la Toile.
__Where were you born and raised?__
I was born in Seoul, Korea, but I left when I was six months old and grew up in Germany, Singapore, and Guam.
__When did you first discover your passion for writing and directing films?__
I definitely took the “scenic route.” I had always been an avid writer and grew up binge watching MTV, so I secretly wished that one day I could make music videos or films--but got sidetracked and went to Wall Street instead after college. It was a strange side track. As soon as I realized it really wasn’t for me, I didn’t hesitate to make a change.
__You didn’t go to school for film. You’ve previously had a career on Wall Street and now at a growing tech startup. What caused you to transition out of wall street and where does filmmaking fit into all of this?__
I wanted to do something that stirred my soul. So I started taking night classes in NYC for film...I had no end-game or transition plan in mind. I just trusted my intuition that this was a good thing for me. Two years and five festivals later, I’m happy to report that it is the best investment I had ever made in myself.
__Do you feel that by having your living in one field and your passion in another that allows you a certain freedom in the films you choose to make? Do you feel less pressure to “make it work” as a career?__
Definitely. In fact, not having to worry about bills allows me to be more selective as a filmmaker, because I have the liberty to work on projects that I want to work on. I also don’t want to discount my experiences in Wall Street entirely because there are many transferable skills to filmmaking such as financing, distributing, negotiating, and pitching. Lots of young artists don’t know this side well and aren’t able to rep themselves sufficiently.
That said, do I wish I had more fire under my ass? Absolutely. Lucky for me, I have at least ten people in my life telling me to “hurry up jump off the cliff”--including my parents.
__What genre do you feel the most connected to and why? How does it relate to your life and your past experiences?__
Drama. It gives me more catharsis than any other genre. I believe that everything is either fear-motivated or love-motivated...and the best dramas I have watched transmute fear into love, and vice versa. In my own life I’ve learned that there is really a thin line between the two emotions...but which side you feel all depends on the version of truth you decide to tell yourself. And filmmaking is all about making your character choose their truth, and why.
__What inspires you?__
In my own life, spiritual intensity inspires me. When I see passionate people truly living in the moment to pursue their dreams--creative or not--it gives me a jolt. But when it comes to filmmaking I’m inspired by stories of those who wrestle with themselves their own demons, whatever it may be, and even more so by those that try to transcend it.
__Your first short film won an award and now you recently created a film that was nominated for several different festivals. Does having the successes you’ve had so early scare you at all? I’ve heard that the pressure of having early wins can make it difficult to keep working out of fear of not being able to produce the same results. Do you feel that at all and if so how do you overcome it?__
It’s all about the journey and I really hope mine is far from over! I tell myself that if I am constantly learning new things and having fun, there really is no reason to stop. And sure, some of my projects may be hit or a miss...but that’s expected. The key isn’t to let that stand in the way.
__How do you currently find connections to nature and the environment?__
I try to connect with nature every chance I get--I believe it is important for every creative person to connect to the source to recharge. My room is filled with plants. New York is indeed a concrete jungle, but luckily I live two blocks away from Central Park so that really helps. (Key is to go really early in the morning or after the sunset--during the day it’s teeming with tourists!) I also travel quite far to be where my parents are. They have lived in Alaska, Caucasus mountains, Guam etc...so once a year I get to tag along to some of the most unadulterated parts of the world.
__You recently worked with Cause of a Kind to co-write, direct and edit the short film, Take Back Tomorrow :: Lessons. Can you tell us a bit about this project, your connection to its message and your hopes for its message?__
"[Lessons](https://vimeo.com/236393275)" is essentially a love letter from a girl to planet earth. I wanted to humanize planet earth by making her seem capable of everlasting love, except, as you’ll see at the end of the film--she may not be as everlasting as people have hoped for.
On a more personal level, I first began writing about the environment when I was living in a tropical island called Guam. In 2008 I had written an essay about coral life preservation which later aired on the local Guam radio. Few years later in college, I toured fortune 500 companies to advocate for corporate social responsibility jobs. But what C.O.K allowed me to do was pause and reflect on the “why” - why anyone would care to write or advocate for the environment in the first place? So I dug deep and connected it back to my childhood, and there I found that my best childhood memories had been formed out in nature. The founders agreed.
The story just flowed naturally from there. I think it’s self-explanatory for anyone who has spent camping, gardening, or even walking their dog in the park. I would like to think that it’s only natural for anyone to want to share those kinds of experiences with their future generation.
__What is your next project and what are some aspirations you have for the near future? Will you continue to focus on the environment and creating stories that combine drama with a documentary feel?__
I’m wrapping up a coming-of-age story about women in their early twenties entering a competitive work environment for the first time. It is serendipitous timing, because now more than ever women are vocal, open, and brutally honest than ever.
And yes, I plan on continuing to team up with C.O.A.K to release more environmental films/drama-documentaries. Lessons was just first of many. The best is yet to come.
__Where can people find you or get in touch?__
Insta: [@jheyjune](https://www.instagram.com/jheyjune/)
Site: [www.jheyjune.org](http://www.jheyjune.org/)
Email: [jhaejun@gmail.com](mailto:jhaejun@gmail.com)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-haejun-jeon
# HEROES Spotlight: John Weber
Published: 2018-01-08
*We are both psyched and humbled to introduce John Weber, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager for Surfrider Foundation. A New Jersey native that has devoted most of his professional life to the nonprofit sector, John is passionate about the environment and our capacity to actively work to save it. In his current role he oversees nine Surfrider Foundation chapters across five states. We first met John at a [1% For The Planet](http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/) member meet up here in New York City and were blown away by his passion, enthusiasm and dedication to the environment.*
__Where were your born and raised?__
New Jersey, I’m a lifer; never left except for college. Mostly Wyckoff which is in Bergen County and a few years in Old Bridge in Middlesex County. Summers were in Beach Haven though. My grandmother bought a house there in 1974. I moved to Monmouth County in the early 1990’s, near the beach.
__Tell us a bit about your childhood and what was the defining experience that drove you to a life of non-profit work?__
My parents weren’t really outdoorsy, but they weren’t typical American parents either — my dad is German. Instead of going to sporting events and the circus, we went to museums and outdoor places. Not hardcore camping or anything, just visiting the natural areas around our town. This probably showed me there are places worth protecting right under your nose. But summers at the beach really hooked me. Some years in late June, we’d actually have the car packed on the last day of school and go straight down there. After college, I just knew I did not want to work for a big company. I leaned towards environmental stuff with my biology degree. What led me to nonprofit work was literally an ad in the paper, for a door-to-door field canvasser. I did this for environmental and social causes for years. It lead me to where I am now. That job and the organizations I worked for taught me how to organize people. It also taught me that education is not always enough. You need people to demand policies and laws that actually protect the environment and people.
__What are some outdoor activities that you enjoy participating in and why?__
I’m kind-of a one trick pony with surfing. It’s pretty much all I do if I’ve got the time and conditions are good. I’m trying to get into surf fishing, but there is a big time commitment there. I’m trying. I dabble. Some stand up paddling, mostly on flat water. It’s a good way to see birds and wildlife. But really, anything you can do at the beach.
__Obviously you have taken a professional path towards focusing on the ocean, beaches and shorelines with Surfrider. As a human being, is the ocean where you personally connect, or is there a greater environmental malady that you are particularly passionate about?__
It is where I connect. I structured my life to be near the ocean. I took a job that let me live near the beach, I bought the closest house to the beach I could afford, twice. Taking the Surfrider job I knew I’d deepen my connection to the coast and ocean. This work has made me realize that the same is true for so many people; it’s where so many people connect. It’s not trivial either. It’s not just playing in the surf and sand. If you think creation is important, then “re-creation” is important too. The world can be such a screwed up place these days. Imagine what it would be like if people couldn’t go to the beach, ocean, or their favorite natural place and connect with nature. We’d be a whole lot worse off.
The greater malady of course is Climate Change. While there is plenty of appropriate focus on the causes (emissions) end, everything we do at Surfrider is impacted on the results end — the sea level rise, the ocean acidification, the loss of beaches, and the impacts of storms. So while we don’t work on the emissions end of climate change, it is all related.
__If you could have a conversation with the youth of the world today, what would be your one takeaway point that you would urge them to embrace?__
My message would be different for different youth. If they live in a democracy, I’d say use your democracy, get fully involved in that as a way to bring about environmental change. If not, I’d say reject Western consumer culture and work in whatever way you can to protect the natural environment where you live.
__Obviously there are some significant battles that we are fighting with respect to the environment. Do you ever see success?__
Yes! Surfrider Foundation actually measures our successes by campaign victories. We count them. When a decision is made like a law is passed or a policy is created that is good for the environment, we count that as a victory if it was a local chapter campaign. We put it right on the Surfrider website at [http://www.surfrider.org/campaigns](http://www.surfrider.org/campaigns). It’s a great way for people to know what they are getting for their donation to Surfrider Foundation. We have hundreds of victories to date; some big some small. Some big local ones include helping to stop three different proposals for Liquid Natural Gas facilities offshore in the New York, New Jersey area. Also local bag laws dealing with plastic bags, things like that. A big national victory last year was stopping offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic. We won! But now we have to fight that campaign all over again. That’s what’s hard in the environmental movement. Every victory is temporary and every loss is permanent.
> That’s what’s hard in the environmental movement. Every victory is temporary and every loss is permanent.
__How will you know that you have accomplished a current mission or campaign?__
With a campaign, it is easy. They are clearly defined. If this decision is made, we won, if this other decision is made, we lost. With mission...it’s never over. The coast is never saved, it is always being saved.
__What are some easy tips and tricks that you have acquired over a lifetime that would help people, regardless of their connection to the environment, to simply live a more conscious lifestyle?__
Simple — get rid of your television. I did 25 years ago. I haven’t missed a thing. In fact, it frees up so much of your life to do and learn other things. Plus, without TV you don’t want all the stuff they are selling you. You don’t feel inadequate or lacking or needy of the crap they are selling you in commercials. Also, when giving gifts, think in terms of experiences, not things, including for yourself. Time with friends or loved ones at a concert, play, dinner, surf trip, ski trip, weekend getaway is the kind of thing that will last a lifetime in memories. The thing advertised on TV will probably not last you until next year.
To be more conscious, I’d suggest visiting your “away” — as in where you throw things away. Visit your local landfill (or any landfill if you can) or recycling center etc. It will change your attitude about all the “stuff” in your life. Become more materialistic. That’s right, more materialistic. And by that I mean think and consider the full life cycle of everything that passes through your hands. How was it made? Who made it? What are the raw materials involved? How were they extracted? It’s a way to know your world better and to do less harm when you have that knowledge.
> To be more conscious, I’d suggest visiting your “away” — as in where you throw things away. Visit your local landfill (or any landfill if you can) or recycling center etc. It will change your attitude about all the “stuff” in your life.
__If you could erase a single environmental issue from planet earth, what would it be and why?__
Greed or ignorance but that’s just not going to happen.
__How can people contact you or their local Surfrider Chapter?__
They can and should go to [surfrider.org](http://www.surfrider.org/) and click on the “Our Network” tab and choose “chapters.” You can search the map or the table [there](http://www.surfrider.org/chapters). There are also clubs in schools. If there is not one in your school, get some friends together and start one up. Chapters and clubs are great but people shouldn’t feel like they have to go through them or go to them. We have an Ocean Friendly Restaurant program now. See the criteria and if you own a restaurant, register it [here](http://www.surfrider.org/programs/ocean-friendly-restaurants). Or just tell your favorite restaurants about it. There are also DIY ways to connect. These days, people seem to just go to the beach, pick up a bunch of trash, take a picture and hashtag it [#riseaboveplastic](https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/riseaboveplastic/) or [#surfrider](https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/surfrider/). For a motivated person, I think there are a lot of options to engage in our mission.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-john-weber
# HEROES Spotlight: Kait Bykowicz
Published: 2018-01-04
*Kait Bykowicz is a sponsored Obstacle Course Racer, personal trainer, and designer hailing from Oklahoma City. She focuses on supplementing her intense training with just simply being outside. As a designer she owns and runs her own studio [3oh'9](http://www.3oh9.com/), with a focus on helping startups and non-profits achieve amazing results with their creative. Kait is an inspiration to strong women and a symbol of perseverance. We had the chance to catch up with Kait in between races to hear her story.*
__Where were you born and raised?__
I was born and raised in Valley City, OH. It's a very rural farming township in North Eastern Ohio. I lived there for 21 years before relocating to Oklahoma after college.
__How did you get into adventure racing?__
I got into Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) in 2011. I had been running road races since I was a kid, and track in high school, but had kind of distanced myself from it in college. That is until I heard of this race where you climbed over walls, and under barbed wire, and it was this new kind of big deal thing that sounded like a great time. Although far from what it is today, 6 years later, it was a welcome change from road running that gave me a renewed interest in fitness and running. That same year I ran my first Tough Mudder with my dad by my side, and I walked away with hypothermia, sore, defeated, and hungry for more. The amount of mental strength you have to have, to command yourself to continue when every part of you wants to quit, is amazing. When you gain that ability for your mental strength to be deafening over the pain you feel, you can conquer anything, and it becomes addicting to see what you can do next.
__What would you say to other women that want to do their first adventure race but are intimidated?__
The sport is men heavy, often races I toe the start line with maybe 5 other women, after having watched a couple dozen men go off. We fight for equality, yet so many of us believe we aren't capable of things our men counterparts are. Let me tell you, you are. The women who are in the sport are super amiable. I have only ever met one woman at a race, who made me feel inferior purposely. One. Out of 100s of races. I encourage all women to get out there and try a race. Don't wait for your friends to agree to go. I remember the first race I ran alone, I almost didn't go. Mud Ninja, in Ohio. My friend bailed the night before, and I told myself I couldn't do it alone. I did end up going alone, knew no one, and still had help offered when I needed it, and finished. Challenge yourself to go and make new friends, have new experiences, and walk away with a different kind of strength. If running alone scares you, and your friends aren't up for a run, look for a local team. Team Valhalla has become my family away from home. The support always helps calm anxiety before a race.
__What was the most challenging race you've competed in so far and why?__
The most challenging race I've competed in was OCR World Championships 2016 in Blue Mountain, Ontario. Although I think 2017's course was harder, I was under prepared for 2016. Living in Oklahoma there are few areas to run any sort of elevation change. The mountain tore me up physically and mentally. I was drained and dead when I crossed the finish line in 2016. Although, the charity Make A Wish 8k at the OCR World Championships 2017 might be a close second. The hurricane winds at the top of the mountain, with the hardest rain I have ever encountered, and cold temperatures made me hypothermic and absolutely miserable. Especially after having ran the 15k, and team challenge before it.
__What's you favorite obstacle?__
I have 2. One of my favorite obstacles is the Indian Mud Run Floating walls, from the Indian Mud Run Race in Coshocton, OH. They've really reinvented them over the recent years, and watching the genius behind it's evolution is awesome. They make for some pretty cool pictures, and the people watching think they're alot harder than they really are. The other was a new one for me at OCRWC 2017, the La Gaffe du Draveur, from The Northman Race. A series of poles that you cross and move from side to side. It was innovative and surprisingly fun.
__What weaknesses are you currently working to overcome and what does your training look like to attack it head on?__
My biggest weakness is elevation climbing. I've always hated hills. But I recently bought another property specifically to build obstacles to practice, and it has hills! A run around the block is about 4 miles and 500 ft of climbing. Not much, but for around here it is more than I've found anywhere else. Since I've moved here I have definitely noticed a change in my training, and PR'd my 5k in a local race, on a flat course unintentionally just setting out to have a good time. I run hill sprints weekly now, and while I still hate hills, it definitely helps.
__Would you consider yourself to be environmentally conscious, and why?__
I would say I am decently environmentally conscious, but I could probably do more.
Is there a particular natural place that you resonate with?
Anywhere out in the country. Where houses are few and far between, it's easier to breathe, and it's quiet. The land is often untouched and you pass more cows road running than cars or people. I was raised out in rural OH, and rolling farmland is where I've always felt at home.
__If there were an individual cause that you care about, related to the environment, what would it be?__
Animal habitats and the impact we as humans have on them environmentally. I'm a big animal lover. (I have 2 large dogs, and I've been dog sitting a 3rd for 6 months.) The thought that we are destroying their homes, and leaving them with few places to live, and quite frankly just ruining their lives, breaks my heart. We are seemingly careless about species other than our own, destroying their habitats in a moment. If we keep destroying the few places nature still takes precedence, our world is going to become a very dismal place.
__Do you think there is an intersection between being an elite obstacle course athlete and caring about the environment?__
Of course there is an intersection between being an elite OCR racer and caring about the environment. Our races are held in some of the most beautiful areas, and anyone who has tried to find a venue for an OCR to be held at, can attest to the fact that there aren't all that many large plots of untouched land left.
I took part in a 12 hour overnight adventure race, Dusk till Dawn, that was held in a state park in Kansas. We covered 50 miles on foot and bike, through corn fields, woods, and lakes. Almost everything I take part in is outdoors, and largely requires the environment to be natural and not man made. Those of us who spend so much time outdoors have no problem seeing the beauty, and knowing we have to protect it. It's on us to remind our indoor counterparts such.
__Where can people find you, follow you, get in touch?__
You can find me [@kaitmzd](https://www.instagram.com/kaitmzd/) on instagram and also through [my design studio's website](http://www.3oh9.com/) if you are interested in discussing my creative work.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-kait-bykowicz
# HEROES Spotlight: Erika Bergman
Published: 2018-01-01
*As a submarine pilot and National Geographic Explorer, Erika Bergman is a passionate storyteller. She studied chemical oceanography at the University of Washington while working as a diesel engineer aboard the tall ship SV Lady Washington and a steamship engineer aboard the SS Virginia V. Since then she has worked as a submersible pilot for exploration, research, and filmmaking. Erika is an editor on [OpenExplorer.com](https://openexplorer.com/home), a site dedicated to supporting and curating a new era of connected, citizen exploration. She is also the Founder of [GEECs](https://www.thegeecs.com/) - Global Engineering & Exploration Counselors; providing a network of thrilling engineering camps to girls around the world.*
__Where were you born and raised?__
Surprisingly complex question - I was born in San Antonio Texas however I moved often as a girl. We lived in Texas, Florida, Washington, and Hawaii. In high school I applied to Rotary International as an exchange student and was placed in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. So I also consider Central America part of where I was raised, I grew up very quickly in that year.
__How did it all begin for Erika? Tell us a bit about your childhood, your early passions and interests and a bit about your support system at home.__
I feel like mixed families can be very good for childhood development. I grew up the youngest between remarried parents and various step-siblings. I’m grateful for them all now, but certainly at the time we all learned how to cope with personality differences. My entire family always encouraged me to march to the beat of my own drum, and they continue to be pillars of support. I spent long stretches of time as a girl on my own in the woods and jungles of Washington and Hawaii. I had pretty standard farm chores, feeding cattle, mowing the lawn, and painting buildings. I particularly loved anything I got to do with the tractor, I loved our John Deere tractor and made as many messes with piles of dirt and manure as I did tidy them up like I was supposed to. Bless their hearts my folks let me get as dirty and wild as I wanted, and let me adventure into nature with a machete as long as I took a dog. It was always, “Take the dog with you, and be back for dinner!” and I was off. It was a glorious childhood.
__How in the world did you land on such a niche passion focused on oceanography, underwater robotics and marine and ocean exploration at such an early age?__
“If you cut me I bleed cold, salty, clear.” I think that’s a line from an old sea shanty. I don’t think I can explain it much better, I’m a water person. I’m also a big nerd, so things with motors and engines, like ships, and marine robotics and submarines were just a draw I couldn’t escape. When we docked our tall ship next to a steam ship one summer when I was 18, I could hear the steam engine hissing and thumping and I was instantly drawn in. I simply HAD to go work on it. Being an steam engineer, a “fireman,” was everything I dreamed it would be. My domain was deep in a steamy bilge surrounded by huge thumping machinery. My job was throwing 15 pound diesel atomizing burners in and out of the steam generating “firebox” and locking them in place with a massive lever that seated with a really satisfying thud. I was just alone down there oiling all the pistons and pumps, getting all greasy, I was just so happy. Every new engine and robot gives me that same joy - it’s so tangible. Engines make things move, it’s that simple.
__What are some of the primary issues do marine robotics and GEEC’s solve for?__
The ocean is notoriously problematic for anything mechanical or electrical. The pressure, the salinity, the biofouling of instrumentation, a true list of the challenges would daunt even the bravest ocean engineering firms. We’re going to need an army of committed innovators to find solutions to these challenges. The goal with GEECs is the inspire a league of future ocean engineers who value a balance of pure conservation and sustainable resource management. The biggest issue, and easiest to solve in my opinion, is that we haven’t even explored the entire sea floor. GEECs enables girls to lead their own small scale mapping projects and inspires scientific questions for their future work. This develops the explorers of the future, but also adds to the sorely under developed network of seafloor data, topography, and ecology now. Double whammy.
__What are some of your most notable accomplishments? Humbly, how do you refer to yourself at this point? Scientist? Oceanographer? Marine Conservationist? With so many areas of interest, how do you find focus?__
I think the most telling way to identify yourself is by the way people store you in their phone contacts. Without any suggestions, I’m often stored as “Submarine Girl,” so I guess that’s the best title for who I am.
Day to day, I call myself a submarine pilot. However I’ve been described as a renaissance woman of exploration, and I like that. The stellar thing about the ocean is that you really need to consider yourself all of those things (all of the above), to impact any one. The ocean is tied so tightly to everything on the planet, you must maintain a broad picture in your head of who you are, so that you don’t miss an opportunity to make an impact from a different angle.
My greatest accomplishments are in telling the untold stories of the ocean, and being a resource/reference for those doing conservation work. I go out there and produce films for national Geographic that tell the story of bizarre creatures of the deep to millions of viewers, but I also sit in a little huddle with 4 or 5 girls late at night at the aquarium and tell ghostly tales about being entangled and trapped underwater in a submarine (we came out of it just fine obviously, but the story is a good one). I don’t know which of those I’m more proud of, but my gut tells me it’s hanging with my young gal pals and dreaming of the amazing things they will accomplish in the future because of the night they camped out at the aquarium with the Submarine Girl.
__You appear to also be quite the filmmaker. How did you get involved with film?__
Behind every great camera shot, is an engineer who scurried about assembling complex film rigs of tracks, and motors, and bicycles wheels and cables. With National Geographic filmmaking you take that engineering challenge and add distance, jungle heat, bugs, and language barriers, and you have the perfect bait to to draw out the wild child who played with tractor engines and dirt all through childhood.
I became a National Geographic Explorer by writing a grant to steam live skype calls from inside a submarine, no film challenge as daunted me more than that, yet.
__Your connection to the environment is evident. Can you tell us a bit about the environmental challenges you think are most pressing right now, and some solutions you believe would positively change the trajectory of our current world?__
We’re ushering in a new era of human growth on our little planet. I think we will find ways to accommodate the food and resources needed for this gigantic population, but what we haven’t addressed enough is waste management. I spend a lot of time on the seafloor, and boy let me tell you, it is a garbage dump down there. We need to address our obsession with single use plastics and carefree and liberal use of garbage cans. I think the key lies in sustainable packaging, and sustainable clothing. Those two plastics are suffocating the ocean, and this will quickly come back to suffocate us. One of the solutions I’ve seen in the clothing sector, are sustainable blue jeans production. I had no idea how deleterious the blue jean manufacturing process was on the ocean, and the humans who make them. That’s an area that needs more storytelling. I would encourage consumers to get informed, and hold themselves to higher standards of clothing reuse. There’s a film called River Blue that bent my mind, it’s a good place for all of us to start. ([riverbluethemovie.eco](http://riverbluethemovie.eco/))
__You work heavily with young girls, helping them to express their intelligence and explore a career in science without boundaries or limits. When you stand in front of the newest group of young, impressionable minds, what do you say? They could choose to follow the next a-list instagram celebrity, but they choose GEEC’s instead. How do you keep them engaged and influence their future?__
I give them the opportunity to make their own instagram rival the awesomeness of any celebrity they look up to. I show them that they have star power.
I also do not coddle them, I hold them to a very high standard, and make it clear that every hope of success is on their shoulders. Not a single girl has let me down or made an excuse for a mistake. If you expect great things, they will deliver, and love doing it.
__What is your next project and what are some aspirations you have for the near future?__
My next project is the most daunting I’ve ever undertaken. It’s to stay the course, and keep doing what i’m doing. An education company is not a big sexy draw for everyone, but it’s important. With 100 girls through the program, and taking leadership roles as mentors during each new camp, I’m so happy to see Girls Underwater Robot Camp growing. Now the question is, what next? I struggle with the next steps, just like anyone halfway down a path with nothing but mountains to climb in front of them, but I’m ready to scale up GEECs to reach thousands of girls the world over. I’m open to suggestions :)
__Where can people find you or get in touch?__
Instagram [@theerikabergman](https://www.instagram.com/theerikabergman/) for pretty pictures of the ocean.
Email: [erika@theGEECs.com](mailto:erika@theGEECs.com) for GEECy business.
Twitter for those that like thoughts: [@erika_bergman](https://twitter.com/erika_bergman)
Or they can follow our various adventures and expeditions on [OpenExplorer.com](https://openexplorer.com/home), and then start their own!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-erika-bergman
# HEROES Spotlight: Catherine Capon
Published: 2017-12-28
*Catherine Capon is a British naturalist, adventurer, animal lover, journalist and traveler. She travels the world in search of incredible destinations for ecotourism while writing about, filming, and photographing the journey in order to inspire others to do the same. Catherine has found through her travels that ecotourism has become a powerful method of conservation world-wide. By encouraging others to value these destinations for their own vacations they become infinitely more valuable as a preserved resource rather than a destroyed one. Her adventures are thrilling and unique and we hope you are inspired to try one for yourself after reading this spotlight.*
__Where were you born and raised?__
I grew up in Greater London where the choices of outside space to explore and play in were limited. However, for as long as I can remember, I’ve craved being outdoors. I was the kind of kid who came home from school with frogs in my pockets, muddy tights and grazed elbows.
__Tell us a bit about your journey and your obvious alignment with the environment and particularly the ocean.__
My passion for nature led me to study zoology and ecology at Imperial College in Central London — perhaps the most removed you can possibly be from the natural systems on this planet. Classroom learning was always frustrating for me as I just wanted to see, smell and feel all that I was being taught in the wild.
So, when the opportunity came up to study bats in Honduras for three months, I jumped at the chance. That expedition completely changed my life. I replaced my comfortable London bed for a hammock, cooked rice and beans every day on a fire that I had to start myself ‘Bear Grylls Style,’ washed in a river and had mosquito bites on every square inch of my body. However, I’d never been happier. I’d wake up to howler monkeys calling. Set up mist nets in the forest at night to take data from bats and watch fireflies dance around my head rather than rubbish late night TV. Life there was simple and beautiful and I felt completely connected to the natural world.
Upon returning home from Honduras, I knew that, in my career, I wanted to inspire other people to have wild adventures too. I hoped that if others experienced the same awe and wonder that I did, places like the cloud forest of Central America with their network of interconnected species could be cherished and protected.
And so, since university, I’ve worked in wildlife TV production, sustainability campaigning, and conservation journalism. I’ve learnt huge amounts about the best way to engage an audience in important global issues. But, the one thing that doesn’t work is fear mongering.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that the growing human population is putting unsustainable pressure on the natural world. However, the campaigns, TV shows and articles that I’ve worked on that have been most successful, are the ones that remind us of the beauty of the natural world, the simple things that we can do to make a difference and the small wins that we’ve had.
Ecotourism does all of these 3 things. How many of you count down the days until you travel? We all love our vacations. But what if everyone swapped a resort for an ecolodge and sunbathing to wildlife watching? What effect would that have?
As well as having life changing adventures, ecotourism is one of the best tools that we have to save endangered species from extinction. The more tourists that come to see and photograph the animals — the more money is coming into the communities. The local people then start to see that the animals are worth more alive than dead. This helps reduce things like poaching, bushmeat hunting, illegal fishing and deforestation. In fact, scientists say that without ecotourism, gorillas would now be extinct in the wild.
So, there I was in December 2014. An enthusiastic naturalist with over 7 years of media experience under my belt and a new understanding about the importance of ecotourism. I set myself the almost impossible goal of visiting 12 wildlife hotspots around the world in 1 year. I then teamed up with some of the best photographers and filmmakers in the business to start a not-for-profit blog and vlog about the experiences that you can have with these wild animals. Nearly 4 years later we’re still going!
__You seem extremely well traveled. Where have you been and why did you choose each destination? Pick your favorites.__
I’ve now been fortunate enough to have travelled to over 60 countries (133 left to see!!) and I choose destinations with the greatest opportunities to see the truly charismatic animals of our planet in the wild. This isn’t to say that the less alluring animals aren’t important. However, you’re more likely to inspire wildlife adventures with tigers and orangutans than the critically endangered Bolivian chinchilla rat!
One of the toughest questions that I get asked is to name my favourite destinations. Each place really does have its unique highlights. However, if I’m pushed, I’d say my top 3 destinations for wildlife are: Madagascar, the Galapagos and Uganda. You can check out [my blog](http://catherinecapon.com/) to see why!
__In your travels, what are some of the worst things you have seen with regard to the current state of the environment?__
Every destination has its environmental challenges. Overdevelopment and irresponsible tourism in Crystal River, Florida. Deforestation for palm oil plantations in Borneo. The exotic bushmeat trade in Uganda. Habitat fragmentation in Madagascar. I could write something for every destination that I’ve travelled to! However, rather than focusing on the negative practices that are threatening the exquisite animals that inhabit our planet, let’s focus on something good! In every destination that I’ve been to, I’ve also met true conservation heroes who are working locally to make real change. These individuals inspire me to carry on my work because together we really could save species from disappearing forever.
__You appear to be involved with many different activities and passions. What are some of them and what is the intersection between your passions and environmental preservation?__
My dream is help people fall head-over-heels in love with nature. A kind of ‘green cupid’ if you will. Whether that’s producing TV shows, running campaigns, writing articles, public speaking or creating content for social media, I’ll try any channel to communicate! Through my travels, research and people that I meet, I’m constantly learning about new issues and causes that need attention. Talking about what can be done and how seems far more impactful than just sharing doom and gloom stories.
__How do you live an eco friendly lifestyle on a daily basis? What are some simple things you have implemented in your life that everyone could do?__
The more you explore the natural world, the more you see how connected absolutely everything is. You therefore start to realise that every action that you take has a consequence. Buying products containing unsustainable palm oil destroys orangutans’ habitat. Overconsumption of meat means vast areas of forest are cut down to grow soya beans for animal feed. Single-use plastic is choking our rivers and oceans. I try to live as consciously as I can. For me, conscious living means observing every thought I think, word I speak and action I take. This sounds like an exhausting process but, once you start, the benefits are phenomenal.
With regards to travel, it obviously has consequences for our planet. Flying isn’t environmentally friendly but for most people’s budget and time off work, it’s the only option. It’s not realistic to tell people not to travel. We’re a curious species and will always want to experience new things.
However, resorts, cruise ships and other types of mass tourism can be swapped for far more eco options whilst also giving you better holiday stories to tell than who won the sun lounger war. By choosing wildlife, adventure or eco holiday destinations, we can all make a difference.
__If you had the opportunity to speak to the youth of the world and implore a single life lesson, what would that be and why?__
If you believe in something enough, throw everything you have at it and don’t give up at the first hurdle. You just need to be committed enough to work through the tough parts. And there are ALWAYS tough parts.
I’ve come across a fair few challenges on my journey. I've suffered from seasickness so violent that I vomited through my dive regulator into shark infested water. In Malaysia, I had leeches sucking my blood all over me. And I mean EVERYWHERE! I've suffered severe dehydration, almost been arrested by police in Mexico and had a gorilla urinate on my head! But, for me, the most challenging part of these expeditions isn't the physical discomforts. Actually, they often just make for even better stories. The hardest part was/is trying to get other people to believe in my dream as much as I do. I've been well used to rejection and being a woman in this sector has been a challenge that I wasn't expecting. I hope this is no longer a factor in the future as I see more and more female adventurers achieving incredible things. However, I have had people say to me 'But you don't look like an adventurer' and 'I've had to fire women from expeditions before. They are too distracting'.
For me, every moment of struggle is worth it and I'll keep on promoting eco adventures as a tool for the conservation of this planet's amazing creatures.
My advice is to document the challenges as well as the highlights: write them down, photograph them and film them. They are all part of your story that, one day, you can use to inspire others with to take on those impossible challenges.
__If there were an individual cause that you care about, related to the environment, what would it be?__
No country that I’ve visited has touched me quite like Madagascar. Madagascar has the smallest species of reptile in the world, 107 species of lemur (20 per cent of the world’s primates), mysterious Tenrecs that resemble an otter-hedgehog hybrid and Baobab trees that look like they are straight from a fairytale book. In fact five per cent of the world’s biodiversity can be found on Madagascar – not bad considering it’s only 0.4 per cent of the world’s land mass!
I’ve become spellbound by Madagascar’s distinction but I’m afraid for its future. 30,000 hectares of forest are being cut down each year and, if this rate continues, there will be no forest left within 25 years. Without the forests, wildlife will have nowhere to live! Ecotourism is a viable way to make the forest’s worth more to the local people than turning them into agricultural land. If the Malagasy people can make a good living from guiding tourists through the forests and showing off the befitting animals it hosts, they are far more likely to protect them for many more generations.
The key here is that, if you want to save the lemurs, you need to go to visit them. And if that option is financially unobtainable, then you can donate to make a difference. Primatologists from all over the planet have come together to create the Lemur Action Plan — a scientific paper on how to save all 107 species. Only $7million is needed to ensure their future, if we can persuade 7 million people to donate $1, then we’ve done it!
If you’d like to ensure that generations to come can enjoy the splendor of Madagascar, you can donate here: [http://www.saveourspecies.org/get-involved](http://www.saveourspecies.org/get-involved)
__Where can people find you?__
Instagram: [@catherinecapon](https://www.instagram.com/catherinecapon/)
Website: [http://catherinecapon.com](http://catherinecapon.com/)
YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/c/CatherineCaponsWildlifeAdventures](https://www.youtube.com/c/CatherineCaponsWildlifeAdventures)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-catherine-capon
# HEROES Spotlight: Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
Published: 2017-12-25
*Xiuhtezcatl (pronounced Shu-Tez-Caht) is an indigenous climate activist, hip-hop artist, public speaker, and all-around a titanic, young voice for the environmentalist movement. He is only 17 years old and he has spoken around the world from the TED stage, to the Rio+20 United Nations Summit in Rio de Janeiro, to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He is the Youth Director of Earth Guardians, a movement to empower other young people to step us as leaders and amplify their message and impact. He is also a plaintiff along with 20 other young activists suing the U.S. government for failure to act on climate change, jeopardizing our youth's future. Xiuhtezcatl is an incredible voice for a neglected generation and has a rare wisdom for a such young man. Without further adieu we give you Xiuhtezcatl Martinez...*
__Where were you born and raised? Tell us a bit about your heritage and how it has formed your belief system.__
I was born in Boulder, Colorado and was raised between Boulder and Mexico. I was very young the first time I went to Mexico and my first language was Spanish. I grew up as a young kid with all my time and energy spent exploring and playing; falling in love with the world. I traveled so much as a young child. My parents took me all over mexico. I would go to a lot of different tribal ceremonies and I very much grew up with traditional dances, traditional songs and exposure to the culture of my people. It gave me such a sense of connection with the world. It really helped shape my identity as a Meshika person and someone who is a representative of the Meshika people. I also feel a sense of responsibility fighting as my ancestors did. My father and my grandfather used to tell me stories of my ancestors fighting for our people. It gives me the feeling of being a warrior. I have the same connection to our land and our water and resources that come from nature. I began to learn about environmental issues from my mom and the work that she has done with Earth Guardians. I gained a sense of urgency to fight and protect the planet. It has all helped to shape the way that I am today. My cultural heritage, to everything I learned from mom mother as well. Activism. Resistance. Non-violent disobedience. It was just very much a part of my childhood growing up.
__When kids are younger you'll catch them at the park or playing sports or playing with friends. How did you come to feel so passionate about the environment at such a young age?__
My parents taught me to love and respect nature. Love and respect the earth. It was very much a ceremonial practice with my father. We would celebrate nature with dance and songs and prayer. That allowed me to establish a really strong connection. My mom always took me outside. I used to run around in the first and catch snakes in the grass outside. As a little boy I didn't got to school until third grade. I was maybe 9 or 10. The first time I ever went to school. Everything I knew as a young child revolved around tribal ceremony and nature. I was simply able to form a really strong bond. In my household, it was emphasized to protect and respect the natural world. I did all the fun things that little kids do, I just did it specifically outside.
__With your constant travel and your mission, how are you pursuing knowledge? Are you attending school? Do you plan to attend university in the near future and what do you plan to pursue as a focus?__
It has been wild. The last several years of my schooling have been in and out. Taking semesters off to travel. Taking weeks off to travel. I have always loved learning. I love everything from science to history to mathematics, just learning about the world and my place in it. The last school that I went to was an absolutely incredible experience. I am extremely passionate about learning. I stopped attending school last November. I am just finishing online in order to just graduate high school, just to get the certificate. However, the knowledge that I am receiving from the world, is just so much more than I would ever receive in a classroom or from a professor. I am meeting the most incredible, knowledgable people. From economists to politicians and analysts, scientists, entrepreneurs, historians, indigenous leaders, and people that care indigenous wisdom. Leaders on the front lines of different movements. The spectrum of knowledge that I am receiving just by being in the world, living and experiencing it, traveling; all of these things are so much deeper than I would get in a classroom. College is not in the plans right now. I think the institution of university right now is a little bit limited, in terms of what the world has to offer as opposed to paying tens of thousands of dollars to attend a school every year. I think there are a lot of things about our education system that are currently broken. I think education is one of the most important things in the world. I think a lot of things need to change in order to do it appropriately and adequately to help prepare the next generation for the world we are going to grow up in as well as provide the adequate tools to build in it. So yes, I pursue education for the rest of my life but maybe not in the traditional sense. But I am always learning.
__How did you discover your love for hip-hop and what else do you like to do when you're just enjoying some free time? What does your music help you communicate?__
The first hip-hop album I listened to was made by Michael Franti. He had an album called *Stay Human*. It's a really old album of his. Was a very Hip-Hop R&B kind of vibe. Super political. That's actually he first album I owned. I was 8 years old when I got that. An obviously learning more and listening to more and surrounding myself with music that was different. I remember the first time I heard Talib Kweli’s album Ballad of the Black Gold, which was about oil and the fossil fuel monopolization of the planet. I was so moved by that song because it was such a dope beat and such a catchy track with such a powerful message. I listened to KwelI and Mos Def, Jurassic 5 and just really exploring hip hop and its presence in shaping social movements, inspiring social movements and being the anthem for change in the past. Hop hop has been such a powerful tool for change to our history which really excited me and inspired me to use it as an expression of my voice. The last year and a half has been the most music intensive year of my life. I have focused on making my record, Break Free — releasing music, recording, learning my voice, learning about writing lyrics and freestyling, learning how to make beats and tracks. It's been a crazy journey for the last year. Working with other artists and collaborating in the studio is definitely my huge passion. It has helped me find my way as just a kid in this world to things outside of music that make me happy. I still love to just be a kid and go on crazy adventures at night time and run around with some of my friends tagging the city. I love sports too. I could talk about it any day. I love to surf and ski and eat good food. Anything a regular 17 year old kid would want to do. I love to go to parties, I love to dance and meet people. I love to make music and freestyle, meet people on the streets and jam. As long as it is creative and positive, I'm about it.
Talking about climate justice, about social justice, about indigenous rights, about my heritage and my story. It's been a major outlet that connects people in a different way and inspires people to wake up in a way that just speaking and giving TED talks won't do. The music is just a different outlet. When I am playing at a club, or a show or a festival, and the audience gives me their energy. When the music is meaningful, you can see it in their eyes and feel them. It is so powerful. Yes there are songs that are just hype and you see everybody dancing and yelling, but they don't really have deep and powerful meaning. You can feel the vibe of the audience. I have had experiences where this energy comes alive when I play these songs. I think to myself, I am not alone anymore when I think these thoughts. All of a sudden the whole world is in my head.
__With the environment in such dire straights, how do you envision your mission over the next 5 years?__
Over the next five years I plan to take a small step back from all of the work that I am doing publicly. I do a lot of speaking engagements outside to educate people. I've become somewhat of the face of a movement. I really want to focus more on Earth Guardians to build the strongest infrastructure possible. I am working really hard to be a part of shifting the culture of activism to be less about be an activist and focus more on creating change and bringing these ideas into our lives. I am doing a lot of work to bring people together who are going to shape and shift and lead this movement. I want to organize it and begin to be a part of celebrating the intersectionality between the social justice movement, black lives matter, environmentalism, indigenous culture, LGBT community and my participation in a lawsuit against the federal government. We are headed to pre-trial at the end of december and our trial date is in February, taking place in Oregon. I am doing a lot to improve Earth Guardians. We have thousands of kids reaching out to us each year trying to get involved and I feel that I need to spend my time building the infrastructure to help catch all that momentum. There are so many people that want to get involved and I think Earth Guardians can be one of the biggest avenues of capturing the action of all these people.
__In general, what is the scariest experience you have ever had?__
My mother does not know about this. If she reads this I guess she will now. She's gonna be so disappointed. Love you mom. I was New Zealand with a few of my friends. One of them is my former language arts teacher, now retired. His name is Jim Barnes and he is in his 60s. The other is my crazy producer, my partner in crime, my homie Jazz. It was 8pm and we wanted to get out to the outlook, or peninsula out in the ocean. It was a 2 hour hike to get to. We wanted to do it all but, but time got away from us, so we started super late. We started heading out there and we started walking along the beach. After about an hour we got to a little place where the tide was starting to come in. We had to scramble over some boulders to get to the other side. We saw exactly where we were trying to go at this point. We walked another hour along the beach finally getting to this place which is a beautiful lookout over the ocean. We turned around to head back after kicking it for a little bit and before we new it, the sun was gone. It was a full moon. The waves were insane. We were literally stuck out there. We had to traverse our way back at the bottom of a cliff line where there were smashing waves and there was this moment where my friend actually slipped. It was like he was falling to his death. My 60 year old, former language arts teacher ended up slipping and falling and he was about to land in the ocean. I literally caught his hand and saved his life and it was so so intense. We were super scared after that. We had to take a break and sit for a minute to decide what we were going to do. It was for real a life or death vibe. We were all feeling this way. My friend Jazz, this crazy jungle kid who never wears shoes was also super scared. Obviously we survived and we made it out. We gave thanks to the mood for giving us the guiding light. We made it back to the beach after having to wade through the water. We eventually made it back to the inlet, intentionally jumped in the ocean, had some laughs about the ordeal and just left. It was definitely the scariest experience I have ever had. Also was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.
__If you could get everyone in the world to do 3 things that would positively change the environment, what would they be and why?__
The first thing would be to properly educate yourself. Read articles. Watch documentaries. Talk to experts. The first step is seriously to get educated and informed. Then to integrate the solutions into your lifestyle.
Secondly, don't just focus on all of the bad problems that are happening, but also the solutions. What are the most current and efficient energy technologies? What are the newest competitive companies? For instance, Ferrari is producing a fully electric car to compete with Tesla. What will that look like? There are new ways of turning plastic and plastic waste into building materials for houses in underdeveloped countries. Educate yourself about all areas but don't forget to research the solutions as well. The most important part is integrating it into your lifestyle.
We also need to recognize the way that we eat. Three meals a day, full plates of food. That is a huge strain on our environment. On our water resources which put a huge amount of strain on places like the amazon to produce food for the world. Eating meat and dairy is one of the biggest contributors to climate change because the entire industry of industrial agriculture contributes heavily to emission-based climate change. One of the most environmentally destructive industries on the planet. That ties into the second one which is to not only be educated, but simply change the way that we eat. Become more aware and make better choices. Taking one day a week and not eating meat. One meal a day and making it plant based. Small steps like that are super powerful.
The third thing is to then bring that action to your community. Once you are educated and once you are living it then have that conversation with the community you are connected to. If you are a doctor bring it into your office and talk to people about. If you are a yoga practitioner, while you are teaching classes, tie these messages and these ideas into the studio. It all about bringing these ideas to change lives.
Learn it. Live it and bring it out into the world.
This can be repeated in every area. Social change, education change, women's rights, LGBT rights and so forth. It translates to everyone. I have never wanted to be in a position to tell people what to do or how to live their lives. I just wanted to spread education and lead by example.
__If you could meet one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?__
Tupac! The cultural influence that he had with his music. He was not truly a political MC. His music was so powerful and ultimately empowering. Especially during that time. Learning and reading his music makes me realize that he was so accessible because he was so real and so raw. His music wasn't beautifully censored. It wasn't all nice and music you would play in front of your mom. It was about explaining thing that translated to message of justice and empowerment. What I love about Tupac and his music, is that he was not reaching beyond himself to be politically correct. He was not reaching beyond himself to be super radical, or beyond his reality to be super gangster. He lived every single thing he talked about. His authenticity is what is missing from hip-hop on a large scale today. You talk about hip-hop today and it's all about drugs and women. That's not what life's all about. That is what I am trying to portray in my music. I am not trying to pretend I am from some place that I am actually not when I am rapping. That is not who I am.
__How did you find such a strong voice at such a young age and how do you manage the responsibility and challenges that come with it?__
I always came from a very strong platform. A supportive family, supportive community that were always behind me. I never had a doubt in my mind because of the way I was supported from such a young age. That is something that many of the youth today just don't have. I am incredibly grateful for it. Managing at a young age was really not hard. Sometimes it was frustrating because I was missing out on the normal things of a childhood. I wasn't able to just go to school. I had additional expectations that I had to fulfill. The whole expectation thing has been a battle for me. Find the power for that has been a process over the last few years. Taking responsibility for my role as a leader. Recognizing that this is not about anyone else, this isn't about what other people see me as or what other people want for me. I am finding my way through my music. It has helped me to express and be share. I can be authentic and real. I'm not perfect. I'm not a hero, I'm just a kid with a voice trying to find his way and trying to do something good for the world. It has been a struggle but I am finding my way. I am finding more empowerment in my voice than I have ever experienced.
__With respect to the environment and its current critical state, what about the future truly scares you?__
There is so much scary stuff that is going on the world right now that I don't often even think about the future. I guess it's connected. Our current rate of species extinction. That scares me. Simply because I am in love with life and knowing that humans are responsible for pushing entire species every year to extinction is just wild to me. Another thing that scares me is the extinction of culture. The loss of indigenous peoples who entire languages, entire tribes, entire voices are actually just gone. In a generation, people are losing ancient, ancient traditions that have been around for so long. From tribes in Australia to Latin America and so many Native American tribes are gone. That terrifies me because it is such a result of genocide and over colonization that has happened at such a systemic level to indigenous peoples. Just my fear that my generation will not take this opportunity to change the world from the way that it currently is. Our generation will not make the right decision and raising the consciousness of others. Our future generations will suffer. I am afraid that when I am an old man and there are 17 year old kids running around the world they are going to have to be doing the same job, but even more intense than I am doing now. I am afraid that people are going to have to live the same kind of life I am now, but maybe even worse.
__Lastly, what is earth guardians and where can it be found?__
Earth Guardians is a global organization working with young people all over the world to empower their voice and offer them a platform to create change by creating a decentralized support network. Earth Guardian crews worldwide that focus on environmental and social justice through this lens of rebuilding a future we want. It's a tribe, it's a family and we are very much connected. It's called an SMO or Social Movement Organization. It is not just an organization or an initiative. It's a living breathing piece of a large social movement. It is significant.
[@EarthGuardians](https://www.instagram.com/EarthGuardians/)
[earthguardians.org](https://www.earthguardians.org/)
[@xiuhtezcatl](https://www.instagram.com/xiuhtezcatl/)
[xiuhtezcatl.com](https://www.xiuhtezcatl.com/)
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-xiuhtezcatl-martinez
# HEROES Spotlight: Patrick Bardsley
Published: 2017-12-21
Patrick Bardsley is the co-founder and CEO of [Spectrum Designs Foundation](https://spectrumdesigns.org/). This organization is incredibly special to us, not just because we could not have built our business without them, but also because they have created a model for providing gainful employment and opportunities for people with autism. Patrick's commitment to helping these individuals lead fuller, more independent lives along with fellow co-founders Stella Spanakos and Nicole Sugrue is a true inspiration and proof that creativity in entrepreneurship can enrich the lives of many.
__Where were you born and raised?__
I am originally from the U.K. – I was born in England but raised in the countryside of neighboring Wales.
__What brought you to the states many years ago?__
When I was in high school, I came to the USA on a geography field trip. I was blown away by the sheer enormity of the country and I saw so little of it! There’s something about a country this size where you can just feel the potential to take an idea and run with it, and that’s exactly what I ended up doing.
__How did you get involved with non-profit and specifically, young people with special needs?__
After that fateful high school trip I got the USA bug and got involved with a company called [Camp America](https://www.campamerica.co.uk/), and became a camp counsellor at a camp for individuals with Special Needs. Meeting these incredible people and seeing what an impact the right staff could have on them changed my path forever.
__What is your most significant milestone as a young professional?__
As a boy from the UK countryside, there was something unbelievable about being recognized as one of [New York’s 40 under 40](http://nynmedia.com/news/nyn-s-3rd-annual-40-under-40) for the whole nonprofit sector. There are so many worthy individuals in larger organizations, but it felt like a real affirmation of what we’re doing here and underlined the importance of what we’re doing in this region.
__What is your greatest fear?__
My co-founder, Stella Spanakos! (Talk about fierce ☺ )
__If you could fix one significant, non-political, global problem, what would it be?__
Climate Change! Quite frankly, scientific evidence is non-political.
__Why is Spectrum Designs in a position to solve for the problem it has identified?__
At first, I’ll be honest – I wasn’t sure it ever would be. I loved the idea, being involved in something like this from day one you realize there are many times where it could have not worked out if just one or two days had gone differently. Spectrum has grown 80% year-on-year since 2011, becoming a multi-million dollar nonprofit in just 5 years… we are doing something right! People love the story, and my staff and I work tirelessly every single day to make sure this growth is sustainable and meticulously planned. Once we have established our flagship location at the end of 2017, we move to the next phase of regional growth!
__If there was a specific environmental issue that you resonate with, what would it be?__
Recycling is something I am pretty passionate about. It is so easy to do, and makes an enormous difference. Why wouldn’t anyone make such a small adaptation to their routine to help society at large?
__Is there a natural place that resonates with you particularly?__
For a guy who grew up in the lush Welsh hills and valleys I’m honestly not that fond of the countryside – give me the sound of the ocean over the sound of bleating sheep any day!
__Is there a profound quote or mantra that you choose to live your life by?__
If you want to make a difference,
of real significance,
here’s what you have to do:
Don’t sit down with a smile or a frown,
and paddle your own canoe!
__When you think about where you live and how it has been negatively affected by environmental neglect, what do you see and experience?__
I once saw an Osprey padding her nest with some plastic garbage. Though I was impressed that ‘nature always finds a way’ there was something deeply troubling about that image.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-patrick-bardsley
# HEROES Spotlight: Kate Williams
Published: 2017-12-18
*Kate Williams stepped into the role of CEO at 1% for the Planet in May 2015 bringing a strong track record as a leader. Her former roles include Board Chair of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Executive Director of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, and founder and owner of a farm business enterprise. She has also served as an elected political leader in her community. Her achievements are only superseded by her vision and commitment to helping our environment through 1% For the Planet's mission.*
__Where are your originally born and raised?__
I was born and raised outside of Boston, MA. My Mom was from Louisiana and my Dad from North Dakota, and they had both chosen Boston, so I had the benefit of living in a home and in a place that my parents had chosen and loved.
__What is your absolutely favorite thing to do?__
I absolutely love long distance running. A perfect day would include a long run (or hike) on a trail or dirt road, with a few unanticipated adventures thrown in. Add some friends to run with, and...perfection.
__Is there a particular phrase or quote that you live your life by?__
I have two - I don’t always embody them, but I always return to them for guidance. The first is “Do something every day that scares you” (Eleanor Roosevelt), and I return to this one as a reminder to keep learning, pushing myself, and generally not getting comfortable. And the second is “Nothing Without Joy,” (Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia educational approach), and this one is pretty self-explanatory and always good to remember.
__What are a few of your hobbies and hidden talents?__
In the hobby department, I basically opt to be outside whenever I can and I tend toward the aerobic-junkie end of the spectrum - hiking, running, cross country skiing, paddling. I’m also an avid reader and Audible book listener. In the hidden talent department, I seem to be good at standing on my head for extended periods on a paddle board.
__Do you believe in the idea that one person can impact the entire world?__
Absolutely! I don’t think I could survive without that belief - it’s core to who I am and the work I do. I think it can look very different for different people at different times. Sometimes it’s the Butterfly effect (the hypothetical in which a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil causes a tornado in Texas…) - one person’s smile and kindness in the checkout line changes the course of the day for every person they see. Other times it’s the inspiration of a single act of courage, that inspires other acts of courage that create a groundswell of change. Yet other times, it’s a flash of genius or insight that, when shared, creates a new future. The list goes on. I wholeheartedly believe that each one of us has power and that each of us matters in the shape of our future.
That power of collective impact is what 1% for the Planet is all about. We believe that everyone - business, individual, consumer, nonprofit - has the ability to make commitments and take everyday actions that add up to positive global impact.
__Why did you originally choose a career focused on aspects of the environment and the great outdoors?__
At age 18 I spent a month in the Wind River Wilderness range with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), and I clearly remember being out there and having the realization that I had found my passion and that in some way, shape or form, it was my future. I then, like all of us, had to muck around a bit to figure out exactly what that meant, but all of my explorations were either in the form of outdoor education or working with environmental nonprofits to drive change. I’m actually amazed looking back now at how clear and stubborn I was to hold the thread from that moment of realization until today - and I’m sure I’ll continue that moving forward.
__How did you ultimately get involved with 1% for the Planet?__
I was working for a nonprofit in the 1% for the Planet network, which happened to be in an office across the street from the 1% for the Planet headquarters, which at the time was in a small town in Vermont. I think it’s remarkable that I was able to find my way from the amazing regional nonprofit, Northern Forest Canoe Trail, where I served as Executive Director for 10 years, to the global 1% for the Planet….by simply a walking across the street. What prompted that walk was the itch to grow and learn more (do something that scares you…), and conversations with friends and colleagues, the path to 1% for the Planet emerged.
__What is your single greatest accomplishment with this project?__
I’m really thrilled about our addition of individual membership in 2017. This is a really exciting expansion of our model, and creates a great way for us to connect with a new and different set of members, and ultimately to grow environmental giving. I’m glad we took the leap to create and launch this program.
__If you could say something to the youth of the world today, what would you say?__
Have courage and hope. Each of you can do something to change the world - you have to believe that’s possible and have the courage to do your part to bring about positive change. I also want to remind you that there is help and wisdom for you should you need it.
__Is there a particular natural place that you resonate with?__
There are so many! But when I close my eyes a couple of places jump to the top. The first is Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. I love the great wide open, colorful, austere character, and the landscape that is so full of life and history. The second is a (to me) nameless stream in the Wind River Range, with a big King-sized flat rock in the middle - I slept there one starry night and it was perfection. I could go on, but the last is Great Pond in Maine, where my family has a cabin. I’ve watched and felt every season, weather pattern, and time of day on that lake, and we even baptized our kids in the lake. It’s my home water.
__It is no secret that we have an environmental crisis. So many different issues to focus on, which can be crippling to people. What advice do you have for people anxious for a better tomorrow, but overwhelmed by the vastness of the problem?__
Annie Lamott wrote this great book about writing called Bird by Bird - as in you can only write a book about birds by tackling it one bird at a time. I’ve adopted that as kind of a life philosophy, and it certainly works as a way to find a path through what is overwhelming. Pick what you care about, find a way to do something for that place or about that thing you care about, ask for help if you can’t figure out what to do, keep trying, join with others when you can, step back and reorient when you need to. You can do something every day, even if it’s just making space to discern what excites or worries you the most. Bird by bird. I get overwhelmed when I let myself get dwarfed by a problem so I remind myself to break it down and believe in the value of taking incremental action that builds toward the whole in a powerful and ultimately huge way. That idea of building seemingly small actions toward a larger goal is important. Create time to stay in touch with the larger change you hope for. You may have to take small steps each day, but step by step you will get there. I worry that this sounds simplistic, but it’s a core concept for me. Each of us has a 1% every day that we can choose to create a positive impact.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-kate-williams
# HEROES Spotlight: Alison Marras
Published: 2017-12-14
*Alison is a New York based certified Nutritional Therapist and Health Coach, blogger, and health-food chef. Her blog, [Food By Mars](https://foodbymars.com/ "food by mars"), is filled with recipes that are original, healthy and delicious. After experiencing sensitivities to certain types of food on her own, she began to see food as medicine and found great benefits to the Paleo way of eating. We loved learning about how she comes up with these incredible recipes and how to analyze your own eating habits to feel your best.*
__Where were you born and raised?__
Brooklyn, NY. By age 9 we moved to the suburbs in New Jersey.
__When did you first get started cooking and when did you first start seeing food as medicine?__
I first started cooking as a kid. My parents always worked and as the eldest, it was my responsibility to start dinner! I had to be around 12 when I started getting comfortable with cooking. I always felt eating healthy was important, my Grandfather would often talk about what herbs, spices or types of foods were healthy and for what purpose - he was big on reading about that. But I, like most people, grew to follow whatever health trends were out there and whatever was the latest diet-craze, not understanding the science behind any of it. I always tried to eat well when I could. By the time I was in my early-mid 20’s and on my own, I started noticing some sensitivities and issues with certain foods. I started looking more into food as medicine and began my blog around that same time to both express my love for cooking and healthy food.
__What type of recipes do you focus on? Do they adhere to a particular diet like Paleo, Ketogenic, Vegan, and why?__
I’m mainly Paleo and focus on what’s called, “Ancestral Eating”. I’ve found that this is how I feel my best and after being diagnosed with an Autoimmune Disease and dealing with a lot of symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, digestive issues, skin and hair issues, etc. -- the Paleo diet has proven to be very healing. After going back to school for my Health Coach & Nutritional Therapist certifications, I’ve gotten to learn more at a cellular level on how foods really affect us, having that knowledge has changed the game on following popular diets… it’s given me the tools to make the decisions on what to eat, when to eat it and why… regardless of diet.
__Are all the recipes on your blog your own? Where do you find your inspiration?__
Yes! Sometimes they’re adapted which I usually mention. I find inspiration from all over, many times it’s just something I’m craving or really miss eating that I need to Paleo-fy in order to eat. Most recently, I saw my husband eating a Greek Lasagna called [“Pastitsio”](https://foodbymars.com/home/2017/paleo-spaghetti-squash-pastitsio/ "pastitsio") that I missed after years of not eating dairy or gluten, so I made it “Paleo”! Other times, it’s from restaurants or traveling and also from my fellow food bloggers - I’m part of a fabulous and creative community that always keeps me inspired.
__If you could give people three foods or ingredients to avoid, what would they be and why?__
Generally speaking, everyone is unique - and I love teaching my clients and readers how to listen to their bodies to figure out what’s working for them or not. That being said, there are foods out there that anyone could benefit from eliminating.
1. SUGAR - Sugar is not just the sweets you eat, it’s snuck into many processed foods in some shape or another. It’s the reason most people in this country have blood sugar imbalances, and why Diabetes type 2 is on the rise. Sugar feeds cancer and bad bacterias/yeasts in our digestive systems and in large amounts (which is usually how it’s consumed) can be toxic. We were simply not meant to eat as much sugar as we do in a sedentary lifestyle that we now lead, and our bodies are crying out in the form of disease, and overall sub-par living (like always tired, need to run on coffee, need to snack, etc.).
2. Processed Foods - Fake, de-natured foods that come in boxes and bags are often devoid of any nutrients and nutrients are WHY we eat. Our bodies are depending on specific vitamins and minerals we can only get from foods that our bodies cannot make. The less whole vegetables, fruits and naturally-raised animal proteins we consume and more boxed, microwaved, processed “food” we consume… the greater the degeneration our bodies will experience. The unrecognizable ingredients are not only nutrient-less, but they’re actually stripping our bodies of the nutrients we do have. Doing a challenge like Whole 30 is a great way to see how much you might actually depend on processed foods and how great of a need it is to greatly reduce it from your life. Everyone should experience how their body can function with much less of these in our lives and the ones we do use should have as much whole/real, simple ingredients as possible.
3. Unhealthy, Hydrogenated Fats & Oils - Many of us grew up in the “low-fat” era where margarine was a “healthy” alternative to butter and oil. Canola oil and vegetables oils were pushed on us as a “heart-healthy” cooking oil. This notion has been completely disproven and no one should be consuming this stuff. Healthy fats are CRUCIAL to our body’s ability to regenerate, to create hormones, to heal and so much more. When we use healthy fats properly, we are giving our bodies what it needs. By using the alternatives, we are denying our body of what it depends on and giving it a dangerous substance. The oils I use are: Virgin Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Grass-fed Ghee (lactose-free butter from cooking butter down), and Lard (yes, lard - duck fat, tallow, etc.). Raw Sprouted Nuts, Seeds, and nut/seed butters are also a great source of fat as well as avocados and coconuts. If that sounds insane to you, please do read “The Big Fat Lie” for more information.
__If you could get people psyched on one food or ingredient what would that be and why?__
Ooh that’s a tough one! I love to switch up ingredients constantly. Perhaps coconut because it has so many uses - the milk as a dairy milk alternative, the oil as a high heat cooking oil (since it’s saturated and will not oxidize in high temps.), the meat that creates coconut cream (great for whipping with vanilla on top of fruit!), the water for it’s electrolytes. Coconut has many healing benefits and is definitely a staple in my kitchen in many forms.
__If people are having health issues how do they begin to understand if their diet is to blame? Where should people start in terms of diet to begin figuring out what their sensitivities are?__
Food Journal, food journal, food journal!! This is the first step anyone can take. Besides recording what you eat and when, you MUST record how each meal makes you feel. After you analyze and look back at your week or even just 3 days, you can learn a lot. For example, let’s say you start each day with a sugar-packed smoothie and see that you get a headache before lunch, you could experiment with eggs and greens for a few days as your breakfast and see what that does instead.
[PALEO SPAGHETTI SQUASH PASTITSIO (AIP-FRIENDLY, LOW-CARB, DAIRY-FREE, GLUTEN-FREE, GRAIN-FREE)](https://foodbymars.com/home/2017/paleo-spaghetti-squash-pastitsio/)
__How do the ingredients we use and consume affect the environment?__
I could go on and on about that, but to keep it short, I’ll say that many of the processed foods for example are obviously a strain to our environment in the form of factories, etc. The poor farming practices that have been widely accepted and even forced on many farmers by using harsh chemicals in the form of pesticides and GMOs is wreaking havoc on our soil (which is depleted of nutrients) and the health and well-being of the livestock that we then consume and in turn hurts our digestive systems leading to a cascade of health issues. Our water is toxic and needs to be heavily filtered and often times needs minerals added back in because we’ve gotten so far from natural spring water that collects minerals naturally. We drink out of plastic that is a massive endocrine disruptor (hormone imbalance issues) and then sadly do not or cannot recycle this plastic so it just sits. We are only as healthy as our environment.
__Can trying to eat more sustainably-sourced foods additionally have a positive impact on our health?__
Absolutely. Firstly, from a socially responsible aspect, you can feel much better about the food you are putting in your mouth. I’d rather support farmers and companies that are trying to make a difference in this world and treat animals and their customers with respect than eat factory farmed, fake and toxic ingredients that not only hurts me but the environment. Eating as close to natural, organic, and how our ancestors ate is how our bodies are meant to thrive.
[CHICKEN FLORENTINE BONE BROTH SOUP (AIP, PALEO)](https://foodbymars.com/home/2017/chicken-florentine-bone-broth-soup-paleo/)
__Are there any other resources (websites, publications, books) people should know about if they want to research the effects of food on their health?__
A great resource is the [Weston A. Price Foundation](https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/). Dr. Price was a dentist who studied indigenous communities who hadn’t been exposed to modern food (processed) and were living and eating off their own land. He observed they were MUCH healthier than the rest of us and compiled his findings from numerous tribes around the world. All the commonalities of these tribes are the basis for Ancestral Eating. It focuses on nutrient-dense, properly prepared food (even including dairy and grains when prepared properly!).
__Where can people find you, follow you, and get in touch?__
Follow me on Instagram: [@foodbymars](https://www.instagram.com/foodbymars/) (same on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/foodbymars/), [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/foodbymars/), and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/foodbymars/))
And sign up for my newsletter for a free recipe e-book and to get my weekly recipes at [foodbymars.com](http://foodbymars.com/)!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-alison-marras
# HEROES Spotlight: Alessio Bariviera
Published: 2017-12-10
*Alessio Bariviera is an actor, photographer, filmmaker, conservation photojournalist, survivalist and Earth Day Ambassador. His efforts to showcase the beauty of this planet and highlight our unique relationship with wildlife are extraordinary. He is also passionate about exposing environmental abuse and corruption and has worked on assignment for government authorities to help expose these crimes. Without further adieu we give you our conversation with Alessio Bariviera.*
__Where were your born and raised?__
I was born and raised in Arezzo, a small city in the fabulous Italian region known as Tuscany.
__When did you first discover your passion for travel, photography and indigenous work?__
My passion for travel unfolded during my years as an undergraduate student in Los Angeles. I wanted to do cinema back then but the more I saw the reality behind the screen the more I grew disenchanted with the industry. I took a semester off and went on a one-month and 2.500+ miles road trip with my best friend around California, Baja California, and last Hawaii. It was life changing. Suddenly I didn’t want to live an actor’s life anymore, instead I wanted to be a host for wild tv formats. To me photography began as, and still is, a means to an end.
__You have traveled all over the world. Even some places that are extremely remote and feel almost unreal. Where in the world have you felt the greatest connection to and why?__
I have felt the greatest connection deep within the Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra, where I spent 3 weeks looking for wild male orangutans and tracking tigers. However, I have come to feel that one’s connection to the environment runs parallel with his survival skills. I am not referring to the much advertised military kind of survival, but to natural survival. The former teaches you to look at nature as an obstacle between you and your life, instead the latter tells you that nature is really your ally. Once you start looking at nature as your ally, you are one step closer to becoming one with her. All of a sudden you see things, you pick up smells, you hear things, the whole way you interconnect with nature changes. It is not about superpowers, it is about dusting off the ancestral and wild self we all have but have forgotten.
__You're also an avid adventurer and have found ways to blend that into much of your work. Could you tell us about a time when you got in over your head?__
I wasn’t born a conservationist, nor was I raised and educated as one. I am self-taught. And It took me few years to develop that much awareness and knowledge that one needs to turn his detrimental energy for stunts into life cause. During that time I was assaulted and robbed by a baby gang while walking alone at night in Madagascar’s capital. I risked gas suffocation when I ventured solo to Halemaumau’s crater to see bubbling lava at night in the Big Island of Hawaii. More recently, I pretended to be a pangolin buyer to meet up with poachers in Sumatra. I was stranded at a logger’s camp on Papua New Guinea’s upper Sepik river. I caught the deadly Malaria - *Plasmodium falciparum* - and was chased by gun firing pirate bandits in the Solomon Sea while filming my first docu-film.
__You are an Earth Day Ambassador and an environmentalist. What are some of the greatest issues you have witnessed around the world?__
I feel like one could talk all day about environmental problems but in the end there is only two roots linking them all: overpopulation and lack of education. Western people are slowly switching to electric cars, are increasingly avoiding single-use plastics, are eating a plant based diet and are buying green energy. What about one less child? Medias don’t dare to take on this topic because it goes against the laws of capitalism. But capitalism doesn’t care about famine, or forests, or the planet. Until humanity as a whole learns to sort itself out, we will hardly ever get out of this. Asian countries wish to develop as Western countries did after WWII. Except when we went through industrialization the world population was less than 3 billion, microplastics weren’t outnumbering fish in the oceans, and wildlife population numbers weren’t down by 58%.
__What do you feel is the biggest overlooked issue with respect to the environment you wish would get more attention right now?__
I feel he biggest overlooked issue is equality. Equality for indigenous people. Equality for women. How many problems would not occur if countries and people gave up their arrogance and sense of superiority and listened to indigenous people’s wisdom? How many more green warriors and fewer people there would be if women were respected as men and weren’t forbidden emancipation in Muslim countries?
__What is your next adventure, assignment, expedition and why there?__
I’m not a big planner. Adventure, by definition, is about coping with the unexpected. Once one starts planning on something, he is undermining his chances of being surprised or amazed. So, unless I’m on assignment, I usually think about different projects in different countries and I let myself be influenced until the very end. I found out that setback are eventually the one factor that defines all adventures. I currently work as creative consultant for Banijay Group. We will know within days if my first tv format as a host has been given the green light. The format is about submitting myself to indigenous initiations to manhood all around the world. I care about this project because there is still so much lack of understanding and of respect when it comes to indigenous people. Common people often greatly underestimate them. Through this project, as I did during the filming of my docu film in Papua New Guinea, I want to upset how people see them. I want people to look at most of them and see superheroes.
__Tell us a story that connects you to the environment. We know you are a survivalist by trade. Something radical must have happened in your tenure.__
I’ve become obsessed with human-animal inter-relationships and cognitive ethology. While I have embraced natural survival as an important step in the rewilding process, it was really up-close and personal encounters with wildlife that have radically fueled my connection to the environment. How? By empathy through wonder. We have been hearing and seeing more and more often of trapped animals sensing when humans were there to help them. The same, though less observable, happens with plants. We have also been pushing interactions with wild animals beyond previous beliefs. The most radical event of this kind that has happened to me involved a jaguar. I was volunteering at an association for jaguar research and conservation in Brazil. Every night I would go pay a visit to the enclosure of a particularly playful male jaguar and play a stalking kind of game with him. I played on all fours. The fence kept us apart. We would try hide as best as we could, crouching low, until one of us went for the other, and then back to hide. During breaks, I would talk to him and we would carefully make hand-paw contact with each other. When reading an animal’s body language, empathy is the key. The night before I left, I pressed my face against the fence and he licked me. Jaguars are among the wariest of animals. When a wild animal makes you such a gift, it empowers you forever.
__Where can people find you or get in touch?__
Environmental photojournalism is my rent to live on Planet Earth. People can find me or get in touch through my Instagram and Facebook pages, or by email through my website.
FB: [Alessio Bariviera](https://www.facebook.com/alessio.bariviera "Alessio Bariviera on facebook")
IG: [alessio_bariviera](https://www.instagram.com/alessio_bariviera/ "alessio bariviera on instagram")
Website: [http://www.alessiobariviera.com/](http://www.alessiobariviera.com/ "alessio bariviera website")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-alessio-bariviera
# HEROES Spotlight: Maggie Sheerin
Published: 2017-12-06
*Maggie is a Rhode Island native who decided to ride her bike across America, all to raise money and awareness for proper recycling through [Recycle Across America](http://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/ "recycle across america"). The journey is over 4,000 miles long and Maggie only took what she could carry. Along the way she stopped and talked to folks about the work of [Recycle Across America](http://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/ "recycle across america") and how we can build a more sustainable future. Her campaign was called [Cycle for One Planet](https://www.facebook.com/CycleforOne/ "cycle for one planet") and we were super excited when our friends at [Recycle Across America](http://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/ "recycle across america") introduced us to Maggie.*
__Where were you born and raised and tell me a little bit about it?__
Born in Boston, MA and moved to Rhode Island at 2 years old. Rhode Island has my heart, as the Ocean State and home of many many rock formations, four unique seasons that are so noticeably changing, and wild, open shoreline ready to be explored by anyone who is wild and open enough!
__What were some of your hobbies when you were younger?__
I was always on or in the water. I swam, sailed, kayaked, jumped off rocks, bridges, rafts, and swam some more. In the winter, I swam competitively. I was also fortunate to travel up north to nearby mountains in Vermont, New Hampshire, even into Canada with family. Started picking up lacrosse and traveling with Rhode Island Metacomets.
__Who is your favorite superhero of all time?__
Wonder Woman, for sure. Her grace and peaceful message, while strong and diplomatic embodies a true superhero to this day.
__Biking across America is an extreme endeavour. How did you prepare for such a journey?__
Preparation... I feel like I prepared my whole life for the tour and every endeavor, for that matter. I did take some necessary steps — bought my first road bike (from a highly reviewed ebay seller), reached out to some friends who have traveled on bike for advice, researched a lot for budgeting reasons, reached out to a couple wellness brands for potential sponsorship, received an approval for leave of absence from work, and bought some maps!
__What was your most challenging experience along the way?__
There are a lot of challenges, got to love them all so the one to follow won’t be as hard. With that being said, Pennsylvania was challenging for me with consistent ups and downs. The beginning challenges, however, did not / can not prepare me for the weather ahead. The MOST challenging may have been my first century of the tour, 100 miles in one day. It was heading into Amarillo, Texas. Really, it is the mentality you persevere that will overcome any challenge. Began the day confidently before sunrise with the idea to take a midday stop at a lake ahead. Long day short, I went through a thunderstorm, hopeful for blue skies and it did eventually clear. Continued to the lake, which knowingly extended the time I would be riding. Back on the road. Straight. Flat. Long. HOT. First century in 100 degree weather. I did have enough water and the good part about this challenge was about 10 miles from Amarillo - a peace garden perfectly designed by Richard Daniel Baker.
__Why did you resonate so strongly with recycling? Where did that focus originate?__
I knew that I wanted to talk to others on the road about wellness and our connection to the surrounding environment. Recycling, for me, is a way of enjoying our natural world. If you enjoy something, then it is equally important to respect it. It is a huge problem. I really started working toward sustainability at the College of Charleston. As a member of the ECOllective Student Project Committee, we supported and guided student funded sustainability projects, we replaced the landfill trash bins with a dual Paper and GPM (Glass, Plastic, Metal) system, we created a Zero Waste event initiative, and we hosted zero waste audits in the middle of campus demonstrating everything that can be composted and disposed responsibly. This focus must have originated from the pure admiration for our planet.
__Is there a specific goal that you have with your journey after the trip?__
I would absolutely love to continue this journey by providing guidance to companies, schools, individuals on sustainability steps.
__What inspires you to continue to achieve and grow as a human?__
Ah myself. I would say that I am self-motivated. Also, the idea that we are all connected. So what is growth for me is growth for you is growth for our ecosystem.
__Tell me about your partnership with Recycle Across America.__
About a month before I left for the road, I reached out to several local wellness brands that may want to be represented across America. One of which (not local) was Aimee Lee, national account director of RAA, who was extremely enthusiastic and supportive of the mission! She immediately told her team, sent out a T-shirt, Earth flag, and sweet card. We are now working on bringing 5 elementary schools standardized recycling programs with the money I raised on tour.
__Is there a particular natural place that you resonate with here or around the world?__
This is a hard question for me!!! I have traveled outside of America but, am going to focus on our country here. I love Taos, New Mexico. The cycle of water is everywhere there, from the mountains to the Rio Grande. I think everyone should spend time by a natural water source to have a tangible understanding of the support Earth provides for us and a consciousness of daily resource consumption (i.e. water, electricity, gas, plastic, coffee cups).
__Is there a profound quote or mantra that you choose to live your life by?__
Mindful. Need less. Manifest. Something like that :) I enjoy being mindful of every single moment. Traveling on a bike allows you to truly harp on every breath, thought, rotation. Take it in. If we can go along our day with less, then there is only more room to be mindful! On manifestation, it all starts with an idea...nuff said.
__When you think about where you live and how it has been negatively affected by environmental neglect, what do you see and experience?__
Oh gosh, thank you for asking such questions. I have not officially written this down before but, it is very painful for me to live in a city environment with the amount of waste everywhere. It has become fanatic for me seeing cars, coffee cups, litter, plastic, even reusing materials hurts because it is still purchasing the material and supporting it to be reproduced. That’s just me, though, I try to put it toward my own next step in zero waste living and sustainability. Rhode Island is definitely doing amazing things - recently restoring our wild oysters reefs with The Nature Conservancy. Spread the word!
*If you are inspired by Maggie's story, you can follow Maggie at [@cycleforone](https://www.instagram.com/cycleforone/ "cycle for one planet on instagram") on instagram and [Cycle for One Planet](https://www.facebook.com/CycleforOne/ "cycle for one planet on facebook") on facebook.*
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-maggie-sheerin
# An Open Letter To Our Government
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2017-12-05
Dear Sir or Madam,
I come to you from a place of love, empathy and gratitude.
I am having a hard time understanding and justifying the actions of our country's current leadership, focused on the matter of the environment. It feels like sheer negligence. From what I can see, it feels like the government is so rabid for economic growth in direct spite of the environment and its well being. I love our country. I am grateful every single day that I am an American. We come from one of the most spectacular places on earth, with lands, wildlife, and history as rich and as important as any other. I am incredibly empathetic to any American that has a different experience.
I lead an organization called Cause of a Kind. We exist to socialize the earth's greatest environmental maladies and facilitate partnerships between people and environmental non-profits who are actively working to take back tomorrow. We work around the clock to find people around the world, dedicating their lives and attention to actively making the world a better place. We look for people pursuing extraordinary goals and pair their efforts with environmental organizations that are on the frontlines working to truly secure our future. As a comprehensive digital marketing agency, we partner with the most recognizable brands on earth to help them tell their environmental and social stories.
Do you not see the confluence of your actions? You are constantly expanding oil and gas exploration at the expense of our critical aquifers and public lands. You are relaxing rules on trophy hunting, putting our rare and endangered wildlife at further risk above and beyond their current habitat challenges, which humans are largely responsible for. You backed out of the Paris Agreement and have been the only world leader to do so, further straining our reputation and position of power. You drive industry that supports deforestation and ecosystem destruction for continued real estate development, mining, and corporate gain. You acknowledge unsustainable shortages of fossil fuels but offer no scalable renewable energy alternatives. Marine and oceanic negligence causing rifts in the food chain and irreversible damage, such as the death of the Great Barrier Reef. Do you realize that there are many more issues as well that are threatening our home, let alone the entire globe? We have one earth. The United States are supposed to lead the world. We are designed to set an example to every other country and be a symbol for hope and innovation. That is simply what leaders do. In our recent past, we have failed at this critical role.
I write to you in desperate concern for our future. I do not have children yet, but I am incredibly concerned that they will not experience the world the way that I did. What else do the people of this country have to do to make you realize that we need massive change? How could there even be a debate? This is your home too. I find it hard to believe that you are not personally concerned with the availability and quality of drinking water, or the preservation of public lands, or even proper sanitation systems. Your children and their children are at risk. Restoration of the damage done takes a tremendous amount of time, global effort and money. But let's agree; you are making it worse. The citizens of the free world need our governments support. We need bold leadership that is willing to stand up for our future and make significant strides towards sustainability. We need to start caring about tomorrow or there will not be a tomorrow to care about.
With love and in mission,
Justin Abrams
Cause of a Kind
Originally Published: December 5th, 2017
As we approach a historic election, nothing has changed. Atleast not for the betterment of the environment.
Take Back Tomorrow | Lessons from Cause of a Kind on Vimeo.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/an-open-letter-to-our-government
# HEROES Spotlight: Nadia Redel
Published: 2017-12-04
*Co-Founder of [World-Class Surf Trips](http://www.worldclasssurftrips.com/ "world class surf trips"), global adventurer, yogi, climber, surfer and environmentalist, Nadia Redel is making an impact around the globe, one awesome experience at a time. Her company does more than create incredible surf experiences, they also promote sustainable travel, products, and lifestyle choices. Nadia and the company she has built are a true inspiration to us, so naturally we had to get in touch. We got a chance to speak to Nadia in between adventures. Enjoy.*
__Where were you born and raised?__
I was born in Berkshire County in Massachusetts. It was great to grow up in the country, surrounded by nature, yoga and good small town vibes. I grew up with a close connection to nature.
__When were you first introduced to your passions of surfing, climbing, yoga, and other adventure based activities?__
My passion for adventure started at a young age. My parents really encouraged traveling which introduced me to many different types of activities including yoga, cliff jumping, free diving, rock climbing etc. It wasn't until my early 20’s when I met Mac ( co-founder of World-Class Surf Trips) that I found my love for surfing.
![Nadia Redel World-Class Surf Trips 3[1]](//images.contentful.com/o3vn3w2yy4rp/6IBxi9ZljUgoyWmGUEKgya/7a09cbbf52515ddac3bf34d920712d8e/Nadia_Redel_World-Class_Surf_Trips_3_1_.png)
__What makes Nadia tick? What are some of the things that motivate you to wake up and charge the day?__
Someone once told me, “If you’re not progressing, you are degressing.” That idea gets me out of bed every day. I apply that to every aspect of my life including work, health, fitness and my own impact on the environment.
__What are some of your most creative experiences that you have had, personally?__
When I was a kid, I was part of a creative problem solving team called D.I. It was really fun and it encouraged me to solve a problem from a unique perspective. One of my most creative experiences has been starting a travel company. Every day it is different and it has been a fun journey shaping and changing World-Class Surf Trips as it grows.
![Nadia Redel World-Class Surf Trips 1[1]](//images.contentful.com/o3vn3w2yy4rp/5klF5zeTjG8geKOCSuWqaa/74cc2ec5a7c7e9f22b26bb0c944991ef/Nadia_Redel_World-Class_Surf_Trips_1_1_.png)
__What do you enjoy doing when nobody's watching and you are alone or with friends?__
I’m the biggest goofball in the water, especially when it’s my core group with me. I’m always singing, trying handstands on my board and dancing down the waves. Life shouldn't be too serious.
__If you could have advice for the youth of the world today, what would it be?__
My advice for the youth would be to look at the world through an environmental lens. In order to achieve any amount of success, the world we live in needs to be healthy. It is important that the environment is a part of every single decision that we collectively make.
![Nadia Redel World-Class Surf Trips 2[1]](//images.contentful.com/o3vn3w2yy4rp/11CpvQsUYiOuueCi8A2M0g/9a7e68eb405cba205df346d356d6b784/Nadia_Redel_World-Class_Surf_Trips_2_1_.png)
__What is your relationship with nature, the environment and organizations that are fighting for a better tomorrow?__
I have always had a high level of respect for nature. Growing up in the country gave me a unique understanding for the wilderness and a feeling of home among the sublime. I have volunteered for many organizations in the past that benefit the environment. Two projects that are close to my heart right now are Vatuvara Foundations, that helps protect the marine ecosystems within the Fijian waters and the International Anti-Poaching Foundation led by ex navy seal Damien Mander.
__Is there a particular natural place that you resonate with?__
The ocean is a place that resonates with me. I feel truly at home in the water. I love holding my breath and swimming down deep among the fish and marine animals. It is at this depth that time seems to stand still. It is this connection that makes me so passionate about marine conservation.
__Within the Environment, what is a primary focus for you? Is there a specific malady that you resonate with the most?__
One of my biggest passions is to limit the use of plastic. This can be very challenging and at times might seem impossible, however if everyone tries to make a conscious effort to reduce, reuse and recycle we can limit the amount of plastic waste on our planet. I’ve been very fortunate to travel a lot and it always saddens me when I visit a remote location and find plastic waste littering the coast and land.
![Nadia Redel World-Class Surf Trips 4[1]](//images.contentful.com/o3vn3w2yy4rp/36pfhsj67CO8YA6Oc4awks/da4b19891d52b7345c45be732da9c852/Nadia_Redel_World-Class_Surf_Trips_4_1_.png)
__It is no secret that we have an environmental crisis. So many different issues to focus on, which can be crippling to people. What advice do you have for people anxious for a better tomorrow, but overwhelmed by the vastness of the problem?__
Don’t feel like YOU need to fix ALL the problems. Find something that inspires you, and then become passionate about it. We need to all keep living our lives, but we can do this through an environmental lens. It might start as small changes, but even these make big differences. The best way to feel inspired is to spend more time outside!
We encourage you all to follow [@worldclass.surftrips](https://www.instagram.com/worldclass.surftrips/ "world class surf trips instagram") or checkout [www.worldclasssurftrips.com](http://www.worldclasssurftrips.com/ "world class surf trips") to plan your next adventure!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-nadia-redel
# HEROES Spotlight: J.J. Kelley
Published: 2017-11-26
*J.J. Kelley is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, director, adventurer and explorer. His work focuses on conservation, exploration and wildlife crime. Some of his most notable works are Gyre, a National Geographic documentary that explores the growing issue of ocean trash killing wildlife; and [Warlords of Ivory](http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/explorer/episodes/warlords-of-ivory/ "warlords of ivory"), an Emmy-nominated film on how the ivory trade funds some of Africa's most notorious militias and terrorist groups. If this weren't impressive enough, he has paddled [1,400-miles from Alaska to Seattle](http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/movies/kayakers-laugh-off-foibles-in-1200-mile-long-journey/ "seattle times article") in a homemade kayak and the full length of India's River Ganges. He has also hiked the Appalachian Trail and biked 1,300 miles along the Alaksa Pipeline. Blending his filmmaking with his desire for adventure has given his work a unique perspective that is both compelling and immersive. We had the good fortune to catch up with J.J. between adventures and hope you enjoy this awesome interview as much as we did.*
__Where were your born and raised?__
I was born in Minneapolis and raised in Taylors Falls, Minnesota. A small town of about 1,000 people. I helped on a family farm where we raised goats, honey bees, chickens and made maple syrup.
__When did you first get into journalism and filmmaking?__
When I was 20, I did a year of college and then left. I was studying something that didn’t make me happy. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I liked being outside. I drove a truck to Alaska and lived in a tent for the summer; there I got a job driving a tractor at an outfitter. They had a kayaking department where instructors took guests deep into the wild; I was in love! I slowly made my way onto the kayaking department as in instructor. This kicked off many Alaska adventures, some a few days long others months long. One day I thought, you know there are some wild stories you encounter on these big trips, I bet people would find the characters you meet and places you see interesting. So I picked up a video camera, got some advice and made my first film. Touring the film at festivals, I caught the attention of National Geographic; they purchased 7-min of my video for a TV show. Most importantly, I was able to secure an internship position at National Geographic. This lead to me move to Washington, D.C. working out of the National Geographic headquarters. I’ve been learning to make and making films ever sense.
__From poachers in Africa to the drug war in the Philippines, you've covered some difficult and sensitive topics. As the artist behind the lens it's your job not to look away. How do you push forward when faced with such emotional subject matter?__
One of the most tragic moments I’ve witnessed was the suicide of a Maasai man in rural Kenya. There were no other journalists there, not even another person who spoke English. Through a series of chaotic events I found myself holding a camera as a man accused of murder was surrounded by angry Maasai warriors. The accused didn’t want to face their wrath so took his life right in front of them and me. I’ll leave out the details, but I’ll never forget the courage the lens gave me. I felt like I was there reporting on something greater; there was no time to be scared for myself, I had a job to do. Since then I’ve filmed many events that would normally make me sick to my stomach or pee my pants, but having that sense of purpose gives me a courage that’s almost superhuman.
__You're also an avid adventurer and have found ways to blend that into much of your work. Could you tell us about a time when you got in over your head?__
I had the opportunity to work in Antarctica for 5 months. For a full month I was to deploy onto an ice shelf the size of France, and for all I knew our small party of 15 would be the only people there. The entire area was riddled with cravases, but using a sonar device we were able to prove routes where we could travel. One day I went out with a snowmobile to film on my own. A crazy thing about Antarctica is that though the continent is covered with snow and ice, it’s a desert--it rarely snows. It’s just so cold that when it does snow, the snow rarely melts. With all this dry snow blanketing the mile thick slab of ice I stood on, when a 50-mph wind storm picked up, I could hardly see my outstretched hand. My world view was reduced to inches. The windchill was now close to -50F and I needed to get back to the shelter of our tents. I had a satellite phone and a GPS, but I was about 30-minutes away from help, too long to stand and wait. My heart was racing out of my chest. I did my best to draw on all the courage I could gather, took a deep breath and said you got this dude. I knew if I didn’t freak out, staying confident and calm, that I could navigate back. I’d done it before without issues, now the only difference was the pressure of frostbite, getting lost or worse. Staying calm and confident worked. I remember almost crashing into the camp when I intersected with my home course, the snow was so all consuming I almost drove right into a tent.
__If you could have lunch with another person alive or dead, who would that be and why? What do you think you would discuss?__
This is a hard question for me. I think my answer would change almost weekly depending on what’s inspiring me. Today I’d say Joan of Arc. I’m compelled by people who exhibit great courage, strength and leadership. Joan was fearless and lived her life by her ideals. She poured everything into what she believed was just.
__What do you feel is the biggest overlooked issue with respect to the environment you wish would get more attention right now?__
I just finished filming a story with New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. He’s fighting environmental racism, which is a subject that was new to me before starting work on this story. We witnessed people living in the United States with straight pipes that literally run from their toilet into their back yards, where the kid’s aren't able to play. We saw case after case of people living next to environmental disasters, like skyrocketing cancer rates in a stretch of Louisiana with over 150 chemical factories built on freed slave land. It’s described as the new Jim Crow. The Senator just announced a bill to address the issue. It’s been an emotional process learning more about an issue I recently didn’t know anything about.
__If you could give three pieces of advice to an aspiring journalist or filmmaker in college right now what would they be?__
Don’t let excuses keep you from telling your story. Too often I hear from aspiring filmmakers who say, as soon as I can get this camera or as soon as someone gives me money to make my idea, I’ll go do it. You’ll never get there if you rely on other people for your strength, grab a camera, tell a story, watch what you shoot to celebrate the successes and learn from from the mistakes.
Stay fresh. Continue to learn about the latest gear, the most innovative shooting technique and other sides of storytelling that you’ve never tried. When we get too comfortable our stories suffer, we get lazy and use the same techniques again and again. Take on something that makes your heart race, something that freaks you out, try to get comfortable in that space, and when you do, try something new.
Apprentice. My successes in filmmaking are the result of an unpaid internship where I could learn from people who were much more talented than I was. I had to work an extra job to pay the bills, but it was worth it for the skills I gained. Looking back, I was so clueless then. I often take gigs that don’t pay as well as I’d like when they come with the opportunity to learn from someone I admire. To be a great filmmaker you don’t have to go to college for filmmaking or journalism, there are extremely talented people out in the world telling great stories and if they offer up a chance to ride along and show you a few things, go!
__What's next for you? Any lofty goals that you are pursuing right now?__
Every 5 years I start to get restless in my career. I adore traveling the world and telling stories from near and afar. However, how I tell those stories can get a little repetitive. After being a producer for a few years, I decided to shoot more as a director of photography, then an editor. Now, I’m starting to do more work in front of the camera. I just hosted a new show for The Travel Channel. For me it’s about loving what I’m doing, with that comes passion. The most profound works for me are the ones inspired by passion.
__What comes first, the adventure or the story? For instance when you paddled the Ganges was that adventure something you always wanted to do? Or was shooting a story about the Ganges the goal and paddling just an interesting way to immerse yourself in the story?__
For me storytelling is a progression that evolves as you gather life experiences. When I was younger on a small farm in Minnesota the idea of taking a rowboat down the most polluted river in the world, in the most populated country in the world, was a thought I would never naturally stumble upon. I bet I didn’t know more than 5 things about India then, nor was it a place I ever thought about going. Then I knew the Minnesota woods, this lead me to dream up taking a super long walk in the woods, which lead me east where I took 5-months to hike from Maine to Georgia on the Appalachian Trail. Out east I was exposed to people who’d traveled further, outside of the U.S.. This lead me to start traveling overseas where I experienced intense pollution, people living in poverty who are surrounded by trash and industrial runoff. Then I thought, well instead of doing a long trip in a pristine wilderness, what if I went down the most polluted river on earth. A quick search lead me to the Ganges River in India and 6 months later I was in India. I bring my cameras to places that compel me with the hope that what I make might inspire others who would otherwise never see such exotic places; like the me who lived on a farm in Minnesota.
__Where can people find you or get in touch?__
[www.jjkelley.com](http://www.jjkelley.com/ "j.j. Kelley's website")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-j-j-kelley
# HEROES Spotlight: Aja Nikiya
Published: 2017-11-20
*Aja Nikiya is an international traveler, humanitarian, photographer, and activist for animals and under-served populations. A modern-day warrior and a true example for us all to look up to we continue to be inspired by Aja's efforts around the world. When we caught up with Aja, she was on her way to Utuado, Puerto Rico to help animals in need after Hurricane Maria. Her story is beyond impressive and we are super honored to be able to share a small piece of it with you here.*
__How did you get started in this type of work? What is your origin story?__
I'd have to go back to second grade for this question as I was quite the advocate back then. Always on animal rescues, [writing letters to Congress](https://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ "how to find your congressional representatives") on behalf of animals and going around the lunch room getting petitions signed for bears in captivity. I've always had the urge to help those in need, be it people or animals. But in all seriousness, I started my nonprofit work about 4 years ago after leaving corporate America to live out my dream. I broke away from the 6-figure job to travel and help vulnerable people and animals around the world.
__Looking at your Instagram it looks like you are passionate about many causes from animal welfare, to humanitarian issues, to environmentalism. With so much to do in all these areas how do you pick your focus?__
It is very difficult at times to pick a focus. I think in general, I always try to advocate for the betterment of animals, people and the environment so I can at least serve as a voice for them. Generally, I pick up projects as I travel around the globe and see a need. I assess how I can be of most help and I try to pick projects that are mutually benefiting to people and animals and even the environment. I try to focus on the most pressing needs in each of the areas I work in. I look for the entire trifecta. As I travel and meet other compassionate people, projects start to develop and before you know it, I've got an entire team in a new country within weeks. It can be overwhelming at times but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
__We've noticed that everyone involved in this type of work has a unique compassion for the world around them, but they also have unique strengths that make them successful in such a tough mission. What is your superpower?__
My superpower is the ability to connect with any culture. I've had great successes in areas of the world that some fear or think are impossible to work in. My other super power is the ability to function on no sleep when I am in project mode!
__We noticed that you recently wrote a blog post on conscious consumerism, what are the top five ingredients you wish people would boycott and why?__
That is a great question and hard to narrow down but if I had to choose, it would be [palm oil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_oil "palm oil on wikipedia"), plastic bags, petroleum, sunscreen and leather. Palm oil is in many of the foods and beauty products we use and is one of the [top ingredients destroying the rainforests](https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/topics/palm-oil "rainforest rescue on palm oil"), releasing carbon into the environment and killing endangered animals like the Orangutan. Plastic bags are destroying the ocean. They are one of the top killers of sea turtles, whales, dolphins and puffins. Petroleum is an ingredient often found in lip balms and Vaseline. Petroleum is toxic to the environment and often destroys shorelines and nesting grounds due to spills. Sunscreen is the leading cause of coral bleaching and leather requires massive amounts of energy and chemicals to produce. It is harmful to animals, people and the environment.
__Could you tell us a bit about your NGO project Compassion Kind?__
[Compassion Kind](https://www.compassionkind.org/ "Compassion Kind") is a 501c3 focusing on creating a more compassionate culture through global change. We envision a world with less suffering and more compassion; a conscious culture that extends its circle of compassion to all kinds regardless of race, gender, sexuality, religion or species. We work with the most vulnerable populations; those without a voice. We work in a few key areas including humane education, global awareness, disaster relief and community action. Our projects range from [disaster relief in Puerto Rico](https://www.compassionkind.org/puerto-rico-relief "Puerto Rico relief") to Wild Dog conservation in Tanzania.
__What were some of the unique challenges to starting your own international NGO?__
Getting started is difficult on your own. You've got big ideas and small pockets and are your own accountant, project manager, travel agent and marketer. Once you get past the initial setup, keeping your projects going is the hard part. Getting funding isn't easy and when you're doing a lot of the work on your own, it's hard to promote your organization and solicit funds. But as time goes on, you get better at all of it, meet great people along the way to offload some of the work and things really start to come together.
__What are your future ambitions for both yourself and Compassion Kind?__
I want to continue this work indefinitely. It feeds my soul and is the most rewarding job one could ever have. I'd like to see [Compassion Kind](https://www.compassionkind.org/ "Compassion Kind") become an internationally recognized organization with staff and volunteers in every country around the globe. We want to be the driving force behind the compassion movement. For me personally, I'd love to start filming documentaries and showcasing amazing individuals around the world and this type of work. I'd also like to improve my photography skill set and do assignment shoots for [NatGeo](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ "national geographic").
__What is your biggest victory to date?__
I'd have to say my recent flight back from Puerto Rico with 26 animals was quite the accomplishment. We were able to rescue these animals from horrific conditions, get them vetted with certificates, driven to the airport and flown to Florida, all in 24 hours. We have them all in foster care now and some already adopted. With no service, power or water and many different obstacles, this was one for the books!
__What's one thing you wish every person would either do or be mindful of every single day when they wake up?__
I wish everyone would wake up grateful thinking about how they can make a difference in the world. Every decision we make has the power to change the lives of many.
__Where can people find you, follow you, and get involved in what you do?__
You can find me [@compassioncurator](https://www.instagram.com/compassioncurator/ "Aja Nikiya on Instagram") on Instagram and [Aja Nikiya on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/AjaNikiya "Aja Nikiya on Facebook"). Compassion Kind also has its own social media pages [@compassionkind](https://www.instagram.com/compassionkind/ "compassion kind instagram"). If you are interested in getting involved, we are always looking for new volunteers and ambassadors. Feel free to send us an email at [info@compassionkind.org](mailto:info@compassionkind.org "email compassion kind").
*We encourage everyone to follow Aja on the socials and you can donate to Compassion Kind [here](https://www.compassionkind.org/donate/ "compassion kind donate page").*
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-aja-nikiya
# Searching for Silence and Solitude in Utah
By: Michael Rispoli
Published: 2017-11-17
> “I liked the work and the canyon country and returned the following year for a second season. I would have returned the third year too and each year thereafter but unfortunately for me the Arches, a primitive place when I first went there, was developed and improved so well that I had to leave.”
> — Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
In the fall of 2016 my wife and I took a trip to Utah. We aren’t the type for fancy resorts and high brow dining. For us vacation is renting a car and seeing as many places as our time there would allow. We book no hotels, and make no reservations ahead of time. We buy plane tickets, we rent a car, and we see where the road takes us. This type of travel gives us a freedom we don’t get in our day to day life, where each day blends together under the rhythm of routine. We want our vacations to be as far from predictable as we can get. For us, this is the perfect escape.
Before that, the last time I was in Utah was the winter of 2011. I just earned my first two paid vacation days in my life, and like a good 25 year old, I thought saving them for an actual illness would be wasteful. I moved to Denver six months earlier with the idea that I would spend all of my free time rock climbing and hiking in the Rockies. The cruel trick was that my job as a rental car agent kept me chained to the airport in a suit every day. It was about as far from my dream life as I could get—but I had never gotten paid to go on an adventure before, so I reveled in the moment.
I left Denver after work that evening and planned to drive through the night, with the goal of reaching Hurricane, Utah ten hours later. It ended up taking closer to 15 hours since a snow storm formed over the entire western front. Had I owned a smartphone, I could have checked the weather. Had I understood the point of AM radio, I would have known about 1010 WINS. Instead I put my iPod on shuffle and drove onward, clueless as to what awaited me.
My little Mazda3 entered Eisenhower Tunnel on the eastern side of Loveland Pass under a pleasant flurry of snow. I exited to the wrath of a Rocky Mountain blizzard that produced near white-out conditions. The roads grew treacherous and snow fell so hard that my car felt like a small boat as I slid down I-70. My left palm cramped around the steering wheel and my right hand slid over the shifter as I prayed my driving skills would keep me from careening off into the runaway truck ramp. I could have turned back, I should have turned back, but I was determined not to waste my mini-vacation. I would later learn the storm got so bad they closed Eisenhower tunnel, restricting travel through the mountains that evening, right after I made it through.
Five hours later, as though the state line were more than just a mark on a map, I crossed the curtain of snow to clear, starry skies. With no cars in sight, I stopped the car right in the middle of the interstate and lay on the hood of my car, wiping sweat from my forehead and laughing in relief. And that feeling is how I would always remember Utah, salvation. The evening my wife told me she wanted to go to Utah, I thought back to that night. It was such a shame that driving to and from Denver, I saw most of the Utah frontier in darkness. Sure I saw Zion and some of southwestern Utah, but on the way back to Denver I drove through the night again under the comfort of clear skies the entire way.
*View of the south-side of Zion National Park*
*Hiking over the orange slick rock in Zion National Park*
We planned to go for seven days and I made it a goal to not drive at night if we could help it. Seeing every mountain, rocky outcrop, and canyon was essential. We planned our route starting in Salt Lake City and driving south to Zion. Then we would make our way east across Bryce Canyon and Grand Staircase - Escalante before heading up through Capitol Reef and ending in Moab where we would see Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
We had the goal of exploring a slot canyon. I had assumed we would do this when we got to Canyonlands National Park at the end of our trip, however I found a small blog post on a place in Grand Staircase - Escalante called Peek-a-boo Canyon. We decided we couldn’t wait until we got all the way to Moab and would check it out after Bryce Canyon.
We arrived at the entrance to Zion National Park on a Saturday morning to the glimmer of crawling lines of automobile hoods and RV roofs. The glowing orange towers rising out of the lush valley leave you in a surreal trance — but the freight train of motorists and pullouts filled with tourists, holding phones in outstretched arms, took something away. It made it impossible to just relax and enjoy, to stop and meander around, to get lost in the grandeur.
The following day at Bryce Canyon, the experience was similar to that of a shopping mall, circling the parking lot for ten minutes as we waited to see back-up lights. We decided it would be better to come back around dinner time when the crowds cleared. I was re-reading Desert Solitaire on that trip and was seeing first hand what Edward Abbey cautioned us against fifty years earlier.
*View from the top of Bryce Canyon National Park*
> “Those were all good times, especially the first two seasons when the tourist business was poor and the time passed extremely slowly, as time should pass, with the days lingering and long, spacious and free as the summers of childhood.”
> — Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
While we loved our time in Zion and Bryce, my wife and I reflected that we would have to remember to return on weekdays and in the off-season in the future. National Parks are incredible places, but it is clear that the demand has grown far higher than the supply. Today’s political struggle for the protection of public lands is astounding to me. When you consider the human herds that migrate over every square inch of roadway and trailhead every year, do we really need another resort casino or golf course?
The following morning we began the drive to Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument. A National Monument is different from a National Park in that it is maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rather than the National Parks Service (NPS). The land becomes off limits for industrial uses, however local ranchers use it to allow their cattle to graze on the open plains for a small fee. Many farmers rely on this land to provide the kind of space they need to raise their livestock every season. National Monuments are also far less manicured, and a bit more rugged. This is precisely why I love BLM land. It is typically free to enter, void of immense crowds, and ripe with little adventures and a play at your own risk ethos.
When we arrived at the entrance to Grand Staircase - Escalante, the difference from Zion and Bryce National Parks is striking. There are no fee booths, covered kiosks, or parking lots—just a mid-sized sign that reads “Grand Staircase - Escalante,” and a wire fence. Near the fence is an angled information display and six inch road sign warning visitors the road is maintained for four-wheel access only. We took a look down the dirt road that rolled over the desert plain, a look back at our tiny Chevy Cruze rental and started rumbling down the road into the interior.
*Stefany at the entrance to Grand Staircase - Escalante*
*Stefany revoking my driving privileges.*
The maps on our phone were not going to be much use since the road we were on did not appear anywhere on Google, just a pin in the rough location of Peek-a-boo canyon. We knew the road that led toward the canyon was 26 miles in. So we reset the trip odometer to zero and hoped that we would see a turnoff when we got there. As we crept down the dirt road, our bodies’ rumbling under the weak suspension of our rental, the emptiness of the place started to creep into our heads. Crowds can be frustrating, but the absence of a single soul gets frightening. When was the last time my wife and I were truly alone like this? Had we ever been? Our phones soon lost service and we just watched the odometer and prayed that this car would not get stuck in a sand trap.
Roughly 10 miles in we saw a truck hauling cattle in a pull-off where they would be left to graze open and free, which gave us some relief. At around 15 miles my wife got frustrated by my slow driving and decided to take the wheel. And at 26 miles, right when we were starting to think these canyons were a hoax and we would never find them there was a small road that cut off to the left. We started down the road and saw a small cluster of cars and vans, relieved that we were in fact somewhere.
We pulled over and made a quick lunch before heading over toward the trailhead. Again there were no road signs or markers, just stacks of rocks piled at various points indicating the way. We descended across the slick rock, into a sandy gulch, and at last arrived at the entryway to something we had only seen in pictures before, our first real slot canyon.
Arches National Park in Moab was as Edward Abbey described—developed and crowded. While it still retained its beauty everyone had to wait in line under Delicate Arch like taking a picture with Donald Duck in Disneyland. There’s always a special place in our heart for all of these places, for the beauty far outweighs the crowd. But when we look back and talk about the trip we always tell one story. The day we took that poor little Chevy Cruze into Grand Staircase in search of a true adventure and found it.
---
*Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument was created by President Bill Clinton in 1996. At 1.9 million acres, it is the largest national monument in the United States and was the last piece of the lower 48 to be mapped. Its terrain is just as diverse, being home to both low-lying desert and coniferous forest. It was the home to the Anasazi and Fremont and contains one of the most extensive fossil records of the Late Cretaceous Period.*
*The history and scientific potential of this monument is enormous. However in 2017 its future is uncertain. President Trump has approved measures to shrink the size of Grand Staircase - Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments. I wrote this piece to urge people to both see the importance of these sites and to go enjoy them for yourselves. Their relative anonymity keeps the landscape pure and the crowds low. They are truly our last national treasures and worth our attention and efforts at preservation.*
__Sources:__
1. [Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument | BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT](https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument "Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument BLM")
2. [Utah’s ‘Grand Staircase’ Leads Back in Time to Dinosaur Shangri-La - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/21/science/utah-grand-staircase-dinosaurs-kaiparowits-plateau-fossils.html "Utah’s ‘Grand Staircase’ Leads Back in Time to Dinosaur Shangri-La - The New York Times")
3. [Trump Plans to Shrink Two National Monuments in Utah - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/27/climate/bears-ears-utah.html "Trump Plans to Shrink Two National Monuments in Utah - The New York Times")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/searching-for-silence-and-solitude-in-utah
# HEROES Spotlight: Mitch Hedlund
Published: 2017-11-12
*Founder and Executive Director of [www.RecycleAcrossAmerica.org](http://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/ "recycle across america"), Mitch Hedlund is on a mission to fix the world's recycling problems. Realizing that the process of recycling is over complicated, ambiguous and seemingly avoided due to the unnecessary confusion at the bin, Mitch and her outstanding team have devised a solution that has gone viral. Make recycling fundamental, make the decision clear and concise, and nurture the movement until it is no longer a choice, it's instinct.*
__Where are your born and raised?__
Palos Verdes, California
__Do you believe in the idea that one person can impact the entire world?__
Absolutely. This is proven throughout history. One person can absolutely change the world with a solution or a new approach — and collectively the power of many can expedite the progress of that solution, which also means that each person in that collective is changing the world. Each of us prove this everyday.
__Why recycling? Why is this your life’s work and not some other environmental issue?__
There is no greater impact that each of us can have on the environment, the economy, on manufacturing, on mitigating climate change, on conserving fresh water and energy, and to help prevent waste from going into oceans and waterways than recycling. It is the only action that can hit on so many critical points to help us become a sustainable species on this planet, especially as the human population continues to grow exponentially. We are the only species on this planet that doesn’t live within the system or the cycle of the planet; recycling can help us begin living within more of the system again. Every other species uses, reuses and even is used — which helps them and other reliant organisms live and thrive. Since the industrial revolution, and possibly even before then, the human species has increasingly been in the habit of a manufactured and one-use existence, and that simply doesn’t work. It’s a bad math equation for our species to continue to have that approach. Fixing recycling can help prevent that bad math equation and help reduce CO2 levels, which are also threatening us. Recycling even helps create jobs and helps stimulate the economy. It’s a home run on so many levels AND the infrastructure exists. The public is passionate about it and the manufacturers are demanding the materials. The only thing standing in the way of thriving recycling is the public confusion at the bin! Once we fix that little issue, which is why we’re doing the standardized labels for recycling bins, it will release the bottleneck in the industry — and finally allow recycling and closed loop manufacturing to begin to truly live up to its environmental potential.
__Why did you make a significant career shift after spending so much time in the corporate world? Was becoming an enviro-entrepreneur always the goal?__
I’m extremely solutions driven and have been my entire life, including when I was just a little girl. It was almost to a fault. My mind continuously looks at problems or issues that present themselves or that I witness. As an analogy, my mind looks at large scale (and small scale) issues almost as if they are Rubik’s cubes — and my mind continues to turn the cube until I can see a solution. This has been my way of looking at situations my entire life, both personally and professionally, including when I was in the corporate world.
I grew up with a mother that was very health and environmentally conscious, although I don’t think we thought of it as a category or title. My mom would shop at healthfood stores and co-ops long before co-ops were cool or trendy. In fact at that time, they were anything but cool. I think that way of life affected my DNA, and therefore I’ve always looked through the lens of being conservative with resources and understanding that every action we take, affects more than just ourselves. I’m always scaling up decisions and scenarios in my mind. For instance, “If I do this and everyone does this also, will the world be a better place, a worse place or simply neutral?” When we start looking through that lens, it helps us all make better decisions for ourselves and for the world around us.
At one point in my career, about 12 years ago, I had an opportunity to look at the green movement from a broad perspective. I quickly realized how dysfunctional and confusing the environmental movement is from the public and consumers’ perspective. Once we fix the confusion for the public and consumer, and make it easier for people to act on their good intentions (such as recycling), or easier to make consumer choices to truly support environmentally responsible businesses, then we’ll see dramatic environmental progress in the world. The confusion is the barrier to progress, as seen in the recycling industry.
__What is your single greatest accomplishment with this project?__
It’s not so much about my accomplishments as it is about people, brands, and organizations that have come into this mission to help move the needle more quickly; Groups that are standing by my side. Those accomplishments, by their leadership and understanding of this issue, are the greatest hallmarks of this journey for me. One example is when I became an Ashoka Fellow. Ashoka recognized this as a “world changing solution,” and provided me with a three year stipend to allow me to continue this mission. Disney came on board to pilot the standardized labels in all of their employee areas in Florida, and they were one of our most high profile early adopters — which led to others following their lead. Here are other examples: Bank of America, Kiehl’s, and Whole Foods. So many other great brands continue to carry this mission out. Our small, but oh-so mighty little team, with RAA, is our little powerhouse troops that carry this mission forward everyday, lifting the load from my shoulders. Rhode Island is our first state to utilize the labels throughout the state, and show other states why this is critical to do statewide and nationwide. It’s the celebrities that have said yes to our PSA campaign, the US Bank Stadium that started using the labels and is the stadium for the next Super Bowl, the 140 South Korean students that came to the U.S. this year and last year — and took time to help people in the U.S. know about this solution, and why recycling right is so critical to people all around the world. The young woman who biked from Rhode Island to San Francisco, who carried our literature and our Earth Flag on her solo, riding coast to coast to help people know about our mission, and all on her own, helped raise money for labels for K-12 schools. I could go on and on. These people, groups, brands; they move me! They are my fuel and the fuel of this mission! Individuals can change the world.
__If you could say something to the youth of the world today, what would you say?__
The first thing I would say is, "I’m sorry." I’m sorry that it has taken this long for all of us from previous generations to take these issues seriously. Then I would say, “I’m so hopeful because this next generation gets it, and is passionate and ready to take action!” I would encourage them to look for and to support big solutions to address big problems. The solutions don’t have to be complex, but at this point they do need to have a big impact. Small actions are incredibly important for each of us to take. But we also need to start implementing big solutions that can have the fastest and broadest impact as well. It’s time to recognize how critical common-sense is, when it comes to the environment. Don’t wait for the government. Use the power of a collective people and as consumers to affect change rapidly. And, of course, recycle more and recycle right!
__What is your relationship with nature, the environment, and organizations that are fighting for a better tomorrow?__
Not to sound negative, but when I started RAA, I was really surprised and a bit disheartened to see how fragmented the nonprofit space is. I think it has to do a bit with the fact that many nonprofits are having to constantly look for funding, and they see others as potential competitors for funding. This isn’t true everywhere, but I’ve heard from others that they witness the same thing.
The reality is that if all the nonprofits working in each category of a problem, such as recycling, really united together to fix recycling, it would be fixed. That’s a simple fact. So if we’re all saying we’re trying to make it better, working together to implement solutions and programs to do so, collectively, would truly fix the issues.
I believe that is true for hunger and education etc., but there is so much autonomy, which is good I guess from a for-profit business perspective, because it creates constant need and job security, but honestly, I think all nonprofits should be considered short term organizations. They should be designed to solve the issue that their mission is focused on as quickly as possible, and strive to eliminate the need for their organization to exist because they have eliminated the problem. People might say that’s unrealistic or too altruistic, but perhaps it shouldn’t be unrealistic. Perhaps donors or supporters should ask the nonprofits they fund, “How are you going to solve the problem and how long will it take, and how much funding do you need to solve the problem?” versus having an open ended approach to issues.
From our perspective, our goal is to make the need for our nonprofit extinct. Just as there isn’t a need to have a nonprofit organization promoting standardized stop sign and speed limit signs, there should be a day when our organization isn't needed anymore in the recycling space because the standardized labels are in fully in use throughout the U.S. And people are able to recycle more and recycle right, everywhere they go. It is then that I will personally know that we did our job... *because we eliminated our jobs!*
__Is there a particular natural place that you resonate with?__
Everywhere outdoors, especially by water. I’m a serious water person. I grew up with our house overlooking the ocean, and I swear I’m either a dolphin in my next life or was a dolphin in my previous life. I love water (rivers, oceans, lakes). I love mountains. I love animals. I love watching nature and seeing how it works. It doesn’t need meetings or phone calls or discussions or panels or symposiums to know how it should exist. It just exists in harmony (for the most part). I love that about nature — I’m humbled by it.
__It is no secret that we have an environmental crisis. With so many issues to focus on, it can feel hopeless and crippling to people. What advice do you have for people anxious for a better tomorrow, but overwhelmed by the vastness of the problem?__
There are simple solutions to fix the big problems, period. We have the ability to overcome the massive issues, but we need to fix the lowest hanging fruit that has the biggest impact. This is why we’re focusing on fixing recycling. People need to see something that actually gets fixed today. People are overwhelmed and exhausted by hearing about problems and awareness of issues. Fixing one big issue at a time will provide momentum and enthusiasm to begin tackling the next big issue. Society and industry has become a bit schizophrenic. It’s time to tackle one thing at a time and make some measurable progress. Fixing recycling is a way to unite people, manufacturers, cities, and to work together to make it thrive. I’m super excited that that is what we’re working on and that there is so much momentum to achieve that goal. I believe in the next five years that we’ll look back and say, “Remember when recycling was confusing and when most manufacturers couldn’t close the loop with the manufacturing?”
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-mitch-hedlund
# What Snows of Kilimanjaro?
By: Justin Abrams
Published: 2017-11-06
I was 23 years old and it was 2012. As a kid I was an avid athlete. But not in the traditional sense. Yes, I played soccer and baseball, but team sports just weren’t for me. I was always better off as an individual contributor. I think it's because I was competitive to a fault. I was often so hyperfocused on the victory that I forgot about the journey. I was always drawn to "extreme sports;" finding myself immersed in mountain biking, rock climbing, snowboarding and mountaineering. Anything that could challenge my comfort zone and allow me to challenge myself. I was 22 years old when I saw an opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, reaching to the sky at a height of 19,341 feet of dormant volcano. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain on the African continent and is the tallest freestanding mountain on earth. Not being part of a mountain range, it rises up out of the flat Tanzanian desert with nothing to distract from its grandeur. I was intrigued, scared and motivated.
I flew out of Dulles International in Washington DC and had two connecting flights in Abu Dhabi and Kenya before arriving at Kilimanjaro International Airport 27 hours later. I was meeting a guide service coordinator there from Zara Tours, who was to pick me up at the airport to take me to my hotel. He didn't arrive for 3 hours. The entire time I was waiting, there must have been over 100 men viciously soliciting for me to take a cab ride with them. I had over 100 pounds of gear and various pieces of luggage which ended up in the trunk of multiple different vehicles. A trying situation for anyone, let alone a bright eyed kid in a third world country. I was struggling.
My first wildlife encounter in Africa occurred the second we exited the airport, after I was finally picked up by the guide service. In the middle of a 2 lane highway stood a gigantic Wildebeest with huge horns that was easily the size of a horse. Seconds later we passed a 6 foot ant hill on the side of the road. I was instantly intrigued and intimidated. Driving through the streets of Arusha, the scene was humbling. There are huge stretches of farmland and crop, with intermittent roadside stands selling varieties of fruits and vegetables, toys, clothing, and many other creature comforts. There was even a roadside stand called “Best Buys” that sold electronics like televisions, computers, cell phones and more. The markets were buzzing with every mode of transportation on a mixture of dirt roads and rutted pavement. The children, the businessmen, the mothers; I saw one mother carrying an infant on the front of her with a toddler on her back and a massive weave basket filled to the brim balanced on her head. She was then carrying multiple plastic bags of groceries in each hand. I was so humbled and felt at the time that she must have been the strongest woman in the world. There was such an overwhelming feeling of controlled chaos. It made me extremely uneasy, yet so grateful for the life that I am accustomed to. I noticed something fundamental about Africa, that I have come to look forward to in all of my travels around the world. The less people appear to have by western standards, the happier they appear to be.
However, I remember the pollution vividly. There is no sanitation department in Arusha. The heaps of trash and filth emitting an odor that physically affected me was practically unbearable. Clean water and simple hygiene are a rarity to most who populate this city and region. What is incomprehensible is how this one common denominator, Kilimanjaro, has become the life source for this area. What little resources the people have here are all provided by this mountain in some form. Over the next 8 days I would hike the 43 miles of the Marangu Route up and down Kilimanjaro and find out a barrage of interesting and shocking facts about the mountain and the effects that pollution and environmental neglect have had on it.
Kilimanjaro covers nearly every terrestrial micro environment or ecosystem found on earth. Cultivated land, rainforest, heath, moorland, alpine desert and an arctic summit make up this extreme landscape. Despite direct human contact, the people that work on Kilimanjaro as guides, cooks, porters and builders, take a keen care of the cleanliness of the mountain. While Kilimanjaro is heavily populated and [sees roughy 25,000 to 35,000 visitors a year](https://www.climbkilimanjaroguide.com/kilimanjaro-facts/), the mountain appeared to be in relatively clean condition. My guide Mudi, who had climbed and summited 69 times in his lifetime, had seen massive change over the years and showed me along the way, what had occurred. Pollution from cities at the base of Kilimanjaro, littering the circumference of the mountain, have caused much of the destruction on the mountain.
My summit day had the most notable evidence. We had left the final camp for our summit attempt at 2AM. Climbing through the night in -20 degrees F, but a clear, perfect night nonetheless. By the time we had reached snow, it was sunrise. The scene was incredible, but missing something that the books and the movies had promised me; massive glaciers. The infamous snows of Kilimanjaro. It was shocking to see how massive it was when I finally found it, but even more shocking to find out how much it has shrank over the years from my guide. The mountain’s snow caps are still diminishing, [having lost more than 80 percent of their mass since 1912. In fact, they may be completely ice free by the year 2030, according to scientists](https://www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/good-nature-travel/posts/ten-interesting-facts-about-mt-kilimanjaro%20). The environment at this elevation can no longer maintain a sub-arctic condition due to unsustainable levels of greenhouse gases emitting from Arusha and the cities circling the mountain below. All the pollution, gas emissions, sewage and waste have caused an environmental shift to occur at a rate that is irreversible. I realized that this was a prime example of global warming. This was the hardest blow. I realized in that moment, that my future child, and the next generation looking to tackle this mountain, will not experience it the way that I did.
Human impact on the world is nearly irreversible. In an extremely short period of time, we have managed to destroy our home, particularly, the places that most of us will never see, because our lives revolve around the urban environment. What else needs to disappear, go extinct, mutate or dry up before we do something about our impact on our own homes?
__Sources:__
1. [https://www.climbkilimanjaroguide.com/kilimanjaro-facts/](https://www.climbkilimanjaroguide.com/kilimanjaro-facts/)
2. [https://www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/good-nature-travel/posts/ten-interesting-facts-about-mt-kilimanjaro](https://www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/good-nature-travel/posts/ten-interesting-facts-about-mt-kilimanjaro)
Tour Company:
[10 Adventures Tours](https://www.10adventures.com/climb-kilimanjaro/ "10 Adventures Tours")
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/what-snows-of-kilimanjaro
# HEROES Spotlight: Alexandra Kahn
Published: 2017-10-30
*Alexandra Kahn is a photographer, videographer, story teller, rock climber, and all-around creative based out of Broomfield, Colorado. She has a passion for the outdoors and travel that is evident in her work and lifestyle. We first caught up with Alex before she embarked on a climbing trip to Hawaii. We got to ask her a few questions about her journey and how that translates into a passion for the environment.*
__How did you get started climbing? What is your origin story?__
My mom is actually a climber, she started dragging me to the gym when I was 4 and outdoor trad and sport crags when I was 7. So as long as I can remember it has been a part of my life but I wouldn’t say I truly fell in love with the sport, to the point where I now go outside to climb alone if I can’t find someone to join me, until I was 25/26. I’m 29 now. But I’ve always appreciated it and thought of it as a part of who I am.
__Looking at your Instagram it looks like you are passionate about many causes from animal welfare, to humanitarian issues, to environmentalism. With so much to do in all these areas do you have a particular focus?__
While I would love to get more into animal welfare and plan to, my first love has always been the environment. I work with the [Access Fund](https://www.accessfund.org/), [American Alpine Club](https://americanalpineclub.org/) and a few eco friendly brands like [Onsight Equipment](http://www.onsightequipment.com/), and can only hope to leave some sort of legacy in terms of environmentalism.
__If you were able to speak to all the young people out there looking to identify with an activity or passion, what would be your advice?__
My true love of nature blossomed with the ability to travel and photograph my surroundings. My advice would be to go to a new place alone, or with a patient person, go for a walk and get off the beaten trail and take your camera. Walk slowly and look everywhere, attempting to see the subtleties and intricacies of the world around you. I do this all the time and it rejuvenates my soul and makes me so grateful to live in such a diverse world.
__Tell us a bit about your current work with the environment and any organization that you are working with for a better tomorrow?__
I am a full time photographer and videographer who works in the outdoor world. I do commercial, fashion, weddings and portraits and for the most part everything is outside. I work hard to get the people to appreciate the nature around them by capturing the beauty. I am an ambassador for [Onsight Equipment](http://www.onsightequipment.com/) and [LifeStraw](https://lifestraw.eartheasy.com/), two companies trying to make a huge impact in the outdoor industry. And like I said before I work with [The Access Fund](https://www.accessfund.org/) and [American Alpine Club](https://americanalpineclub.org/). My goal for this year is to work with more outdoor centric non profits and sustainable outdoor brands and I recently made a commercial for Women’s Wilderness Project. I feel like I can make the most impact by teaming up with the companies that need more creative marketing and media content and helping to spread awareness of those brands and organizations.
__What are your future ambitions for both yourself and the brand you are building?__
Hmm well I want to finish a young adult book I have been writing for awhile. I want to have multiple creatives working under me but with a diversity of skills so we can provide more to the clients we work with. And I want all the companies I work with to provide something meaningful for society and inspire change towards a more sustainable future. I would like to create content for an adult audience but then have in-house animators to create simplified and animated versions for kids since educating them about the environment and inspiring their love for the land is the only hope we have.
__What is your biggest victory to date?__
Hmm professionally, I just found out my last documentary film is on [Qantas Airlines](https://www.qantas.com/us/en.html) which is super cool and I landed a multi page article with my words and photos in the French Climbing magazine [Grimper](http://www.grimper.com/) which will come out this winter. Personally, I would say coming back from a horrific back injury where I was told I could never boulder again.
__What's one things you wish every person would either do or be mindful of every single day when they wake up, focused on the environment and self improvement?__
Be mindful of the natural world around you each morning. Look at the sky, the birds, listen to the plants rustle in the wind. Watch the sunset or the moon rise as often as you can and be grateful to be in the present moment. Take a deep breathe and relax, however, remember that every person on earth including you has a meaning and an impact and what you think and do and say matters to the earth and it’s people, so be mindful of your choices.
__Where can people find you, follow you, and get involved in what you do?__
My personal Instagram with my adventure and climbing photos of myself, my friends and my personal stories is [alex_simone88](https://www.instagram.com/alex_simone88/) and then I have a commercial account as well [@asinspiredmedia](https://www.instagram.com/asinspiredmedia/).
*Stay tuned! Alex is currently working on a collaborative design with us to support The Trust for Public Lands. We're super excited to work with Alex on this and if you're as excited as we are sign up for our newsletter below to get a sneak peak before the launch!*
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-alexandra-kahn
# HEROES Spotlight: Danielle "Dee" Esposito
Published: 2017-10-15
*If you don't recognize Dee Esposito, perhaps you need to take another look at our homepage. Dee has been a close friend to the Cause of a Kind family since the beginning and we finally get the chance to talk more about her.*
*Dee is not just a Cause of a Kind model, she's also a competitive Spartan racer! We got a chance to catch up with her last week so we could tell everyone her story.*
__How did you get into adventure racing?__
My old gym was bootcamp-style, meaning it had walls, ropes, fake barbed wire, monkey bars, etc. They used to do a ton of Spartan Races, so just being there and having my trainer and buddies around me all the time sort of convinced me to try it. I had always had an interest in them but never felt comfortable enough to actually do one. Those guys made me try... and changed my life entirely.
__What would you say to other women that want to do their first adventure race but are intimidated?__
Evvvvvveryone is intimidated. I'm still intimidated before every single race, no matter how short or long of a distance. But I'm also a firm believer that those nerves and that intimidation comes before all of the best things in life. The best I can promise is you'll come out the other side with a new sense of what life actually is. Where today we're so accustomed to thinking life means texts and Google searches and losing ourselves in this crazy digital world, these races take all of those things away for a moment. For those hours that you're on a course, you'll remember what it's like to be a human - when you're in tune with your breathing and your steps, when your mind and your body gets to work together... and you get to just be. Also, the Open Heats guarantee friendships - you'll see all different types of people from all walks of life on that course. I've seen 90 year old women, blind men, children and the handicap conquering a course alongside each other. The only thing to be intimidated by is your own mind... because once you cross that start line, you CAN do this - and we won't let you fail.
__What was the most challenging race you've competed in so far and why?__
Easy. The 2014 Spartan World Championships in Killington, Vermont. It was my first season doing any sort of OCR (obstacle course racing) and my first time running a Spartan Beast. Killington is known as being one of the most challenging courses (it's the birthplace of the Spartan Beast, after all), because they love to utilize their steep ski slopes. I remember it was freezing that year, and at the summit we were walking in a cloud. I had busted out my knee on Mile 5 of this 12+ mile course and had to do every decent in a crab walk. I had strangers who carried me over walls, some that had warned me to quit to avoid further injury, and others that told me not to. It was the first race where my mind really had to come in to play to keep me moving, and I LOVED that. I think that's partly why I've been so interested this season in endurance events - I really like the mental aspect of pushing myself to break through those mind games. There's something very satisfying about that.
__What's your favorite obstacle?__
Rope climb! I also really like rig work now that I'm developing a stronger grip.
__What weaknesses are you currently working to overcome?__
Two things: grip strength and steep climbs
__How are you training to overcome them?__
Honestly CrossFit has helped me make leaps and bounds with my grip. Probably all that barbell work and those pullups. Other than that though I do dead hangs a lot, play around on the gym rig and I've gotten some grippy tools like the GripSling. For steep climbs it's a little harder because we don't have the terrain in Queens that other parts of the country get, but I throw on my ruck and find stairs and a few spots that I know of that have some hills to work on.
If you had to train for an adventure race in four weeks what would your regiment look like?
I'd keep WODing daily and doing ruck workouts after. One thing I will say is since I've begun training nightly with my ruck, heavy carries in a race have felt so much better. Also, use some weekends to focus on timed training rather than mileage training. What I mean here is a road mile and a mountain mile are two completely different things, and you might be out on a race and find you've only covered 3 miles in an hour. Get used to working for long periods of time. Carve out 4 hours to just explore - run, burpee, speed walk, pick up a heavy rock and carry it around for a bit. Just use that time to get your body acclimated to long non-stop movement.
__Would you consider yourself to be environmentally conscious, and why?__
I'm environmentally conscious but I do think I could get better at it actually executing that consciousness.
__Is there a particular natural place that resonates with you particularly?__
Two things: bodies of water and trails.
__If there were an individual cause that you care about, related to the environment, what would it be?__
Water pollution and wrecking beautiful forests.
__Do you think there is an intersection between being an elite spartan athlete and caring about the environment?__
Well, of course. Spartan Racers, or really any racer that races out in the world, cares about the environment because that's where we play. Obviously you don't have to race trails or swim lakes to care about them, but we're connected to them differently. They're an intricate part of our world not only physically, or in those typical aspects, but we use these places to train, we suffer here and grow here, and there's something very special that comes from living part of your life with this sort of primal connection to the earth. I think it helps us to really appreciate it.
__When you say that you are environmentally conscious but wish to do more, what do you feel you could improve on?__
Volunteer more, donate more, live consciously, etc. no wrong answer.
Live more consciously. I mean, I already don't litter, and while racing I'm one of those that picks up any wrapper some inconsiderate person threw on to the trail, but I mean most people can always do MORE, right? It's just a matter of having the outlet and resources... and education... to do that.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-danielle-dee-esposito
# Take Back Tomorrow | Lessons
Published: 2017-10-01
Based on our collective reality, Lessons follows a young woman from childhood to motherhood and her relationship with nature, what it has taught her, how it has supported her through tough times and how she has grown to embody its purity and power. Until the realization that due to a lack of care, pollution and degradation, her wild places will not be passed down in the same way to her child. We must Take Back Tomorrow, today.
This was the first brand film that we did as Cause of a Kind. Special thanks to our entire crew for helping make this amazing shoot happen!
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/take-back-tomorrow-lessons
{children}
)
// Slider container invokation
{children}
);
};
```
__So, how do we use composition to achieve what we have with context?__ Before we proceed to the answer to this question, observe that each slider item is tightly coupled to the slider container through the context. The slider items can’t function independently without breaking. The property they need to function as designed come primarily from the slider container directly and not through an interface/contract/props.
We can improve on what we have and make the slider more loosely coupled and independent by leveraging some of React’s utility apis.
Our primary objective is to decouple the slider item from the slider container. We want our slider item component to be able to function independently of the slider container.
The first thing to do is to unsubscribe the slider item from the slider container context. Any information we need will be provided by the slider item props.
```ts
export const SliderItem: FC
{children}
);
};
```
The next issue is how to pass props to a slider item without invoking the component directly. Remember, our slider container is slider item agnostic. It does not care for the implementation details of the slider item, it only needs a set of apis it can pass to the slider item component.
The React utility api that will help us achieve this is the `cloneElement`.
```ts
cloneElement(child, {
currentItemIndex,
});
```
But notice that `cloneElement` only works with one React element at a time, but we have an array of slider items. Thankfully, React provides us with the `Children` utility api. This api has the map method that is similar to the JavaScript array map. And just as the JavaScript array map, we can transform each React element in the list of children.
```ts
{
Children.map(children, (child) => {
return cloneElement(child as ReactElement, {
setItemNumber,
itemNumber,
currentItemIndex,
});
});
}
```
In just a few lines of code, we have composed our slider and the constituent parts are loosely coupled, and thus more reusable.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/blog/how-to-implement-a-reusable-react-slider
# How to accommodate high variant product catalogs on a headless Shopify backend?
By: Travis Claus
Published: 2021-11-10
Recently, I had the pleasure of helping to develop an eCommerce site. One of my favorite parts was engineering the product display page. I want to walk through some of the logic that was housed in the hook that accompanies the front end component for the PDP
# How to accommodate high variant product catalogs on a headless Shopify backend?
## A Versatile Product Display Page
Recently, I had the pleasure of helping to develop an eCommerce site. One of my favorite parts was engineering the product display page. I want to walk through some of the logic that was housed in the hook that accompanies the front end component for the PDP (which is how I will refer to the product display page going forward).
To lay the groundwork, I introduce the following shape of the collection prop:
```
Shopify Data Structure
Collection (type of clothing: t-shirt, long-sleeve, etc)
- Product (color of clothing: red t-shirt, blue t-shirt, etc)
- Product Variant (size of clothing)
```
The PDP accepts two props: a collection and a design. The design is an image that the [Contentful](https://contentful.com "Contentful") CDN delivers and is imposed over the clothing as an automated process in the front end. The collection comes from [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/ "Shopify") and is a group of colored options for a *clothing type*. Additionally, and even more complext, is each color variant has several product sizes. Both the design and collection come in from their respective API's as JSON.
```
const ProductDisplay: FC
Movie App
{isLoading &&
Search Loading...
}`
{movies.length ? (
movies.map(movie => {
const title = get(movie, 'Title', `No Title`);
const movieId = get(movie, 'imdbID')
let poster = get(movie, 'Poster');
if (!poster || poster === 'N/A') {
poster = `https://dummyimage.com/300x448/2c96c7/ffffff.png&text=No+Image`;
}
const type = get(movie, 'Type', `undefined`);
const year = get(movie, 'Year', `undefined`);
return (
)
})
) : lastSearchTerm.length > 2 ? : null}
{!!movies.length && canLoadMore && (
)}
{title}
Type: {type}.
Year: {year}
No Movies Found
Pursuing the Monarchs // full-length documentary from Anna Chahuneau on Vimeo.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-anna-chah # HEROES Spotlight: Barry Schwartz Published: 2021-05-03 __Tell us about yourself, Barry. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell us a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__ So I was born and raised in the Hudson Valley region of New York and 40 years later, I am still here. Both my residence, my family and my business are within a short distance from where I grew up. My hobby is really covering and writing about search engines, search engine optimization, Google and how things are changing in the space. I started my blog, the [Search Engine Roundtable](https://www.seroundtable.com/ "Search Engine Roundtable"), in 2003 and have kept posting consistently, every day, several times a day, since then. I’ve probably written over 40,000 articles on the topic in the past 17 plus years. It is not a normal hobby, like rock climbing or swimming but it is what I love to do. I enjoy tracking the changes and keeping a log of those changes. What I love most is hearing randomly how it helped others with their careers or their client successes.  __A true New York native, hailing from Baruch College, and clearly blessed with the gift of gab, how did you blend your natural affinity for story telling with your professional path?__ The funny thing is I am not a great storyteller. In fact, I kind of dislike listening to storytellers. I am more of a direct and straight-shooter when it comes to information. Specifically, I prefer to read and listen to people who will give me the facts and evidence once, without telling a story around it. I rather hear more facts and less of a story if that means I am given more knowledge in a shorter amount of time. So when I write or speak, I often leave a lot of the storytelling aspects out and just give the information. It can come off as monotone and bland but everyone has their tastes and I prefer plain vanilla over strawberry with whip cream and sprinkles. People know they can come to me and get the quick and direct answer without any of the fluff. Not that fluff is bad, it is just not my style.  __You have a very interesting intersection of skills. Your software development and marketing agency [RustyBrick](https://www.rustybrick.com/ "RustyBrick"), is well known and well traveled. But possibly even more notable is your contributions as Executive Editor and daily contributor to the well respected [Search Engine Land](https://searchengineland.com/author/barry-schwartz "Search Engine Land"), founder of the [Search Engine Roundtable](https://www.seroundtable.com/author/barry-schwartz/2.html "Search Engine Roundtable") and annual host for [Search Marketing Expo](https://marketinglandevents.com/smx/ "Search Marketing Expo"), better known in the industry as SMX® on the international circuit.__ __Fueled by passion, and a seemingly endless supply of knowledge and information, what's your secret sauce? How do you stay so relevant, so timely, so neutral and yet, own and operate a business, with a healthy staff?__ Consistency is my secret sauce. I am a strong believer of having a set routine every day and trying your best to stick with it. It is easier to get things done, in a more efficient way, if you have a set schedule to stick with. If you are consistent, those who you interact with; i.e. my RustyBrick customers or my Search Engine Land and Search Engine Roundtable readers, know what to consistently expect from my output. It helps build a trusting and loyal relationship with your employees, customers and readers.  __You have a deep perspective and a very long career at RustyBrick, creating solutions that solve business problems and position technology as an opportunity to “decrease costs and increase sales”. Can you tell us about a few projects over the years that you feel, truly meet the mission? Tell us about some that truly impacted the community, the climate, humanity and so forth?__ One of my other passions, which you might get from my writing output, is looking for solutions to become more efficient. The one thing we don’t get more of is time. So if we can make more use of the time we are given, and get more output in less time, then that is a huge win both for business life and personal life. That is how my mind works and that is the culture ingrained in every person who works at RustyBrick. We are all about finding ways to make companies and organizations more efficient through software solutions. It can be a web based application or a mobile application or both. It can be a clever way to use a third-party API to help our customers communicate better with their customers, reducing in-bound calls. It can be a way to drive more leads to those businesses. Or ways to leverage the workflow systems we custom build for our clients to funnel some of that data dynamically into their marketing channels. I have so many stories I can share with you on this front but I am honestly afraid of singling out one client over another. So let me share more of a personal set of applications. Like I said, ingrained in us is looking for ways to be more efficient with our time. I am an observant Jew, and the requirements in the Jewish religion are embedded throughout our daily lives. My company has built numerous apps to help Jews live a more productive Jewish life. One example is our [Smart Siddur](https://www.rustybrick.com/iphone-siddur.php "smart siddur") that dynamically customized the prayer book text based on what day and time it is; is it the new month and you need to say a specific prayer, or perhaps it is a Monday or Thursday where you need to read a set of passages from the Torah and so on. The app also tells you when you have to pray during the day, where the nearby synagogues are, who is in need of prayer if they are sick and so on. We have countless apps like this aimed at various areas of Jewish life. We don’t really make much money from these apps but it is good to help the Jewish community in our small way. __In the world of SEO, meets software, meets human experience, if you could boil the ocean of advice, what would you offer to young, fresh eyed and ambitious marketers, SEO's, developers, or thought leaders?__ That is a tough question, especially in the SEO world. There is so much good information out there but at the same time, for every one really good piece of advice you will get, there may be two or three pieces of advice that is outright wrong or misinformed. My best advice is to question everything you read, even what I write, and question it by testing to see if that advice works. There are some great software tools out there that help you test. Always stay on top of what is changing in SEO and you can do that by following me on Twitter [@rustybrick](https://twitter.com/rustybrick?s=20 "@rustybrick") (it is a lot of stuff) or you can subscribe to my YouTube channel which summarizes the more important topics of the week at [youtube.com/rustybrick](https://www.youtube.com/user/rustybrick "youtube.com/rustybrick"). Then if you find something you like, test it, and then test it again. Even if it works on one client, it might not work for another client. So test, test and test. __Fun Question: The movie [Spaceballs](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094012/ "Spaceballs") came out in 1987. At this time, you’re just a young man trying to figure out his place in the world. “The Schwartz” is definitely with you, Barry, but like all Jedi, there must be a balance between success and failure. Tell us a bit about staying the course and relentlessly pursuing goals, and maybe some speed bumps, road block and New York potholes along the way.__ Yep, I was about seven years old and people were telling me, may the Schwartz be with you. In terms of staying the course, I think it goes back to what I wrote above around being consistent. It is rare to have successes overnight. It takes a lot of hard work, over many many years and even then, you might end up failing. Heck, look at all the [Google failures over the years](https://killedbygoogle.com/ "Google failures over the years"). Just keep trying new things, and you will know if something will work or not and if you should keep putting effort into it. I’ve launched many new products over the years, some took off and performed very well. Some did not but those experiences helped me with future projects. The most important thing is not to let the failures bring you down, in fact, they should bring you up. It is about the mindset.  __Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to learn about?__ People can learn more about me at [rustybrick.com/barry](https://rustybrick.com/barry "rustybrick.com/barry"), follow me on Twitter [@rustybrick](https://twitter.com/rustybrick?s=20 "@rustybrick") and of course, on the [Search Engine Roundtable](https://www.seroundtable.com/ "Search Engine Roundtable") or [Search Engine Land](https://searchengineland.com/ "Search Engine Land"). If you want to interact with me, the best way is over Twitter and share what you found or learned regarding search marketing with me. Maybe I can amplify that. I love highlighting new discoveries from people within the industry. > So if there is one thing I want to do, it is to help amplify the community and the people within it. The SEO/SEM industry is great and filled with awesome people. > Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-barry-schwartz # HEROES Spotlight: Stacy Kutyepov Published: 2021-04-26 __Tell us about yourself, Stacy. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__ I have lived in 5 different countries, I know how to cook Italian pasta and speak a little bit of Swedish! I love spending time and my living on experiences, not things! I like writing about everything tech! One of my hobbies is taking beautiful photographs while traveling to new places. I had a dream of visiting Hawaii, and it’s coming true this month!  __Once upon a time, you were going down a path to become a pharmacist. What drew you to that path, and how did you pivot to become a software engineer?__ At school I liked science and chemistry in particular. I wanted to develop drugs and help people feel better. When I got to University I enjoyed studying and working in a lab. However, after my graduation, I realized it wouldn’t work out for me. The main reason was that I planned on moving abroad, thus making my degree not applicable in other countries. I was traveling, changing countries, and had to be flexible. When I was studying, I couldn’t imagine my life being that intense. After all that, my pharmaceutical knowledge has served me well.  __Lots of people come to software from outside of a traditional CS background. What other types of jobs did you work before becoming a software engineer? How do these skills now help you as a software engineer?__ I had plenty of jobs, from running a restaurant to working abroad serving cocktails on a beach! I’m proud to have all kinds of experiences that make me who I am today! What I have learned from all of these experiences and jobs is that you should stay open to new things and let changes come in.  __You are now helping new software engineers get into the field. What are the top tips that you would give to a new software engineer coming into the field right now based on your experience?__ "Consistency is the key to success" - That is my mantra! I know it is hard to get your first development job, but it’s possible and doable! Everyone had to do it, so just don’t give up! Also, work on your skills and portfolio, build confidence and try contributing to real projects! I saw that many newbies don’t know where to start, so I have created an open-source project where everyone can contribute! The name is [Inter-Camp](https://github.com/Inter-Camp/InterCamp "Inter-Camp") and you can start contributing on [GitHub](https://github.com/ "GitHub"). Once you get the job, never be shy about asking for help from a senior engineer. Learn how to do it the right way and remember, there are guides on the internet!  __We also know that you are a dedicated activist to the WomenTech Network as well as a highly-skilled multilingual software engineer. Tell us a bit about your balance and the association between your philanthropic work and your craft.__ Somehow, many women don’t feel that they have the power to change things. Instead, I want to show them a different perspective. I was a girl myself once and I grew up in Ukraine, a country where women do not have a lot of opportunities. I had little support for studying Computer Science or Mathematics as my parents thought it was too hard for a girl. These gender roles exist in many places, even if we don’t necessarily notice them. I am thrilled to make an impact on breaking these stereotypes and help women to reveal their power through the community.  __Tell us a bit about your skills and some amazing projects that you are proud of. Also, what are some of your software goals and aspirations with your talent?__ I am a Software Engineer, proficient in JavaScript and Python. I also know C, C++, but I don’t use these daily. I work on both, frontend and backend. Lately, I have been building an online school for learning English, it is a big project which is still in the development stage. My goal is to grow as a Software Engineer, learn how to build scalable architectures, contribute and make a difference at global scale! There’re a lot of things to learn for an aspiring learner like me! I also want to continue writing about things I learned.  __Fun question. What is your absolute favorite framework, stack, library? If you were building something from scratch today what would you want to be in your toolbox?__ Fun answer! JavaScript would be the language of my choice! I’d use Node.JS & Next.JS for my project. However, if you ask me again in a month, everything could change! I don’t fall in love with a framework, because it’s just a tool for accomplishing a task. The tool depends on a task and not vice versa. __Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions, and adventures you're proud of and would like others to know about?__ I have a tech blog on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/codemyjourney/?hl=en "Instagram") & [Medium](https://medium.com/@codemyjourney "Medium"). You can find me by looking for @codemyjourney. [Netlify](https://codemyjourney.netlify.app/ "Netlify") [GitHub](https://github.com/codemyjourney "GitHub") The project I’m currently working on is an Open Source Project I’ve created. It’s focused on learning advanced programming concepts.The initial idea was to create a small project for my portfolio, but it turned out to be something bigger. I’ve developed a solid codebase and made it Open Source, so now everyone can contribute and make a difference.The goal, for now, is to develop new features and keep things simple. I build the UI using React.JS and I use Firebase on a backend. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-stacy-kutyepov # HEROES Spotlight: Madeline Zhang Published: 2021-04-23 __Tell us about yourself, Madeline. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__ Hi! I’m a software engineer at Google. I’m passionate about STEM outreach, and I am very interested in web dev and programming video games. Born and raised in California, I went to college on the east coast, so I have a soft spot for New England springtime. In my free time, I love running, singing, playing board games, solving puzzle hunts and escape rooms, and watching way too many Reddit cute cat videos. What makes me, me, is that when I get interested in something, I get extremely into it and give it my absolute all. This ranges from a quarantine crocheting phase where I crocheted for 20 hours straight until I finished an amigurumi bunny, to learning how to sing several Bulgarian songs and arranging piano accompaniments for them because I wanted to improve my Bulgarian language skills, to running everyday for the past 2.5 years. My current obsession / interest is playing social deception board games - I’ve been playing a particular one (Blood on the Clock Tower) 4 days a week, at least 3 hours a day, for the past few weeks.  __While just getting started with a wildly impressive role as a Software Engineer at Google in the Health Business Unit, you have had absolutely no shortage of incredible work experience. In some way, you always seem to map your love of engineering with some cause for the greater good. Can you tell us a bit about this mission critical ethos, using coding for a greater cause?__ Yep! I’m passionate about using software and tech for altruistic causes. When I started university, I actually wanted to study biology and become a doctor. I ended up pivoting towards computer science, but my passion for biology and trying my best to help others stayed strong. I think coding is so powerful because of its versatility - software engineers with the same skill set can make an impact in lots of different fields, from medicine to academia to environmental sciences. At MIT, I worked as an undergraduate researcher at D-Lab, developing Bayesian modeling algorithms and creating a Django server to diagnose pulmonary disease in rural South East Asian populations. Also, for a MIT program called Patrones Hermosos (Beautiful Patterns), I travelled to Aguascalientes, Mexico, where the other instructors / TAs and I taught high school girls some basics of computer science, including search and sort algorithms, binary trees, web development and more. This experience meant an incredible deal to me, not only because of the passionate group of MIT instructors that I got to work with, but also because of the amazing Aguascalientes girls who were so eager to learn and also ended up teaching me so much. Finally, I was a mentor for MIT CodeIt, an educational outreach program that introduces middle school girls and nonbinary students to computer science, and taught weekly Scratch and Python lessons. Patrones Hermosos instructors - 2019 __You once worked on a project at your alma mater MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) called “Code for Good Consulting” This initiative has allowed you to work on mission driven projects that have allowed technology to intersect with people, places and limitations, all over the world. How do you remain laser focused on this as your career evolves?__ Being a part of Code For Good Consulting was such an amazing, rewarding experience. MIT Code For Good Consulting is a club that pairs local non-profits with student teams who build technological solutions for their assigned nonprofit. I first heard about Code For Good purely by chance, but after going to an informational session, I felt it was a perfect fit for my goals and mission, and decided to apply. My team and I worked with Green Streets, an organization that promotes sustainable transportation by working with corporate partners to host fun commuter challenges to encourage walking, biking, and ride sharing. Later, I joined the executive team of Code For Good as part of the Dev Exec Committee. Even after graduation, I still hold onto the values that drew me to and the skills that learned from Code For Good. I help out with Google’s university outreach efforts quite often (e.g. tech panels, resume reviews, career fairs, mock interviews). Also, during the pandemic, I’ve been a virtual speaker for various nonprofits and technology / STEM outreach focused organizations, including Feira de Ciências Itinerante (a nonprofit which provides science and technology resources to public school students in Brazil), Codeista (a youth-led organization which uses technology to encourage STEM participation in the fashion industry), Girl Genius (an online magazine which promotes female leaders and participation in STEM), and InTechual (a youth-led organization which empowers students to pursue technology careers and programming). Feira de Ciências Itinerante virtual speech - 2020 __You have been known to help new software engineers get into the field. What are the top tips that you would give to a new software engineer coming into the field right now based on your experience?__ I’d say that it is very likely, especially for junior engineers starting in the field of software engineering, to experience imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is a phenomenon in which people (often high-achieving ones) doubt their own abilities and skills, assume that they achieved any successes due purely to luck, and are afraid they will eventually be “found out”. It is something that I personally struggled with throughout my entire life and still gripe with to this very day, and it is extremely common not just in the software realm but also in many other scenarios, as there are reports that ~70% of individuals have suffered from imposter syndrome at some point in their lives. In order to effectively start combating imposter syndrome, one has to acknowledge their thoughts and put them in perspective. It’s important to realize that in a scenario where >50% of the population believes they are inadequate, it is mathematically impossible that every one of them is actually low-achieving. Because people often don’t broadcast their mistakes and failures to others and only showcase their successes, I have seen many new software engineers panic because they are aware only of others’ achievements, making them very self-conscious on asking questions (which is totally normal and should be encouraged!) due to fear of appearing unintelligent. Another tip is that one should definitely try to find a mentor who has been a software engineer for a longer period of time. Having the perspective and advice of a more senior member of the software engineering field will be invaluable, especially one who works for the same company. __You have always been quite busy. As the valedictorian of your Albany High School and the president or vice president of what seems like an unmatchable list of clubs, varsity sports, commitments and extracurriculars, what experience do you feel has shaped you the most.__ I have certainly done my fair share of extracurriculars in the past, and all of them have impacted me significantly, each in their own way. However, if I had to pick, I’d say that being president of MIT Model United Nations (MITMUNC) has shaped me the most. When I started running MITMUNC during my sophomore year, I really had no idea what I was getting into. In the end, I learned a lot, both about myself and about how to effectively lead an organization. Throughout my presidency, I oversaw many moving parts, including sponsorship negotiations, merchandise design and shipping, topic planning and background guide writing, venue booking, website coding and updating, and retreat planning. As a result, I learned a lot about project management techniques, a skill I utilize to this very day. MITMUNC also taught me how to think on my feet - I had to put out quite a few fires, including a gas leak scare that required the evacuation of a building in the middle of our conference, disputes between rival schools, several attendee health issues, and delayed shipments. In addition, I also helped organize our international branch and went to Shanghai China, twice for MITMUNC China, a high school Model UN conference we held with ASDAN China, a educational charity which hosts skills-based student conferences and international educational programmes specialising in China. During those trips, it was fascinating to learn about the parallels between American Model UN and the international circuit. Madeline With MITMUNC X Guest Speakers - Bengt Holmström (pictured left), recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Economics, and Esther Duflo (pictured right), recipient of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics MIT Model United Nations Secretariat - 2020 __Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to know about?__ Please feel free to reach out to me on Instagram[ @madeline.m.zhang](http://instagram.com/madeline.m.zhang/ "@madeline.m.zhang") or LinkedIn [@Madeline Zhang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelinemzhang "@Madeline Zhang"). If you are in university, I’d highly recommend getting involved in any tech for nonprofits / mentoring extracurriculars if your college has any, or reaching out to local nonprofits directly to help with their causes. I’m proud of my part in building [Google’s COVID19 self assessment](https://landing.google.com/screener/covid19 "Google’s COVID19 self assessment") and the [Valentine’s Day themed escape room](https://www.escapeit.xyz/ "Valentine’s Day themed escape room") I helped build.   Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-madeline-zhang # HEROES Spotlight: Tara Kleinhans Published: 2021-04-19 __Tell us about yourself, Tara. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience?__ I had a humble upbringing in the Hudson Valley region of New York, where I lived on a small horse farm raising goats and riding our horses through the apple orchards. I was raised in a single-parent household most of my life, with my Dad and sister. When I graduated high-school I wanted to explore the country so I picked up and moved out to Colorado. Since then, I’ve built a passion for travel and photography and now reside back in the Hudson Valley.   __We also know that you are an incredible drone pilot, have a significant draw to the great outdoors, focus personally and professionally on eco sustainability and impactful change as well as an activist in multiple facets. Tell us a bit about your balance.__ Being drawn to the outdoors __IS__ my balance. John Burroughs wrote, “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” When you grow a deep appreciation for nature, you can’t help but want to have a positive impact. In all of my work, I want to feel that connection. It’s something my mom instilled in me at an early age. My drone is fun for me and I’m thrilled to be able to share my passion with others. It allows us to capture perspectives we don’t usually get to witness. I’ve always had a fascination with flying and it certainly gives me a special feeling when I’m zooming through the air! __Tell us a bit about your craft. How has existing technology and the exploration of new technology allowed you and your team at the [Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County](https://cals.cornell.edu/cornell-cooperative-extension "Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County") to explore and reach new heights?__ I’m a firm believer that technology can solve a lot of issues. Working for a non-profit, your resources are limited but technology doesn’t always have to be expensive either! Our (CCE’s) culture is changing. We are becoming more open to technology like adopting CRM databases to better understand and serve our stakeholders, we’re creating more digital content, and engaging much more in the social media environment to provide education and outreach.  __During the pandemic you did quite an interesting project with CCE around local farms. Tell us about the problem you identified and how you and your team helped solve it?__ When the pandemic hit, our food supply chains broke and unemployment rates rose. I used a simple Google mapping tool to locate local farms and pantries in Ulster County so that we could connect our community with food sources. Before I knew it, people were calling asking if they could add their farm business, update their hours and offerings, and if I could expand the map to the surrounding counties. Now, it has data points mapped across six counties in the Hudson Valley and is becoming a state-wide project. The map has over 30,000 views one year later. This type of technology, a simple map, has so much potential to aid our work in food systems. The data has the potential to promote local agribusinesses, provide better food access and resources to our communities, stimulate entrepreneurial projects, promote a more equitable food system, and provide a foundation for further research and development. We’ll be able to see where gaps in food access and where bottlenecks in processors exist. If we can collect information about where food is travelling, we can begin to understand how our food moves throughout the state -- the entire lifecycle from seed to waste. This is really important information to further our research and better understand our food systems.   __Sometimes it feels like technology is swallowing up the little folks out there like these local farmers. What do you think needs to happen to make it more appealing for people to build tools that are more focused on the local community and grassroots issues?__ This is a great question and something we took into consideration with the mapping project. Our farmers are so busy that learning and using digital platforms usually falls to the bottom of their list of priorities. What we’re seeing happening in the Hudson Valley is this more “regionalized” approach. It’s not just “this organization in this town” and “that one in the other town”, it’s a more unified and collaborative approach which is so exciting! If we can work together to create a single touch-point for users, it will make the whole process more simplified and really amplify the work being done. __We would venture to say that both personally and professionally, you are mission driven. How do you see the future of business and consumer trends adopting a greater environmental or social mission with software and technology?__ I think there’s this new recognition that sustainability is profitable, it doesn’t have to be either-or. I already see consumer culture shifting to more reusable and recyclable products, and those that have been made out of recycled products. This is really exciting to see! As far as big-data, we’ve really only just scratched the surface. As more and more businesses begin to incorporate data analysis into their operations, we will be able to see the big-picture from start to finish. We can continue to ask questions like how was this product sourced and what is it’s life-cycle? What do we know about our partners, suppliers, and distributors and how can we hold everyone accountable? Moving forward I think we’ll see a lot more businesses with sustainability as a core component of their mission.   __Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to know about?__ To get involved, find your [local Cooperative Extension](https://cals.cornell.edu/cornell-cooperative-extension/local-offices "local Cooperative Extension") (we’re in every county of every state!) and see what’s going on in your community. Consider serving on the Board of Directors or volunteer to mentor youth in the 4-H program. Of course, I highly recommend checking in to see what Cause of a Kind is working on. I’m super fortunate to be able to participate in some of their projects! My drone work can be found [@hvdronegirl](https://www.instagram.com/hvdronegirl/ "@hvdronegirl") on Instagram and [hvdronegirl.com](https://hvdronegirl.com "hvdronegirl.com") and check out [@CCE_Ulster](https://www.instagram.com/cce_ulster/ "@CCE_Ulster") on Instagram to see the fun stuff we’re doing. ### Drone Footage Captured By Tara Kleinhans of HV Drone Girl      Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-tara-kleinhans # HEROES Spotlight: Adriana Brownlee Published: 2021-04-16 __Tell us about yourself, Adriana. What makes you uniquely you? Can you tell me a bit about your background, your hobbies, your human experience? Climbing, Mountaineering, Alpinism and Philanthropy and Motivational speaking are relatively new endeavours for you in the grand timeline of your life. How did you come to find these passions and pursue them at an elite level, surrounded by history's greatest vertical athletes?__ So where do I begin! I guess what makes me, me is that I just love pushing myself to the absolute limit… There is nothing in this world that can truly expose your strengths and flaws like a huge challenge and so that’s why I climb. Since age 9 I have been involved in endurance and hard core fitness projects, starting with the Three Peaks Challenge in the UK where I was the youngest to complete it. From then on, with the help of my father, I found that I had a crazy ability to focus my mind on the challenge ahead and block out the pain that comes with some of the things I have done. My life at the moment is pretty much fully devoted to mountaineering. My goal is to transform my passion into a full time career and so to do that I must focus 100% of my attention on this. At the moment my three year goal would be to complete the 14 8000m peaks - with the potential of being the youngest person to do so. An exciting, yet challenging project which will push me to the limits whilst also being a financial nightmare too!! More recently I had the huge privilege of being on the K2 Winter expedition alongside [Nimsdai](https://www.nimsdai.com/ "Nimsdai Sherpa") and his epic team who I now consider family. This gave me my first proper taste of what life as an extreme athlete is really like, and well, i frigging loved it!! I was exposed to all angles from PR to Communications to Social Media and all matters in between that make up what it is to be a successful and influential climber. __With your travels taking you all over the world, what has your experience been with respect to the degradation of the environment and the effects of climate change? Where have you witnessed some of the largest impacts?__ So for me climate change is a relatively new topic that I am coming to explore in detail. Following Nimsdai’s interest, I decided to look into it myself and started by reading a few books such as Bill Gates “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster”. Just recently on my trek into Everest Base Camp we came across a flood warning sign in the town of Dingboche - the glaciers are melting and there is a risk that the small village can very quickly be flooded by glacier water - a real life, real big problem that nobody can fix. Another issue was the air quality in Nepal - I had the pleasure of learning to solo paraglide in Pokhara for 2 weeks in a beautiful hilly area of Nepal where once the mountain range in the distance was crystal clear, now you would be lucky to see them on a bright sunny day. These aren’t just small changes, these are noticeable and sad changes that we can’t reverse. So the only solution is to completely change the way our world functions - something that is certainly not going to be easy. I am now in a partnership with [Save the Duck](https://savetheduckusa.com/ "Save the Duck"), an amazing clothing brand which promotes anti-animal cruelty and sustainability by using other materials such as Plumtech instead of Down in their jackets etc. I’m super excited to learn more about sustainable living and also more specifically sustainable climbing! I’m very new to this area so it’s one step at a time but I’m loving every moment of this new experience and hope to become an influential advocate of sustainable climbing some day!  __In your travels, have you seen any highly effective, simple ways that people have implemented to reduce their impact on their environment? What are some simple ways that you yourself reduce your own footprint?__ I recently came across a man called [Tommy Gustafsson](https://adventureascent.com/team/tommy-gustafsson "Tommy Gustafsson") who has created the [Sagarmatha Next Center](https://www.sagarmathanext.com/ "Sagarmatha Next Center") in Namche Bazaar- a village on the way to Everest Base camp - which allows artists from all over to create artwork from recycled materials found on the trek to base camp. He also has created an initiative called __Carry Me Back__ which simply gets people to carry a 1KG bag of waste from the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park to Kathmandu airport where it can then be recycled by a separate company - if every trekker did this, over 70 tons of waste would be removed from the area each year!! So simple yet so effective! I really loved his idea and will be promoting it for sure :) __It seems as though your father was integral in developing your passions, introducing your education at altitude and fostered your young experiences as you pursue elite climbing. Tell us a bit about your relationship with your father, and what is some advice you have for other young women as they pursue support from their parents.__ My father is the reason I am where I am today. He pushed me beyond my limits when I thought I had reached them and was the ultimate idol for me. I remember being so proud of my father and boasting about him at school to my friends!! A big moment was when he climbed Aconcagua and I just remember thinking I want to do this one day, I want to achieve big things. And eventually we did get to climb Aconcagua together in 2018 which was just a magical moment :) My advice to young women would be to find what you’re good at, and more importantly what makes you happy, and be the best at it. Point your heart and soul at your passion and huge things will come your way. Your parents are ultimately the only people you can fully trust , so don’t be afraid to talk to them and ask them for support, Sometime they may not agree with your choices but at the end of the day it’s your life to live, SO GO LIVE IT! __Climbers have an inherent obligation to nature. To preserve it. To protect it. To teach about it. What are some ways that you use your talents to perpetuate the soul of a climber to others that you cross paths with?__ In modern times, the best way to promote, advocate or put across any beliefs is via social media. I am of two minds when it comes to social media. I absolutely love the platform it provides and the reach it can have - which is how I use it to promote my beliefs such as sustainable climbing and women empowerment! My aim is to be as real as possible and not create a false identity or picture of what my life or climbing is really like. Unfortunately social media has its downsides - such as mental health related issues. However at the end of the day it’s the best way to communicate with the world and make real impacts.  __What is next for you in your young career? You have had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented professionals in the world and in the near future, that will hopefully continue to expand. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?__ Next for me is to complete Everest/ Lhotse followed by K2 and Broad peak in summer 2021. I am also planning on climbing some unclimbed mountains in the Kanchenjunga range which will be more technical in terms of ice climbing, etc. My three year goal as mentioned above would be to complete all 14 8000ers and hopefully become an influential young climber where I can promote and advocate important issues and hopefully make a positive mark on the world :) I also hope to get more into paragliding and find a way to incorporate both climbing and flying into one! Now that would certainly make me an adventure athlete haha __Where can people find you or get in touch? How can people get involved in ultimately giving back to things you truly care about? What are some projects, productions and adventures you're really proud of and would like others to know about?__ The best way to get in touch with me is via email or through my Instagram. I absolutely love having people ask me questions and show interest in what I do!! My biggest project at the moment is working with the charity [Friends of Himalayan Children](https://www.f-hc.org/ "Friends of Himalayan Children"), which gives young children in difficult living situations access to accommodation, food and education. My main role within the charity would be to teach young girls to become trekking guides - an occupation which is heavily dominated by men , not only in Nepal but all over the world! I’m also super excited to be able to use my platform as a young female climber to promote both female empowerment and raise awareness on mental health issues in young adults through the [British Inspiration Trust](https://www.britishinspirationtrust.org.uk/ "British Inspiration Trust") which is an organisation that provides young adults suffering from mental health related issues with support and help. Website - [adrianabrownlee.com](https://adrianabrownlee.com "Adriana Brownlee Website") Instagram - [Adri.Brownlee](https://www.instagram.com/adri.brownlee/?hl=en "Adriana Brownlee Instagram Link") Facebook - [Adriana Brownlee](https://www.facebook.com/a7summits/ "Adriana Brownlee Facebook Link") [Survival of the Summits](https://www.survivalofthesummits.com/ "Survival of the Summits") Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-adriana-brownlee # HERO Spotlight: Julien Jarry Published: 2019-06-14 __Where were you born and raised? How has your life today been influenced by your roots?__ I was born in the Bronx, New York but grew up in Connecticut. We visited my mom’s parents, my grandparents a lot in San Diego county at least once a year and I like to believe I’ve always had roots out there. My mom is from California and after I graduated high school in Connecticut we moved out there. I ended up staying for three years then drove across the country to come back ‘home’ to Connecticut. She stayed. My wife and I are able to visit her at least once a year. My parents divorced when I was very young. I learned a lot about survival from my dad and a lot about living from my mom. As an only child my parent’s friends were my friends and I grew up being able to converse with them just like if they were a friend. I feel that this had a lot to do with developing my intuitive communication and leadership skills. __How did you first come to realize your passion for film, photography, cinematography? Tell us a bit about your inspiration and some struggles along the way.__ I didn’t pick up a camera until I was 22 years old. My mom had bought me a little point and shoot and I started taking pictures here and there. This was during the early days of Facebook and photo sharing. Earlier in life my dad was a photographer and after giving me a few bits of feedback on my images and imagery in general I really found a few frames I had captured interesting. Soon after and on a whim I bought myself a little micro four thirds camera as a graduation present to myself. I had done a bit of research and thought I found a great camera. Something about buying it, the lens choice, the gear, I was hooked. I started looking up photography everything online every waking minute until the camera arrived and the rest is history. The camera showed up, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing but kept learning and shooting.I started buying a few vintage lenses and adapters to use on the camera. I had finally found my calling. Over the last nine years everyday has been a learning experience giving me one more nugget of something good to make me better for tomorrow. That’s the short version.  __Life behind the camera often forces the professional to focus on the subject, removing emotion, opinion and even reaction. Describe a scenario where this was tested. How did you use your camera and professional experience to navigate a difficult project, yet still retain the passion for the final quality product?__ Over the years I have shot many a mission trip and adventure in places like Uganda, Haiti, India, Jamaica and Colombia and life isn’t easy. There’s is a lot of poverty and injustice in the world. There’s almost too much to take it all in at once. Being behind the camera naturally gives us something to hide behind. It gives us a purpose but it can also be a distraction to what is really going on. I remember there was a hospital in Uganda where I decided not to shoot patients because it would have been disrespectful. Whether a place is tough or not there will always be light and composition. A passionate photographer can and will always feed of the little beauty to be captured. __You seem to focus on several different initiatives, but appear to be passionate about people and their lifestyles as well as the environment such as the Cannondale or Flow campaigns, Dark Horse Bouldering Series, or even the Osito Coffee campaign. How do you feel about using your skills to capture the human element and changes in the environment?__ I am about to go on a week and a half long trip to Romania as part of a longer journey following a young adopted girl who is trying to find her birth parents. Though I do a ton of doc style stuff this will be my first real long form documentary and I am quite excited. As a creative I want things to be perfect and this project has forced me to let that go a bit. This isn’t a commercial campaign. It’s a raw documentary. I am still figuring out what type of filmmaking I like best and will have a better sense after this project is finished. I have a few friends really into fishing and sustainability and we have a large docu-series idea surrounding that. It’s a matter of finding the time and balancing it with paid work. All I want to do is shoot and create more because I love the craft. __What is your position on organizations rooted in social and environmental consciousness?__ Osito Coffee who I went to Colombia with to capture content for is a coffee exporting company rooted in exactly this. I also just did a video for a local organization focused on the fight against human trafficking. I also work part time for Trinity Church in Greenwich, Connecticut as their creative director. My position on these issues is supportive. My personal and internal passions in this area are geared towards restoring the environment and combating injustice.  __What are some of the most significant success that you have had over the years? In turn, what are some significant loses and what has the ultimate result been?__ I think my entire life and then freelance career journey has been a success so far and I am very humble and thankful to say so. I’d like to believe it’s just the beginning. I not only have had a very supportive family, church family and wife but now living in the same town I grew up in I know a lot of people and that helps with networking. I tell everyone this: 99% of all the work I have ever done has been from someone I know. Share your work on your social channels so people can see what you do and know what you do. You’ll soon get a call or email. My biggest contract and job to date has been this web series and now commercial content for Sennheiser. A friend from high school is their marketing manager and hired me. On the flip side of success I recently got sick with a sinus infection due to lack of rest and had to miss a big job last minute for someone I really wanted to work with. Thankfully they were understanding but I missed out for sure. I learned that my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual rest is very important and should be more of a priority.  __You are exposed to a ton of people, places, corporations and scenarios. What are some practical and simple ways that people can document their own lives with a focus on social and environmental consciousness?__ Start capturing stills or video or writing about what you’re passionate about today. Don’t wait. Don’t wait for something you think you need to wait for in order properly get something out there, just start. __Where can people find you, engage with your story and hopefully work with you?__ [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/julienajarry/?hl=en "Instagram") [Facebook](https://facebook.com/julienajarrymedia "Facebook") [JulienJarry.com](https://JulienJarry.com "JulienJarry.com") Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-julien-jarry # HERO Spotlight: Alex Puccio Published: 2019-06-14 __You have had a seriously significant rock climbing career. Tell us a bit about your origin story. How did Alex Puccio find rock climbing and why did it become your life's work?__ Well, it all started when I was 13 years old and my mother, Kim Puccio, introduced me to climbing. My younger sister was actually the naturally talented one and I was the scared one. The one great thing I had going for me was my competitive spirit and stubbornness. I was determined to get better and overcome my fears! Fast Forward to being 16 years old. I entered ABS Nationals for my very first time, not knowing how strong the field of woman were since I never really did any Pro Competitions before that, and ended up WINNING! I was stunned and shocked for months! That feeling of winning that comp for the first time will never be replaced! Since then I have been named Adult National Champion 10 Times.  __You have quite an impressive trophy room. What is it like to compete at the highest level of a sport? Where do you find the motivation to train and improve?__ I believe you are your biggest competition. You are the only one that can win or lose a comp or get to the top of your project or not. Climbing is a individual sport so naturally being a pro in the sport you have to deal with a lot of pressure! Losing a competition or not achieving your goals on a trip is not always a bad thing. It gives you an opportunity to reflect and learn and then improve from your loses. This is a good chance to get reenergized and motivated to improve! :)  __Maintaining a position as a top athlete in the world for so long and being in such a visible position comes with a lot of pressure and expectation. How do you balance your career, your family, and your passion?__ Pressure just comes with the career. In most people's jobs, whatever they do, there will be parts of it that are challenging and dealing with the pressure from different directions and balancing your time is something that will never be easy, but you just learn to get through it the best you can. For me I found climbing outside more in Summer of 2014 helped me A LOT! I was doing a lot of the World Cups before that point and doing alright in them, but always coming up a bit short from my goals. I would always mentally break down in finals and find myself not standing on top of the podium, my goal, not because I wasn’t strong or good enough, but because of my head and not being able to deal with the all the pressure I put on myself. So Summer of 2014 I ended my WC Season early and decided to enjoy bouldering in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) in Colorado. I had climbed outside here and there before that point, but never really, seriously, pushing my limits. I was always known as the “Comp Queen” before that point. This is when I climbed my first V13, Top Notch, and then went on to climbing my first V14, Jade, shortly after. I was no longer just a “Comp Queen”! Now I have a healthy balance between training, Comp climbing and climbing outside and it balances each other out! :)  __Do you have trouble balancing outdoor climbing goals with training for indoor comps? Which do you prefer and why? Are there other disciplines of climbing you want to explore?__ I usually don't have a training plan at all these days. Actually I mostly climb outside when I can and then just go to the competitions. It's been working for the past few years so why not! For the Adidas Rockstar Comp I just won a couple months back I only went to because I was already in Europe, Magic Wood Switzerland, on a climbing trip. I think I have less pressure on myself if I don't put all my eggs in one basket and just train for a competition season and then go and compete in it. When I climb outside I still feel really strong in my fingers, body and head. I might be lacking a bit in the jumping department since you don't get too much of that outside, but my head is WAY better and I’m much happier!!! :)  __What has your experience been like as a female that is better than nearly all the boys? It is extremely obvious that the gap between ability is shrinking and will likely flip in the near future. How does this motivate you?__ Honestly, I don’t actually pay attention to the fact that most of the time I’m the only or one of the few woman in a group climbing. I feel that we are all just people doing what we love to do and helping eachother out. The only time I get annoyed, and this doesn’t happen a lot anymore, is when there is a guy that I can tell gets competitive with me because I’m a girl that is climbing as well as or better than him. In that situation something lights up inside of me and I naturally just want to out perform him then, just to prove a point that he better get used to it and woman are just as strong and can be stronger! Maybe this isn't the best way to be, but it’s just a natural instinct. I see every person as just a person and that we are all different sizes and all have our own strengths and weaknesses, not that he's a guy so he is strong and she is a girls so she is probably more flexible. I’m a woman and let's be honest, i’m not that flexible at all, but I sure do have a lot of power and muscles! I’m only 5’2” as well! And yes, I believe the gap is closing in fast. We are just seeing more and more women in the sport these days and they are pushing their own limits naturally! This is a beautiful thing to see and be a part of!!!  __What advice would you give to a young climber today that is moving up in the competition circuit?__ Have fun with it and don’t expect the pressure to ever go away or get easier, but you will learn your own way of dealing with it. There isn’t a right or wrong way to improving, but we all simply have our own ways and try different things out till you find what works for you! Like I said before, we all have OUR OWN strengths and weaknesses so something that works for your friend or someone else might not work for you. Don’t be afraid to be different, embrace it!!! :) __You have been literally all over the world for your career and to climb. You must have seen first hand, the darkest of environmental crisis. Can you tell us a bit about some experiences you have had that made you feel upset or concerned for nature's well being?__ Wow, this answer could go on forever! I will just leave it at, we should all try our hardest to be kind to each other and treat others how you want them to treat you! And if you are passionate about your climbing areas then respect them! It was sad when I was in Magic Wood Switzerland climbing outside just a couple months ago and saw ALL the trash left behind at the boulders! Everyday I would pick up trash as I saw it even if it was just a little piece of tape. Don't just treat others the way you want to be treated, but the environment that you say you LOVE so much as well! If we all just start doing a little each day to help out our environment and communities then they will thrive and you in return can keep climbing, hiking and playing in the places you love. I am not saying everyone needs to be a huge activist, but we all have a part to play; so make your's a good one! __How do you express the environmentalist within you while you are simply living day to day? What are some simply things that you are mindful of which keep your own footprint on this earth small?__ Being honest, i’m not a minimalist, but these are the “guidelines” I try to apply to my life, whenever possible. 1.)Recycle what can be recycled. 2.)Eat the food I buy. 3.)Keep our lands clean and pick up trash when I come across it! 4.)Stay on trails when they are there! 5.)Walk places if you can or take public transportation… it’s also a good workout to walk more! ;) 6.)Don’t abuse the environment as much as possible!  __With the Olympic’s being included as a recognized event in the 2020 Olympics, what are your plans to represent the USA?__ I will try out for them in hopes of being selected, but not sure if that will happen or not. It’s going to be a tough selection! __What is your next great adventure or goal?__ I’m currently in Hueco Tanks climbing outside and I have a project here, well maybe more than one! I will be here till Jan 3rd and then it’s time for a few more big Competitions here in the states, like nationals in Feb! After that we will see. Right now I’m thinking I might want to do some World Cups for Bouldering and maybe Sport Climbing! Time will tell though. I kind of just have a rough draft plan that can change and I like that! :) ALL PHOTO CREDIT: [@julienajarry](https://www.instagram.com/julienajarry/?hl=en) and [@darkhorseboulderingseries](https://www.instagram.com/darkhorseboulderingseries/) [@alex_puccio89](https://www.instagram.com/alex_puccio89/?hl=en "Instagram") Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-alex-puccio # HERO Spotlight: Sophia Pavelle Published: 2019-03-27 __Begin by giving us a bit of your upbringing and your journey till today.__ Despite to my thick British accent, I was born stateside in Augusta, Georgia and spent my early years talking in a long, southern drawl! When I was four, we moved back to the UK and I grew up in beautiful Devon - leaving the deep south far behind. Our first house was right on the Exe Estuary - the beach was literally our garden and at high tide in a storm, the waves used to lap against the living room windows. I guess it was living in such proximity to such a significant natural environment teeming with Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and nationally important nature reserves, as well as being a stones throw from the Jurassic Coast and Dartmoor National Park; that my love of the outdoors and wildlife really came into its own. I have been blessed with strong interest in lots of different areas - which can be good and yet confusing when choosing a career path! I loved sport and music and chose quite a mixture of A-levels compared to other people on my undergraduate course; including English literature and Psychology. I chose to study Zoology at the University of Bristol, to feed my broad passion for biology and the natural world. Up until my final year I had plans to continue my studies into veterinary medicine; but after long and honest chats with veterinary professionals during my work experience placements, I realised that an extra five years of hard study didn’t really appeal to me! I also began to realise that I got a real kick out of talking to people and getting others excited about science and the natural world. It was then during a late night on the laptop that I came across the MSc Science Communication programme at the University of the West of England (UWE) - which safe to say has been monumental in helping me forge my next steps! I completed the MSc in November 2017, after a jam-packed year of exploring the rapidly expanding field of science communication and its importance in shaping societal perception of science and the future of the natural world.  __As a young person, how has nature shaped you?__ Honing my love of nature has been a relatively slow burner - the passion has always been there, but I never truly nurtured it until the last year or so during my masters when we were trained to become professional science communicators. Timing wise, it couldn’t have been better - 2017 was marked by a sudden and widespread recognition of the damage we inflict upon our marine habitats, food webs and vulnerable ecosystems. Fuelled by hard hitting reality, broadcast by the fantastic Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II, I think as a population we have never been made more aware of just how destructive our lifestyles can be. That being said, I am so encouraged at our response to issues like plastic pollution and the drive in some people to make those small changes to their consumer habits that can amount to meaningful, positive impact. WIth this in mind, I believe that there has not been a more important time to get people back outside and engaged in the natural world on our doorstep. Earlier in 2017, I embarked on a 300-mile solo trek around the entire coast of Cornwall - Sophie’s Wild Cornwall. Having grown up in ‘the Digital Age’ I was curious to see how we can adapt our obsessive relationship with social media and use its huge influence to show off British wildlife, inspire interest in nature, the outdoors and celebrate the UK’s incredible landscapes. Having to fulfil the criteria for an MSc Science Communication dissertation, I decided to do something a little different and plan this three-week expedition to test this rather ambitious aim. Armed with my iPhone and a backpack, I was on a mission to see whether our obsession with social media can connect us back to nature. The digital world has an incredible power to attract massive audiences and I was determined to test its potential in championing some of the best environments the UK offers and raise awareness of its unique wildlife. Walking solo for 22-days, making 22 video blogs documenting the wildlife and landscapes I encountered, was an incredible experience. Spending that time with the wildlife and elements as my sole company offered a chance to connect with nature and truly empathise with its beauty, its intelligence - and its fragility. I can’t stress enough the relationship that I’ve found between being outside, and allowing that to develop and nurture an empathy for the natural world. As cheesy as it sounds, once you open your eyes to wildlife and quirky habitats and feel the power of the weather, you begin to become addicted - you want to see as much as you can - feed the questions that pop into your mind - be openly curious and engage with other people you encounter on the trail. I often found myself asking total strangers, “did you see that buzzard just then?!” or “how cool was that kestrel?!” - even if I did get funny looks, my excitement about the UK’s immense biodiversity was bubbling - and it has been ever since!!  __As a zoologist, early in your career, what are some of the areas you focus on?__ I am really passionate about the relationship between adventure and scientific curiosity - I think the simple act of getting outside can solve a lot of communication problems and re-vamp traditional learning. Modern issues like plastic pollution have a powerful cause-and-effect positive feedback impact; you become much more appreciative of the problem once you actually see its effect on the environment - you want to take action - and that’s where the magic happens. I’ve always been interested in the human-wildlife interface and I think plastic pollution is a key and accessible example of that. Sophie’s Wild Cornwall made me realise the incredible potential social media presents for science communication. The touch of a few buttons enables an unrivalled sharing opportunity to a global audience, to spread good messages and form like-minded communities and present science as something cool and worth talking about. So many of us make social media part of our day and instead of lamenting the digital shift of society, we should embrace it and learn to harness the unique opportunities it presents to make adventure, science and wildlife trendy and ‘instagrammable’! It is our responsibility to ensure nature is protected for years to come - and only if we encourage people to develop a relationship with the natural world will that happen - and I believe social media can have a hugely important role in fostering this. As the wonderful Dame Jane Goodall so beautifully said, “Only if we understand, will we care.”  __How has the environment’s decline affected your research and your purpose?__ If anything it’s spurring me on. Instead of working in the industry being a pipe dream that ‘would be nice’ - it’s fast becoming something I feel I need to do. Like most of us, I work best if I have a purpose, a goal that I can work towards producing a meaningful outcome. I can’t think of a better purpose than one which puts the natural world first and aims to encourage others to do the same. I think it’s so important to think about how we present environmental issues and conservation - scare mongering and the classic ‘doom and gloom’ approach simply does not work. In this age where people’s interests are largely defined by their social media feeds, we need to engage people in seconds. In my opinion, it’s better to attract attention to science using vibrant, punchy and informal yet informative content that nails a topic, versus distressing images of the ivory trade or plastic-choked marine life. While it’s important to present the reality of a situation to ground it in context, as a scientist and millenial - positive content with achievable actions attached is more likely to spark my interest and help me feel that I can make a small difference.  __What are some startling statistics?__ 30% of all time spent online is used to engage with social media - with new research detailing an average global rise to at least two hours using social media everyday - that’s five years and four months in the average lifetime. By 2050, the amount of plastic in the world’s oceans will weigh more than the entire fish population. 84% of people surveyed said they are concerned by the level of plastic in the world’s oceans and 60% support a deposit return scheme in the UK. Now imagine if we used some of the time we spend online to channel these concerns and promote action? Imagine the potential audiences we could reach and the voice we could generate to stimulate change?  __What are some ways that you think people can reduce their carbon footprint and slow the rate of climate change?__ There are lots of simple changes we can all make. One of the easiest and my favourite is to switch up your mode of transport if you can - mine is to opt for my bike and public transport wherever possible! I’m a bit of an outdoor geek as you’ve probably guessed, so any chance I can get to stay out there - I’ll grab it! Also things like re-using your water bottles, buying reusable coffee cups and cotton shopping bags, using hard soaps for showering, using loose-leaf tea instead of non-recyclable teabgs etc - can significantly reduce your plastic footprint too!  __How do you envision the world in the next decade?__ That’s a tough question! It’s quite unsettling to be edging towards the significant ‘statistical years’ such as 2020, 2030 etc - where supposedly we will start running out of fossil fuels and have X-amount of population growth and X-amount of habitat loss… I would like to think that the next decade will see a big shift in public attitudes to science and the environment - I’d like to think that something will ‘click’ within us and we will start acting wisely and become more environmentally conscious. We all harbour an innate dependance on the natural world and I think we have been seeing that seed growing during 2017 - which I have found fascinating.  __Where can people find you, follow you and support your journey?__ Please find me on Instagram [@sophiepavs](https://www.instagram.com/sophiepavs/?hl=en) as well as my [personal page](https://www.dfmanagement.tv/sophie-pavelle/).   Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-sophia-pavelle # HERO Spotlight: Savannah Cummins Published: 2019-03-21 __Where were you born and raised? How has your life today been influenced by where you grew up?__ I grew up in Cincinatti, Ohio. Being raised there really inspired me to move away from there ASAP since it stopped feeling like a place I wanted to live while I was still in high school. Moving away from there was the best decision I could have made because it led me toward and down the path I’m on now!  __Climbing, Mountaineering, Alpinism and photography are relatively new endeavours for you. How did you come to find these passions and pursue them at an elite level, surrounded by history's greatest adventure athletes?__ I first found climbing because it was part of the curriculum in the ‘City Kids’ program that I worked for in Jackson, Wyoming. Lucky for me, I met some long time, prolific climbers in my early days on the rock who were willing to take me out on some of their adventures in the mountains to show me the ropes and the ways of the master. That’s basically how I was introduced to mountaineering and ice climbing. Then, combining some of my skills and experiences with my blooming photography passion led me to alpinism. Once I had a taste of any style of climbing, I’d be hooked, and the idea of taking photos in those big, beautiful and remote places that climbing takes us continues to fuel me. If you want to get up there to even have a chance at capturing a perfect mountain moment, you almost don’t have the choice to be anything less than ‘elite’. I feel very lucky to have been able to team up with so many amazing athletes along the way in my own journey as a climber who have helped me climb to new heights, and it’s been inspiring to see how willing they all have been to share the stoke and their knowledge with people like me who are excited to enter their world. __With your travels taking you all over the world, what has your experience been with respect to the degradation of the environment and the effects of climate change? Where have you witnessed some of the largest and most obvious impacts? __ Every time I’m planning a trip I think about how big an impact me even getting to the destination has on our fragile planet. It’s a tough line to walk since my work life requires me to ride in airplanes and cars much more than your average person does. It breaks my heart to see and feel when our presence in the world is hurting it. I don’t have an answer to solve this problem, but we can all do better, and everyone should start by not using plastic straws or disposable plastic water bottles!  __We have to ask; What was your experience in Antarctica like? For such a pristine, undeveloped place were there any signs of environmental distress? Scarcity of wildlife? Glacial or ice shelf melt? Vast fluctuations in temperature and weather? How did the combined experience of the team open your eyes to that frozen world?__ Antarctica was an incredible experience! It was unreal to spend such a long stint in a place so remote and quiet and untouched. I personally couldn’t see any signs of environmental distress or scarcity of wildlife, or ice melt because I have nothing to compare it to. Conrad was the only member of our team who had previously been in that region and he never commented on any crazy difference in temperature or landscape compared to 15 years prior. Everyone in our team was blown away by the setting and the beauty of all the rock rising from the flat, icey planes. There was a giddy energy in us all, and it was neat to see how even the most bad ass, hardcore experienced alpinists, film makers, and climbers had a similar respect for the landscape we were there to explore. __Climbers have an inherent obligation to nature. To preserve it. To protect it. To teach about it. What are some ways that you use your talents to perpetuate the soul of a climber to others that you cross paths with? __ I aim to shoot raw, real moments in amazing places in the vertical world. I don’t pretend to be anything that I’m not, or try to make any adventure appear to be any different than how it actually was. For me, shooting the ‘soul of a climber’ in pursuit of their own ambition and dreams and goals speaks for itself.  __What is next for you in your young career? You have had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented professionals in the world and in the near future, that will hopefully continue to expand. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?__ By 2024, I hope to be a more seasoned version of the current 26 year old version of me! For now, I’m going to continue to diversify my climbing experiences and do some new to me things like develop some of my own routes, plan and go on more expeditions, and feed and water my photography and videography skills so it continues to bloom! __Where can people find you, follow you and get inspiried by you?__ You can find me on Instagram [@sav.cummins](https://www.instagram.com/sav.cummins/?hl=en) or my website [savannahcummins.com](http://savannahcummins.com/) All photo credit to Savannah Cummins ([@sav.cummins](https://www.instagram.com/sav.cummins/?hl=en)) and Drew Smith ([@_Drew_Smith_](https://www.instagram.com/_drew_smith_/?hl=en)) directly. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-savannah-cummins # HERO Spotlight: Jesse Burke Published: 2018-10-23 Jesse Burke divides his time between personal art projects and commissioned work. Jesse's work deals with themes related to vulnerability and identity, as well as human's complicated relationship with nature. Daylight Books published his monograph, [Wild & Precious](http://www.wildandprecious.co/) 2015. He received his MFA from Rhode Island School of Design, where he is a faculty member. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in the U.S. and abroad and is held in many private and public collections including the Museum of Contemporary Photography Chicago, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum. Jesse was recently named by Time Magazine as a top 50 US photographer to follow on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jesse_burke) and by T: The New York Times Style Magazine as a top 5 to follow on Instagram. "We all want to be associated with something greater and more beautiful than ourselves and nature is the ultimate. I just think it is the one thing we can all agree on." -Bernd Heinrich __Where were you born and raised? Do you remember a specific moment in time when you realized your passion for photography and particularly, nature. __ I was born and raised in Stratford, Connecticut. I didn’t really get into photography until I moved to the Arizona desert in the mid 1990s, in my early 20s. Once there I started by taking an introduction to photography class at the local community college. I very quickly realized that it was something amazing and it quickly became my passion. As far as nature is concerned, I grew up using the woods and ponds near my house in Connecticut as an escape from daily life. It was my favorite place to go, and I would often go with my friends to play and look for animals. I think that’s what instilled in me a deep connection to the natural world. I can remember those days like they were yesterday.  __Tell us a bit about your journey and your obvious alignment with the environment. You have quite the resume. Your work can be found everywhere from publications like Wild & Precious, to campaigns for L.L. Bean, Carnival Cruise Line, Floating Hospital for Children and so much more. How does this variety of experience map back to your passion for nature?__ The journey in my professional photographic life has been interesting. I started by photographing what it means to be a man (in my personal circles) in an attempt to understand who I was as a man and who my friends and family were as men. Then I had a daughter and I realized quickly that my work would probably change. The thing that shifted my work away from exploring masculinity and more into the nature experience that I practice today is deciding that I wanted my daughter to be deeply in touch with the natural world. So I focused on introducing her to nature by exposing her to it first hand. Taking road trips, exploring, adventuring, constantly being out there. Over the years I have acquired a lot of my family photos doing things in our personal life that have led to my current commercial client situation. Clients like L.L. Bean, Honda, and Carnival Cruise Lines have hired me just to do what I do- which is to document my kids in the way that introduces the natural world into our lives and expresses our love for it. It really makes logical sense for specific clients. Floating Hospital for Children was a little bit different because they were interested in the idea of strength and vulnerability in the face of childhood- which is also something that I am really interested in. It’s evident in my personal work but spills over into my professional client work as well. __How do you live an eco-friendly lifestyle on a daily basis? What are 3 basic things that you would prescribe to anyone looking to do the same?__ We try to live as eco-friendly lifestyle as we can, we really do give it our best effort. One thing that we try to do is recycle as much as possible and be really good about it. Don’t be a lazy recycler. All those little lids make a big difference if you put them in the bin instead of into the trash can. The other thing we do is we try to raise and grow our own food when we could. We have a chicken farm and eat lots of eggs. In the summer we grow a big garden so that we can rely less on the grocery store and more of the natural world. It’s also our favorite thing to do. The other thing we do is go to the beach pick up litter when we’re down there. It looks cleaner and it’s better for the animals. We’re very concerned about the animal's wellbeing and plastic often looks like food to animals. Whether it’s birds or fish, or what have you. So it’s not uncommon that when we leave the beach we have pockets full of trash. These are simple things that we do that jive really well with our lifestyle and aren’t that complicated. I think when you give it a little bit of an effort it’s simple to do.  __Your relationship with your children is beautiful. How do your children inspire you? How is their outlook on life internalized by your inner child?__ Oh man, I am always being taught and inspired by them. They constantly teach me about patience by pushing me to the limits of mine. They teach me about wonder and seeing things anew. Seeing life and nature through a kid’s eyes is incredible. They teach me about compassion and love. The way they interact with the animals in our lives and their friends is awesome to watch. I have been fortunate enough to raise three kind and considerate souls. I watch them and their kindness and it rubs off on me. They inspire me to be the best dad that I can and to always set a good example, especially when I am inclined not to or in a moment when it’s hard. That is when I really try to look outside of myself and do what is right. They inspire me to show them what being man is about and how men and women are equals. They make me live my life hyper aware of how I can operate in my own life while making sure women are always treated fairly. Their future depends on it, all of ours does. They inspire me to let go and stop being worried about the small stuff. To take your shoes off as much as possible, to climb trees, to look up and to look down when maybe I would just look forward. I think we are constantly teaching and inspiring each other.  __Life behind the lens is always interesting. Do you ever put down the camera to simply live in the now and capture the moment in your mind's eye instead? Describe a scenario where this happened. Who was with you? Where were you? And why this moment?__ This is a great question, it's something that I increasingly think about. What is the difference between capturing a moment with the camera, so you can relive it over and over and relive the sentimentality of it, or just experience the moment in real time, so you can truly embrace it without any distraction. It’s really hard and as a photographer, I tend to do more of the filming rather than just simply experiencing. But recently, on the 4th of July I decided to leave my phone home and went to the beach with my kids. We watched the fireworks and just hung out. It was amazing to not have the burden of the phone with me, to get any calls or emails, or even use it to take pictures of the fireworks. We just sat there and watched everything unfold, it was awesome.  __What are some unique challenges you have had with your journey? Becoming a well known photographer, father, explorer certainly has its challenges. What were some bumps in the road?__ Sometimes I think people have a hard time interpreting my photographs and might just read them in the wrong way. I have this image of my daughter with a bloody nose, which has gotten a lot of slack, mostly online. I’ve had a lot of comments about being an abusive father, taking advantage of a child, etc. But the truth is she simply had a bloody nose- she was calm, I was calm and it was beautiful. It was one of those moments in life where you can physically see the vulnerability of your child and I really wanted to capture that and add that to the body of work we were creating, which is about empowering my daughter, embracing all things that life throws at us, and being strong in the face of adversity. Blood can be scary and I wanted her to feel comfortable with it. I wanted to capture it as it was laid out before me, but when you see it out of context it’s really misconstrue. You have to have a thick skin if you’re going to be a photographer and expose your family and private moments. I’m fine with the push back because I believe in what I am doing.  __If you had the attention of fathers and their daughters, what would be a bit of advice you could offer? Girls, historically, are sheltered and protected. Nature builds character and wonder and imagination. What would you say to break that stigma?__ I would say try not to think of your kids as boys or girls but just think of them as little creatures that need love and exposure to things. Expose them as much as possible- to the natural world- let them get dirty, muddy, wet- who cares, you can wash it off. It builds character and allows them to be freer and a little more wild. I like to think of my kids as lion cubs. What does the mother lion let her cubs do? She doesn’t watch them overly closely but she keeps an eye on them, she lets them wander and play, and sometimes even get get dirty and hurt. All of those things teach the children what’s possible, what’s safe, what’s not safe... and I think if you allow for a little freedom, and loosen the leash, that you can see your children grow exponentially. It has worked for us. Also, try to sit down and explain things to your kids that might be scary. Break it down for them to show the beauty and respect, not fear. Spiders, bats, certain animals can typically scare children but if you take a more scientific approach and explain how incredible spider's webs are, how amazing bat's echolocation is, kids won’t be afraid of them and they won’t scream, they’ll be excited and actually look forward to the opportunity to see one. Maybe even hold one.  __Where can people find you, follow you, get in touch?__ The best place to find me is on Instagram at [@jesse_burke](https://www.instagram.com/jesse_burke/). We are always posting current pictures, events and things we do. It’s like a working journal of our life and farm. Also, my work can be seen at [www.jesseburke.com](http://www.jesseburke.com) and [www.wildandprecious.co](http://www.wildandprecious.co/)     Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-jesse-burke # HERO Spotlight: Gillian Levy Published: 2018-10-15 Gillian Levy is the co-owner of [Humboldt Apothecary](https://www.humboldt-apothecary.com) and started HA with her business partner, Susan Cleverdon in 2015. Gillian's background is in watershed management and botany. She worked as an environmental consultant for many years before collaborating with Susan on the development of the company. Outside of their interest in cannabis, they both have a strong background in herbal medicine and holistic health. Their desire to start the company sprung from a marriage of interest in the growing cannabis industry and their! love for all things botanical medicine related. __Tell us a bit about where the idea for the Humboldt Apothecary was born? __ We initially decided to create a cannabis tincture company with offerings that addressed specific symptoms that could be supported with cannabis use. Our first tinctures all featured a suite of other medicinal herbs with the cannabis to maximize the benefits of each formula. Cannabis was historically used in combination with other medicinal herbs. This is because the suite of constituents that exist in the different plant compounds have a synergistic effect and are thus more potent and effective when taken together. We designed our line of products to fill a niche in the industry that seemed to be lacking. The result has been mind blowing. We have a growing following of customers and some pretty amazing testimonials about our products. __How has the cannabis industry offered alternatives to traditional treatment and medical supplement?__ Most western medicine is based on using pharmaceutical drugs to treat symptoms of a disease. In some cases, it is extremely effective, such as antibiotic use for bacterial infections. In other cases, especially when there are a range of symptoms, traditional western treatments fail to treat the underlying problem. Cannabis can be incredibly effective for a range of complicated disease pictures. The core of the efficacy of this plant is based in the cannabinoid content and it’s unique ability to play a significant role in moderating our own endocannabinoid system. By using cannabis to modify the endocannabinoid system, we can reduce inflammation throughout the body and can frequently have a broad effect on patients that are dealing with chronic pain, sleep disorders, mood disorders, etc. Regular cannabis use can be extremely effective and is considered safe and generally well tolerated by most patients.  __What separates Humboldt Apothecary from other cannabusinesses?__ At [Humboldt Apothecary](https://www.humboldt-apothecary.com), we focus on whole plant extracts, and we feel that it is the synergy between the suite of plant constituents that makes the best medicine. We source all of our cannabis extract from small extraction operations and small farms in Humboldt County. This is because we want a top quality, vibrant product. We also source organic ingredients whenever possible. Essentially, we aim to create a product that is the highest quality available because we don’t want to compromise the product in any way. We want our customers to know that every time they purchase one of our products, they are choosing quality and consistency that they can count on. __What are some current challenges that the cannabis industry is facing as this alternative becomes more widely acceptable?__ One of the larger challenges that the industry is facing seems to be the standardizing of the testing for cannabis products. Many of the testing facilities have a huge disparity between their results, which becomes a problem for manufacturers that receive vastly different feedback of cannabinoid content, depending on the lab that they work with. This problem can be compounded by the fact that there are many other ingredients that may alter or modify the potency results. __Where is your ultimate goal for Humboldt Apothecary?__ We would like to continue to expand our product line to include other remedies besides tinctures. Currently we are working on a topical line that we plan to roll out over the next several months. Additionally, we would like to start offering our products in other states. We aim to be a leader in the cannabis tincture industry and to continue to offer the highest quality cannabis products available as we grow and expand into new regions. __What about the outdoors and your environment inspire you?__ We are fortunate to live in an extremely beautiful part of California with access to beautiful coastline as well as remote mountain wilderness and wild rivers. In my own experience, I have found the most joy and mental peace in staying connected with the natural environment. Additionally, having access to clean water and clean air are some of the most significant contributors to healthy communities. __Is there a specific environmental issue that you personally feel passionate towards?____ I think that I feel most passionate about clean water and healthy rivers. In our community of Humboldt County, some cannabis cultivation practices have definitely impacted the quality and quantity of water in our rivers. One of the great benefits of legalization in California is that farmers must work very hard to minimize impacts to their water sources in order to be permitted and licensed to cultivate cannabis. They now have access to state agencies and private consulting entities to help guide and inform their cultivation practices and to minimize impacts. This regulatory infrastructure has really raised the bar for many farmers. I think that is of utmost importance.  __How does Humboldt Apothecary and preservation of the environment intersect?__ We try to be good stewards of the land and to build that into our business model. All of the cannabis that we use is sun grown. That is of critical importance to us because indoor growing contributes a huge carbon footprint. We believe that it is imperative to support farmers that are using the sun as their energy source. We work with farmers that pride themselves in creating farms that minimize environmental impacts by limiting nutrient runoff, building healthy topsoils, and preventing erosion that might impact water quality. We also source as many organic ingredients as possible to limit contamination to the environment from pesticide use. Additionally, we try to minimize the amount of plastic in our packaging and to make use of as many recyclable materials as possible. __What are some practical recommendations for consumers as they consider their impact on the environment?__ I hope to encourage more consumers to value sun grown cannabis. As the industry develops, cannabis cultivators are starting to define the unique environmental conditions that shape the quality of the cannabis that is produced. Terroir, or the environmental factors such as soils, climate, and topography that can be expressed in sun grown cannabis, is unique to growing outdoors. Likewise, the carbon footprint from indoor grows is so significant that it is really important to look at the contribution to greenhouse gas production.  Where can people find you, follow you, and get in touch? My website is [Humboldt-Apothecary](https://www.humboldt-apothecary.com), and my social handles are: Insta: [@humboldtapothecary](https://www.instagram.com/humboldtapothecary/) FB: [Humboldt Apothecary](https://www.facebook.com/humboldtapothecary/) Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/hero-spotlight-gillian-levy # HEROES Spotlight: Ariane Resnick Published: 2018-02-19 *Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef and certified nutritionist who specializes in developing accessible, organic, farm-to-table recipes from whole food ingredients. She has cooked for celebrities such as P!nk and Gwenyth Paltrow; as well as having been featured in Cosmopolitan, CBS’ The Doctors, ABC News, Forbes, Shape, Star, Huffington Post, Refinery 29, Men’s Fitness, and Food Network’s “Chopped.” She is also the author of two Amazon #1 best selling cookbooks, “[The Bone Broth Miracle](https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Broth-Miracle-Ancient-Improve/dp/1634507029)” and “[The Thinking Girl’s Guide to Drinking](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Girls-Guide-Drinking-Cocktails/dp/1682450481/).”* __Where were you born and raised? How did your childhood introduce you to your passions?__ I was brought up in rural Massachusetts until my family moved to California when I was a teenager. My mom ran a co-op out of our basement and made all of our food, so that set a strong foundation for me. My parents are (and were) very holistic so my upbringing was informed hugely by that.  __When did you first get started cooking and when did you first start seeing food as medicine?__ I had my first chef job at age 19, and no matter how long away from kitchens I spent after, I always landed back in one. I knew of food as a tool for healing because my childhood had had that as a focal point, but I gained first hand experience with it when I dealt with two different chronic illnesses in my 30s, both of which I healed without Western meds. __You have a significant reputation with some of the world's most recognizable media outlets, business and celebrities. How do you always maintain creative control and continue to innovate and refine your craft?__ I’m a human beyond anything else; I’ve been privileged to see how becoming known can change people, and have made a conscious effort to remain authentic as my personal brand has grown. I only work with people and companies I’m excited and passionate about, because I think consumers can sense that.  __It is known that you have had Lyme Disease. Talk to us a bit about that might have happened and how controlling your nutrition and including holistic treatments has led you to a high quality life.__ Lyme is the result of a tick or mosquito bite. I didn’t heal it purely with nutrition — it was an assortment of holistic modalities that cured it. I was very intuitive about which I chose, and since I was so public about that, it led to others coming to me for advice. I gear people into choosing what feels most right for them in treatments, rather than suggesting what they do based on what ailment they have. I’m a big believer that illness is an opportunity for you to get to know your body better and to get more in touch with it.  __Most people enjoy cooking, but have significant difficulty cooking nutritiously. What are some basic pieces of advice that you can provide for those who enjoy simple creations, but can’t seem to avoid the unhealthy options?__ It’s all about adding rather than subtracting, and making small changes. Swap out one unhealthy food item for a healthy food item you know you enjoy, and when your schedule has become acclimated to that, choose a second one. I think going “whole hog” and trying to overhaul your life is a terrible idea, as it rarely leads to success. The last thing we need is to feel like a failure! Congratulate yourself for every small positive change, and you’ll find yourself making more of them.  __As a best selling author, you are no stranger to the power of effective communication. How are you able to explore your expertise and digest it into an enjoyable reading experience, ultimately resulting in a 2X - Amazon Best Selling Author with "The Bone Broth Miracle," and "The Thinking Girl’s Guide to Drinking"?__ Writing, like cooking, has always been second nature to me. I have no formal culinary training, and while I do have a writing degree, it’s in creative writing/poetry. I’m incredibly fortunate to have turned my hobbies into my career, and that was mostly the result of a lot of meditation and intention setting to let the world guide me in the direction where I’d be most helpful. I didn’t plan any of this, and I’ve never sought out work, or advertised. When you find your purpose, the universe helps line things up for you. That’s the best explanation I can give, kooky as it sounds.  __In your expertise, how do the ingredients we use and consume affect the environment? What are some essential things for the public to be aware of when thinking about their own food consumption in and out of their home?__ We desperately need to find a balance between consuming the most healthful foods and the most sustainable ones. The best example of that is quinoa; our consumption of it has made it unaffordable for the residents of the Andes for whom it was a main staple. Yes, it’s nutritious, and yes, it tastes good, but did we really need to harm a culture to have a new food in our culinary lexicon? I’m wary of many foreign superfoods for this reason. Do some research before delving right into the next food trend to see how the production of the food affects both the environment and the indigenous cultures growing it.  __Is there an obvious connection between food consumption and environmental sustainability?__ At this point, most of what we eat comes from packages, so sadly there isn’t an obvious connection. One exists, of course, but it can be hard to recognize and takes a lot of conscious thought and research to discover.  __Where can people find you, follow you, and get in touch?__ My website is [ArianeCooks.com](http://arianecooks.com/), and my social handles are: Insta: [@chef_ariane](http://instagram.com/chef_ariane) Twitter: [@ArianeResnick](https://twitter.com/ArianeResnick) FB: [Ariane Resnick](https://www.facebook.com/ChefArianeResnick) Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-ariane-resnick # HEROES Spotlight: Tobi Deckert Published: 2018-02-12 *Tobi Deckert is a poly-extreme sports athlete, entrepreneur, engineer, and DJ. An all-around incredible human that just can't seem to sit still, he's consistently pushing the boundaries both as a professional and an athlete. Thanks to his love of nature and well-rounded skillset — he is trying to forge new ways to reduce his own footprint by applying his business and engineering skills into larger solutions.* __Where were your born and raised? How did that influence the man you are today and all the interests you have?__ I was born in southern Germany in Munich close to the alps. So I got my ambition to the mountains and all those different sports there from my father.  __You are quite the world traveler. Can you give us a bit of a list of the top places you have been to? When you travel, what do you typically do?__ Indeed I have been quite lucky traveling many countries so far. The purpose is quite different, sometimes it is work related, sometimes it’s rather leisure connected with sports. During the last couple of years I was visiting the US, Australia, China, New Zealand, Brazil, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and many places all over Europe. In most of the cases some commercial and promotional shootings and products tests took place there.   __You are a super eclectic individual. You have interests in everything from engineering to kiteboarding to extreme backcountry skiing to DJing. Tell us a bit about your passions and why you participate in such an array of extreme sports?__ Yeah, you listed already all my passions (so far). I just love doing and learning new things. Getting bored of an ordinary life, I was always looking for synergies among my interests. That’s why I probably worked as a product developer at Skywalk, a company that produces kites and paragliders. As soon as I had access to all this different gear, there were no borders anymore. I started mixing those sports throughout the seasons like I would mix my music on a party. Soon I began to earn some money with those side jobs as companies needed versatile content for their social media channels. This even got me some more possibilities to move on with my doings and learn other skills like movie editing or stunts for movies in the theatre.  __With so much risk, what is the ultimate reward for you? Is there a particular mantra that you live by the fuels your urge to live an extreme lifestyle?__ I cannot deny that I love taking risks, no matter if in a sporty way or business related. Breaking out of your comfort zone is one of the most important things to get progress. The ultimate reward is good vibes together with friends and that can be caused by a nice session of kitesurfing, flying or skiing for example. So sport is definitely my fuel to overcome challenging hurdles at my business and djing and movie editing unleashes my creativity which is quite as important to face daily tasks.  __Throughout your youth, how did you originally discover all of these activities, find time to practice them and become world class? Did you have a particular mentor or support system that kept you focused?__ Well I’m not performing at a world class level but gaining skills at some sports in particular is all about the people you are around with. That means my support system has always been my network of really good friends. This is one of the highest influences of pushing yourself to next levels. I have never performed very well in only one sport, as I loved to mix them but exactly this was the reason for cross progress to other disciplines. As one day lasts 24 h, I needed 8h for working, 8h for sleeping, which means there are 8h left over to do some crazy stuff. The only thing is to remain motivated to do some after work “productivities” — and I’m not talking about sitting in front of the TV.   __With so much exposure to land, sea, mountains and air, you must be unfortunately intimate with the poor condition of our environment? What are some of the issues you recognize in the remote places you visit?__ Indeed, when I’m in the mountains in the winter I can evidently see melting of the glaciers, when I’m at the beach, there is almost no spot anymore without garbage. Of course I recognize the issue: it’s us. Everywhere where there are human beings, the world does not look like it should look. The more people the worse. __How do you express the environmentalist within you while you are simply living day to day? What are some simple things that you are mindful of which keep your own footprint on this earth small?__ This is a really trapping question as all (my) travelling is leaving a footprint. It’s always easy to blame politicians or big business managers but start thinking about yourself also, for example your buying behaviour (no matter if food or hardware). As environment and it’s healthcare is related to money in most of the cases, look at what you buy for which price. From my point of view as an engineer I can tell that the cheapest things can’t be the most environmentally friendly ones. To get a better conscience regarding all my traveling burning a lot of fuel, I try to use my engineering and business skills to keep my footprint small. One way is to produce and use upcycled products which I do together with “rubbish upcycling” ([https://rubbish-design.com/pages/tobi-deckert-kitesurf-snowkite-freerider](https://rubbish-design.com/pages/tobi-deckert-kitesurf-snowkite-freerider)) Another example is one of my inventions “SHRED RACK” to allow carrying a lot of gear on the roof of a small car. With these inflatable car roof racks people can use only one car and fit in there all together with all their gear.  __Where can people find you or get in touch?__ [www.tobideckert.de](http://www.tobideckert.de/) [www.shredrack.com](http://www.shredrack.com/) [https://www.facebook.com/TobiDeckert/](https://www.facebook.com/TobiDeckert/) [https://www.youtube.com/user/Deckardinhostuff](https://www.youtube.com/user/Deckardinhostuff) [https://www.instagram.com/tobi_deckert/](https://www.instagram.com/tobi_deckert/) Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-tobi-deckert # HEROES Spotlight: Angy Eiter Published: 2018-02-08 *Angela Eiter is a professional climber hailing from Austria. She's a champion competitive climber holding multiple Lead Climbing World Cup championships. Last year, she became the first woman to climb 5.15b by sending La Planta de Shiva at Villanueva del Rosario, Spain.* __Where were you born and raised?__ I was born and raised in a valley near my today's home region Imst in Tyrol, Austria. Since I was a child I have always played outdoors enjoying the mountains and forests. Nature has been a part of my life for as long as i can remember.  *Angy Eiter climbing "Planta de Shiva" 9b. Villanueva del Rosario (Spain) 25-10-2017. © Javipec / ASP / Red Bull Content Pool* __You have had some recent significant accomplishments in your climbing career. What are some of them and what has the dedication and work been like over the past few years towards achieving?__ I experienced successful competitions where I became 4 time World Champion, 3 time World Cup Winner overall and European Champion in 2010. There are more, but these are some of the most significant to me. My motivating factor is my passion and pursuit of fun. With this drive I am eager to learn how I can improve in climbing and in my life generally. Then, I want to pass my experience over to other people.  *Two time world champion Angy Eiter competing at the World Cup of Kranj, Slovenia. © Stanko Gruden/Red Bull Content Pool* __Being in such a visible position within the sport comes with a lot of pressure and expectation. How do you balance yourself?__ The pressure mainly comes from myself. Over time I have learned how to deal with it. Being satisfied with my performance and accepting the situation leads me to success. __Do you have a specific focus within the environment?__ I simply love nature and as it is my playground I want to keep it clean. __Where in the world do you identify the most with?__ I identify myself with a flower in the alpine areas in my home region of Imst. There, I lead a life in an almost completely clean area, where people protect this specific landscape in order for that rare species of flower to survive in this region.  *Angy Eiter during the ascent of 'Turkish Airways' (8a+) in Anatolia. © Bernhard Ruech/Red Bull Content Pool* __If you could send a message to every young person in the world today regarding the environment and the great outdoors, what would it be?__ Nature is your basic tool where you lead your life. Go out and look around at how beautiful nature is, our plants, our animals, the sky, the sun etc. Nature is getting destroyed day by day. Act differently and keep it clean by doing small things. Protecting nature means protecting your future. __What is your next great adventure or goal?__ I want to explore different areas and rocks for climbing. I am interested in meeting other cultures and see the beautiful sides of our planet. __With respect to the environment and its current critical state, what about the future truly scares you?__ I am quite afraid of the result of the disregardful behaviour of human beings. However, I am sure nature will always resist and gets stronger. I am afraid that we simply have come too far and we cannot completely secure the environment for the future.  *Angela Eiter performs during the IFSC World Climbing Championships in Paris, France on September 15th, 2012 © Stanko Gruden/Red Bull Content Pool* __Do you have a plan to use your gifts as an athlete in combination with your desire for a better environment?__ I take care of my environment with small, simple things. For example, I do not waste water, I recycle, I buy products with little or no wrapping, and i look for recyclable things. I want to act as a positive example and pass on my attitude to other people. __If you could have one wish, what would it be?__ Peace forever and for everyone! __Where can people find you, follow you, get in touch?__ Instagram: [@angyeiter](https://www.instagram.com/angyeiter/?hl=en) Facebook: [@angy.eiter](https://www.facebook.com/angy.eiter/) *Header Photo Credit: Portrait of Angela Eiter in Fuschl, Austria on July 7th 2011 © Philip Platzer/Red Bull Content Pool* Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-angy-eiter # HEROES Spotlight: Jenna Hogg Published: 2018-02-01 *Jenna Hogg is most notably the co-founder of Free Spirit Equestrian Center & Rescue. A not-for-profit organization dedicated not just to the rescue of horses in need, but also to helping humans who could benefit from the therapy offered by these incredible animals. She is also the vice president of I Stand With My Pack, an organization dedicated to the prevention of animal suffering and cruelty around the world. A primatologist by trade she's also spent time studying orangutan's and their capacity for cognitive development. What she experienced with these creatures forged her path toward helping all creatures in need, large and small.* __Where were your born and raised? How did your youth ultimately influence the work that you do today?__ I was born in Tampa, Florida. I was frequently moving as a child and cannot say that I was raised in one particular place. Every year or two years of my life I lived in a different city in Florida to North Carolina. I went to three elementary schools, two middle schools and five high schools. Because of this, it has made me very open minded. I have met and befriended people from all walks of life, all classes, all races, from the tiniest towns to the big cities. It made me adaptable but also confident in who I am. Every place I’ve lived taught me something and was completely different than the last. The biggest lesson I learned is that society has a way of socially constructing viewpoints and ideologies into our everyday lives. But it is up to us to choose how we live, what we believe in and who we are to become. Our perspective is everything.  __You have done so much for animals and the environment. Tell us a bit about your non-profit efforts with Free Spirit Rescue and I Stand With My Pack? What are each of these missions designed to do and what is your participation?__ I am the co-founder for [Free Spirit Equestrian Center & Rescue](http://www.freespiritequestrian.org/), which has been opened for almost three years. My mother and I opened the rescue and built it with our bare hands and only $800 to start. Blood, sweat, and tears has been poured into this animal rescue. Our mission is to create a safe place for both people and animals. A place that is built on compassion as the foundation. We aim to inspire people that each and every life on this planet has a purpose and compassion can change the world but it has to start with each of us. I am the vice president for a non-profit organization called [I Stand With My Pack](https://istandwithmypack.org/). I was drawn to this organization because of its need to bring awareness to global animal welfare initiatives. From saving dogs in Puerto Rico to elephants in Sumatra, this organization is ran mainly by a group of strong willed women who are determined to help keep this world beautiful for our children.  __You pursue a career as a Primatologist and Medical TA at an Animal Hospital. Can you tell us a bit about this career choice? What is the intersection between your career and your personal missions?__ Since I was a child and old enough to verbally communicate my love for animals, I have always wanted to work with primates. When I was 12 I was given the book, [Gorillas In The Mist](https://www.amazon.com/Gorillas-Mist-Dian-Fossey-Dr/dp/061808360X) by Dian Fossey. Since that moment I dreamed of jungles and saving primates. In my final year of college, I studied orangutans and their abilities for cognitive development and interspecies communication through enrichment. What I learned was fascinating and completely changed my life. These beings are capable of conscious thinking, problem solving, having emotions such as love, and the ability to communicate their thoughts and their needs. My heart broke for their species on the brink of extinction. I went on to work with gibbons, capuchins, marmosets, tamarins siamangs, and lemurs. After four years I wanted to take everything I learned and really make a difference. That is when my mother and I decided to open an animal rescue. We started out with equines and animals saved from slaughter houses but in 2018 we will expand to help non-human primates. These primates more than any other animal are the most similar to us and yet they are tortured in laboratories, locked in tiny cages, and kept as pets. I hope that every life we save we can bring awareness to the fact that we are not superior. Compassion is superior. I have always been an avid learner. In the last ten years, I have learned a vast amount in many different facets of the animal world but one area I was lacking was animal medicine. I wanted to expand my knowledge, so I sought out a position that would allow me to gain more experience at an animal hospital. As someone who rescues animals from abusive and neglectful circumstance, many of these animals need medical attention and care. Being able to learn how to help them not just emotionally but physically has been essential.  __You have a particular affinity to horses. Why are these animals your particular passion? Do you focus on other species?__ My mother is the one who showed me how magical of a species horses truly are. While primates where my specialty, horses where hers. Because there was such a prevalent need to rescue horses we rescued our first horse named Apollo, who was rounded up from the wild in Nevada. He was completely feral. He was the definition of a free spirit, or at least he was. When we rescued him at the auction, he was on his third strike and had been shipped across the country from Nevada to Florida. He was broken, I could feel the heaviness of his soul. His eyes simply stared blankly and held such an emptiness. Lost, alone and scared this once free-spirited animal left me with a fierce need to protect his species. Today he is safe and happy, integrated into a new herd where he is alpha and will always have a home at Free Spirit Rescue. But the look in his eyes when I first met him will haunt me forever and make me determined to be a voice for his kind. Currently free spirit mainly focuses on horses, and will be expanding to non-human primates but we rescue a variety of species of animals. From goats to pigs and cats and dogs, we try to help any life that is in need.  __How do you express the environmentalist within you while you are simply living day to day? What are some simple things that you are mindful of which keep your own footprint on this earth small?__ Sustainable Palm oil is something I am extremely passionate about. The palm oil industry is responsible for animal cruelty, deforestation and climate change. The massive impact it has on deforestation is pushing many species into extinction. The effect of carbon emissions it releases into our environment is crippling. I try my hardest to not purchase or use any products or support companies who are not palm oil sustainable. I try to make my own footprint on this earth small by altering the way I live from "aimlessly consuming" to "mindful consuming" that is where a difference can be made. While I alone cannot create a difference by practicing mindful consumption, imagine if everyone did? __What is next for you? How do you see your mission expanding and your hobbies translating into impact over the next 5 years?__ Besides expanding our primate rescue program, my next step is to launch our pony therapy program to help people in need. I am a big believer in animal therapy. They have an incredible potential to heal in their own way. Much like dogs, ponies can provide an intense form of therapy for those with disabilities, children, veterans, and basically anyone who could use a smile. Over the next five years I hope we can show people that animals have such a beautiful purpose and that it is a gift to share a planet with such amazing creatures.  __With regard to your efforts in non-profit, what are your hopes? How do you define mission complete? When will you know that you have achieved your goals?__ My hopes for my rescue is that it will be an inspiration, especially to our youth. I hope that we will be able to grow to create a place that is not just safe for our animals but is a safe place for all of those who walk through our barn doors. Free Spirits Rescue’s mission will be complete when there is no longer a need for it. I love what I do but I hate that the need for it even exists. I will know my goal is achieved when animals have rights and animal cruelty has diminished. Until then we will continue what we do and we will be their voice. __Everyone has some kind of a soft spot for charity or non-profit work, but most people lean on the crutch of not having enough time. What is some advice that you have for people?__ If we really want to make a difference we will find the time to do it. There are multiple ways for people to get involved and help a non-profit and our Earth. Life is so overwhelmingly busy, that we make the excuse of not having enough time to deter us from helping create a positive change. Even volunteering once a week for a few hours helps. Hosting a fundraiser to help local organizations, educating friends and family on an environmental issue, spreading awareness on social media outlets or choosing to be more conscious of what you are consuming in your everyday life can make a difference. There is always time to do something. Whether great or small every good deed matters. __Where can people find you or get in touch?__ If people would like to get in touch with me they can contact me via my social media: [@JungleJen](https://www.instagram.com/junglejen/) or reach out to Free Spirit Equestrian Center & Rescue at [www.freespiritequestrian.org](http://www.freespiritequestrian.org/). I absolutely love talking to our youths and answering their questions and giving advice on what they can do help our planet and spread compassion. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-jenna-hogg # HEROES Spotlight: Sarah Uhl Published: 2018-01-29 *Sarah Uhl is an artist and activist from Carbondale, Colorado. If there were the perfect example of art as environmental activism, it would be Sarah's work. She has dedicated her efforts to creating art that promotes the protection of our public lands, clean water, and fighting against climate change. She's a free spirit and self-proclaimed joy evangelist. We absolutely fell in love with her work when we first saw it and got a chance to catch up with Sarah to talk about her story, her inspiration, and her dedication to conservation. * __Where were you born and raised?__ I was born in Allentown, PA and grew up in the Appalachian woods up and down the east coast. My parents were avid rock climbers and cave explorers so we spent most of our time outside in nature. __When did you realize that creating art was more than just a hobby?__ I have always been an artist but it wasn’t until I turned 30 that I actually gave it enough attention (and value) to pursue it as a storytelling mechanism. My sense of curiosity for the world needed a new outlet and pursuing professional life as a creative allowed me to chase that further.  *Photo by: [Andrew Chad](https://www.andrewchadmedia.com/)* __Where do you pull inspiration from?__ My inspiration is most certainly born in the mountains. I love the alpine and feel most alive when I am high up in the hills. I moved to a mountain town in 2012 because I wanted to be able to look out my door and see a mountain on my horizon every morning. I kept saying that I wanted to be able to “have breakfast” with Mount Sopris every morning because I knew that would set me up to thrive.  __What are the kinds of emotions you look to evoke when your work is complete?__ Creating artwork is a form of chasing the truth for me. I hope to convey my own experience combined with the experience I perceive from the land. When I paint a mountain I am not only painting what I see but also what I feel. I feel as though my work is a visual recording of the conversations I have with the landscape. Sometimes the land is jumping for joy, pleased to share her beauty and wonder with us. Sometimes she is weeping, begging us to know her more so we may find ways to live more harmoniously together. My goal as an artist is to provoke all of this in hopes that the work serves as an invitation to others to create their own relationship with the land and whatever the land has to say to them.   __Your work seems to reflect the world around you. What is your personal connection to nature and the environment?__ I believe in magic and I think the best place to find and experience magic is in the natural world. She is full of wisdom and beauty. I go into nature to seek a sense of connection, guidance and reassurance that we are all one… that we all coexist in the same cycles, the same woes, the same joys. I also go into nature to feel a sense of constant growth. We only know so much and if you keep seeking growth you will discover an endless world of opportunity to expand in all dimensions.   __What about the world inspires you?__ People practicing kindness inspires me. People being vulnerable inspires me. People seeking growth and personal expansion throughout their inspire me. The magic kingdom of the natural world is also a constant source of awe and wonderment that seems to dish up unlimited refills of inspiration. Getting to know myself and my own edges inspires me to keep digging in, asking hard questions and going to places I’ve never been before. We are such resilient beings and I feel fortunate to be surrounded by so many incredible folks living beautiful lives and making a difference in the world. It makes me want to do the same and never fall to complacency.  __Is there a specific environmental issue that you personally feel passionate towards?__ Yes. Like many of us, I believe in the protection of our public lands. Time spent in the beautiful wild places is our reservoir of hope and connection; it is the keystone to caring about our planet and paying attention to how our actions impact the world as a whole. If you do not have access and exposure to a beautiful wild river, it’s hard to care about clean water or water conservation. If you have never seen the remnants of those who have come before us, it is hard to think that anyone will come after us. Access to our heritage and the wild world that sustains us is paramount to protecting it.   __Has there ever been a time in your career where you felt extremely passionate about using your work for cause?__ Right now, Right now, Right now. I actually always have wanted my “work” to relate directly to causes I’ve cared about but I didn’t have as direct of an equation to pull this off as I do now. I have always wanted to be an advocate for the land, and for sustainable practices, but I couldn’t quite figure out how to apply myself in other ways that made me feel like I was really moving the needle. Creating art that can be used to bring attention and connection back to the land is a very satisfying equation. My success as an artist is directly related to my ability to draw more people into these challenges that need all hearts and all hands on board. I am extremely motivated and that motivation stems directly from my deep love of the land and my desire to carry her voice through my works.   *Photo by: [Andrew Chad](https://www.andrewchadmedia.com/)* __Art seems to be a universal truth. A final product left to interpretation by the audience, but ultimately, focused on the artist's ability to tell the story. What is it about art that allows you to be so expressive, but also focused?__ Great question! I think it just stems out of my own love of the land. My work is a transcription of an incredibly authentic and gushing wellspring of love for the land. I feel more like an advocate for the land than an artist. Art is just the mechanism I’ve chosen to convey something so wildly important and compelling to me. I hope that everyone can find their way into knowing what makes them come most alive so they too can serve the world through amplifying their own truth… their own undeniable question about why we are here and what makes us tick.   *If you love Sarah's work and want to see more check out her website at [sarahuhl.com](http://sarahuhl.com/) or instagram [@sarahvirginiauhl](https://www.instagram.com/sarahvirginiauhl/).* Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-sarah-uhl # HEROES Spotlight: Lizzy Asher Published: 2018-01-22 *Lizzy Asher is a sponsored rock climber as well as a climate scientist, a potent combination. She received her PhD in Oceanography in 2015 from the University of British Colombia and her accomplishments in science run as deep as those in climbing. Lizzy offers a unique perspective as someone that understands both the science behind the changes our planet is undergoing as well as the joy one experiences from a life spent playing in the mountains.* __Where were you born and raised? How did your environment growing up introduce you to your current hobbies and career interests?__ I was born in Austin, Texas, but grew up partially in Toulouse, France. I spent a lot of time tagging along with my older sister, Alexis and her friends (still true!). My dad first introduced us to hiking, backcountry skiing and climbing at a young age. My love of the outdoors really fueled my passion first for environmental science in college and atmospheric science and climate science thereafter.  *Climbing Democracia (8b/13d) in Terradets, Spain Nov. 2016 | Photo by: Ben Shear* __As a climber, what have been some of the greatest challenges you have experienced both on and off the wall?__ The greatest challenge that I’ve faced is having to set a dream aside, whether it’s injury related, a climbing project I’m simply not physically or mentally strong enough to climb yet, or a job or an academic opportunity that slipped through my fingers. Thankfully, or perhaps as a result, I’m rather tenacious. __How did you end up focused in climatology and transcontinental pollution for a career?__ I care deeply about the environment and about the human experience of our natural world. In my opinion, air quality and climate change are the two greatest problems threatening that experience today.  *Atom-3 (last deployment) group photo. Oct. 2017* __Most people are aware of environmental problems, some are aware of solutions, but few are likely to be as intimate with the data as you are. What are five startling statistics with respect to climate change and marine pollution?__ 1. The surface ocean has warmed at least 1 degree Celsius since 1970. Due to thermal expansion, this (even without glacial melt) leads to an increase in sea-level (something not many people consider). 2. Overall, sea-level has risen by 0.2 m since 1900. 3. Less than ½ of the anthropogenic CO2 remains in the atmosphere, leading to observed rising CO2 concentrations (~¼ is absorbed by the ocean and ~¼ is absorbed by plants)! 4. Yet CO2 concentrations continue to rise at record rates (3 ppm yr-1). 5. A 0.1 change in pH (a log-scale) is equivalent to a ~30% increase in Hydrogen ions, which drastically changes environmental conditions for marine biota (i.e. corals and phytoplankton with calcium shells). Just think if someone reduced the available oxygen by 30% (it’s a little bit like climbing a really big mountain for which most people require supplemental oxygen).  *Skiing in Silverton, CO Jan. 2016 | Photo by: Ben Shear* __With respect to the climate, what is one major threat that nobody is talking about?__ The Southern Ocean (and remote atmosphere in the southern hemisphere) are relatively well insulated from the rest of the globe due to strong circumpolar winds and currents. As a result, the majority of Antarctica, is warming at a much slower rate on average than the Arctic or West Antarctic Peninsula, and remains less polluted as well. Whereas melting the West Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctic Ice sheet would cause a sea-level increase of ~0.25 m and ~3 m respectively, melting of East Antarctica’s glaciers are estimated to cause a 60 m rise in sea level (time to redraw the world maps)! __Through your education and now your career, what are some of the greatest successes you have seen focused on a cleaner tomorrow?__ I am impressed with the environmental legislation that has improved regional air quality by reducing industrial emissions of various pollutants, particularly in the US thanks to the EPA.  *Group photo after teaching a women's climbing clinic in Bishop Feb. 2016 | Photo by: Ben Shear* __What is your formula for a sustainable tomorrow? What are some simple ways that everyone could potentially implement this into their daily lives?__ - Try to go on vacation (or work trips) less often but stay longer when you do! - Have an apartment or small house (as opposed to very large one because it takes much less energy to heat or cool it) - Consider having a small nuclear family (unfortunately, a rapidly growing population only exacerbates problems related to anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and pollution) - Commute less, or carpool, or drive an electric car (or hybrid) or motorcycle... - If you eat meat, eat smaller animals (i.e. chicken vs. beef) - Try to buy locally made stuff...also buy fewer, nicer things __What is your next adventure, assignment, expedition and why there?__ I’m currently participating in the Atmospheric Tomography Mission, which circumnavigates the globe on a NASA aircraft and aims to map out the layers of the remote atmosphere in different seasons. Our next field campaign is this spring. Where can people find you or get in touch? I’m an postdoc at NCAR. Send me an email at [easher@ucar.edu](mailto:easher@ucar.edu). Instagram: [@lizzyasher](https://www.instagram.com/lizzyasher/) *Header photo by: Ben Shear* Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-lizzy-asher # HEROES Spotlight: Sara Jagielski Published: 2018-01-18 *Sara Jagielski is the founder of [Joy Is My Armor](https://www.joyismyarmor.com/), an Ashtanga Yoga studio in Hoboken, New Jersey. Not only does the studio bring the practice of Ashtanga Yoga to her local community, but it also serves as a platform for Sara to raise funds for charities. Right now that charity is the [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/), which rescues and rehabilitates birds on the Upper West Side of New York City. By donating its profits to these missions Sara's studio is able to both enrich the local yoga community as well as the work of important charities like the [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/). Currently Joy Is My Armor has a [campaign on Indiegogo](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/joy-is-my-armor-ashtanga-yoga#/) so they can continue their mission.* __Where were you born and raised? Tell us a bit about your childhood and how it influenced your passions today.__ I was born in Roger's Park, Chicago and spent most of my childhood on a farm outside the city in a small town called Hebron. My dad commuted an hour and a half each way to his job in Chicago, which seems very far, but I think he liked the idea of raising us in a rural setting. We owned Morgan horses, and showed them saddleseat, which is a type of English-style pleasure riding. We bred and raised a lot of other animals too, including doves, quail, pigeons, ducks, pheasants and chickens. My childhood was pretty eccentric. My sister and I had a lot of freedom to do whatever we wanted. We'd take a horse out on our own for a long ride through the countryside, go ice skating in the winter on a frozen floodplain in the pasture, and play on the rooftop of the barn (talk about dangerous!). One year, we even built a winter chicken coop near a window in our basement because we thought it was too cold for the birds to be outside. Winter mornings meant waking up to the sound of a rooster crowing in the basement. We also had a lot of chores too, mostly involving taking care of animals, but as long as we did those my parents didn't seem to mind what we did. Growing up this way left a lasting impression that the world was filled with promise, and I could do anything I set my mind to. It also gave me a boundless imagination and taught me how to be alone with my thoughts. To this day, though I appreciate the company of other people, I prefer getting lost in my head and don't really get lonely.  __Tell us a bit about your journey, when did you first get into yoga? How did you get into teaching?__ When we were kids, my dad taught me and my sister Hatha Yoga and a type of mediation called Yoga Nidra. Eventually, they bought us a book with illustrations so that we could practice. I remember really liking kurmasana, turtle pose, though I don’t like it so much today! I stopped practicing when I became a teenager and instead did amateur long distance bicycling. I was a very meditative sport, a bit like running, where you can lose yourself in the repetitive movement. I got back into yoga after college. My first real job was at an ad agency in Chicago, and they had a gym for employees. I'd walk across the street and practice vinyasa yoga. I remember that I felt so good afterwards, I couldn't believe I'd ever stopped. Then, a couple years later I moved to New York City and made it my mission to try different styles of yoga. I think I tried them all -- Bikram, Iyengar, Anusara, Jivamukti and even Tantric. Then one day in 2001, I walked into an Ashtanga yoga class. It was the toughest class I ever took, and it seemed to go on forever. The teacher was unrelenting -- posture after posture, transition and non-stop movement with interlinked breath. I thought it was the craziest yoga I'd ever experienced. So, of course, I made it my mission to master it. Now I realize how absurd that was. I’ve been practicing Ashtanga since then and still have not bested it, nor will I ever. I decided to teach Ashtanga because there is no shala where I live in Hoboken, NJ. The classes in Hoboken are mostly vinyasa and hot power yoga. I think that's fine for many people, but Ashtanga can deepen your practice and be personally transformational. I am stronger, kinder, better person because of Ashtanga. My mind is clear and my body is strong. I wanted to share this with my community, so I opened up my own Ashtanga studio in September called Joy Is My Armor.  __How does Ashtanga differ from the other disciplines in Yoga? What drew you to Ashtanga over Hatha and Nidra that your father taught you?__ The major difference is the way that it's taught, which is as a set sequence of postures in the same order with the breath linked to each movement. Students practice the Primary Series, or part of it, three to six times per week, 30 to 90 minutes each time. If and when those postures are mastered, the student moves to a second and third series of postures, called Intermediate and Advanced A. There are more series beyond this, but the level of difficulty is so great that most humans never attain them. I practice up to part of the third, but do so with laughter because it's crazy hard. Secondly, Ashtanga is taught as a self-practice supervised by a teacher in a group setting where students memorize the order of the postures. This is called Mysore-style. You can think of it as a "open gym" where everyone has a different start time and is working on different postures. It can seem a bit intimidating at first as a new student, until you realize that you're practicing at your own pace, building stamina and focus gradually with a community of like-minded people supporting you. Once a week the student will attend a "led" class where the teacher calls out the poses like any other yoga class. This ensures that you're not cheating the breath count and following the order properly.  I started out enjoying the physical challenge, but ended up liking how grounded it made me feel. Because I had memorized the postures, I could unroll my mat anywhere at any time and practice. When I travel, the first thing I do is the primary series. I've done this in a tiny hotel room in Amsterdam, a river boat cruise in Germany, a sailboat in the Caribbean, by pools, in backyards and in other people's living rooms. It wipes away all of my anxiety and stress. I still practice Yoga Nidra because I enjoy the meditative aspect, but I don't follow Hatha at all anymore. I prefer the rigor of Ashtanga.  __Mindfulness is a cornerstone of yoga. You live and work between New Jersey and New York City, which are extremely chaotic places. How do you practice mindfulness amidst all of the chaos? Do you find you need to take a step back sometimes and if so what is your method of doing so?__ I love living in the New York City area. I am an introvert, so the chaos draws me out. If I lived in a quieter place I would not have a healthy lifestyle and probably would become fearful of the world. So for me, finding a balance here is easy. When I need to unwind I practice or teach Ashtanga, write or relax at home. Meditation is also very helpful to clear the mind. __So we’ve heard you actually wanted to be an Ornithologist once upon a time. Where did your love of birds come from? Do you own birds today?__ As a kid, I was in charge of taking care of all the birds. So being an Ornithologist seemed a natural career goal. I liked the idea of living in a cabin in nature, studying birds. They’re fascinating creatures, diverse and quirky, a vestige of dinosaurs. It’s beautiful to think, from an evolutionary perspective, they crawled out of primordial sludge, grew colorful feathers, became winged and now fly above us. Today I only own one bird. He's an eight-year-old bright red Fire Finch named Sanjay. I don’t think I’ll own domesticated birds again for awhile though. I’m focusing more on caring for those in the wild.  __Tell us a bit about your work with the Wild Bird Fund. What do they do? How are you working to help them?__ The [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/) rehabilitates sick, injured or orphaned wildlife and releases them back to the wilds of New York City. They also educate New Yorkers on how to help wild birds thrive. They’re a 501(c)3 charity with a facility located on the Upper West Side. Each year, they rehabilitate over 5,000 of New York City’s birds. This includes medical diagnosis, surgery, medication, bandaging, splinting, physical therapy, feeding and sheltering. All native and migratory birds are treated, from common sparrows to swans and owls. Their work is accomplished through private donations and volunteers. I’m raising funds to help the [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/) through my yoga studio, which I created to serve my students as well as the community at large. I’m not out to make a profit off of Ashtanga yoga. To me, that’s the antithesis of the practice. I just want to get the studio to pay for itself and donate whatever is left over. [The Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/) is enthusiastic to work with Joy Is My Armor.  __What are some of the more surprising birds that have come in to be rescued?__ There are a lot of birds that live in and pass by New York City during migration, so it’s naturally a diverse group. [The Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/) assisted a Yellow-billed Cuckoo who collided with a building in Brooklyn, then was attacked by a cat and lost its tail. It needed antibiotics to save its life.  *Yellow-billed Cuckoo at the Wild Bird Fund © Antonio Sanchez* A Ruby-throated Hummingbird was rescued lying helpless in Harlem. He needed 2 weeks of rehabilitation before being released back into the wild to continue his migration to Central America. There was also a Great Blue Heron who had fishing line wrapped around his legs and feet with deep cuts. Fortunately, he was rescued by the [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/), treated, then transferred to another wildlife facility on Long Island where he could recuperate in an outdoor cage. He made friends with another bird named Jackson while he was staying on the Upper West Side. I think Jackson is a funny name for a bird.  *Jackson the bird.* __We were surprised to hear that there is a bird rescue here on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Are any of the injuries to birds common and/or due to human causes? What can the average person living in cities do to be mindful of this and help prevent it?__ 90% of animals brought to the [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/) are there because they were injured directly or indirectly by human activity. This includes being struck by vehicles, hitting skyscraper windows and falling pray to cat and dog attacks, as well as litter and pollution. A lot of garbage that causes injuries to birds, including everyday household items, like ribbon and string, plastic rings from 6-packs of soda and milk jugs. Cut these items into small pieces before throwing them away. Birds also get tangled in refuse along coast lines, including the Hudson and East Rivers. When walking along our city’s rivers and lakes, keep a bag with you and pick up any garbage that you think animals might get tangled in. Plus, picking up garbage will help beautify our city. Of course, if you see a bird in need, call the [Wild Bird Fund](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/). You can also place it in a paper bag and take it to the center. A paper bag makes a good bird ambulance because the bird can't strike the side in fear and injure itself further, as it can in a cage. If you do use a cage, put a towel over it so that the bird can’t see out. This will help it stay calm.  __What environmental issues are you most passionate about and what do you do everyday to try to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle?__ I am really alarmed by the use of disposable plastic bags. I see people take them for one-time use and then throw them away. Where do they go? Gutters, oceans and landfills. I hope one day soon that we'll have to pay for plastic bags to encourage people to bring their own, as in many parts of Europe. I carry my own bags with me. Also, let's talk about cars. One of the reasons I like living in New York City is because we have access to public transportation, can walk or bicycle. It's environmentally friendly to avoid driving when possible. My husband and I own one car, but we only drive once or twice a month and would rather bicycle or walk. I also pool rides when I can. Pick up a friend or co-work and drive together. It’s much more fun! __Where can people find you, follow you, get in touch?__ Website: [www.joyismyarmor.com](https://www.joyismyarmor.com/)Fundraising: [https://igg.me/at/joyismyarmor](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/joy-is-my-armor-ashtanga-yoga)
IG: [@joyismyarmorhoboken](https://www.instagram.com/joyismyarmorhoboken/)
FB: [Faceook.com/joyismyarmor](https://www.facebook.com/joyismyarmor)
If you want to donate directly to the Wild Bird Fund: [www.wildbirdfund.org](https://www.wildbirdfund.org/) Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-sara-jagielski # HEROES Spotlight: Tommy Caldwell Published: 2018-01-15 *Tommy Caldwell is a professional rock climber and personal inspiration to us here at Cause of a Kind. We grew up watching his incredible ascents around the world in every discipline of climbing. He is one of the world's greatest all-around rock climbers with ascents like Flex Luthor (5.15a), the first free ascent of [Dawn Wall](http://www.tommycaldwell.com/dawn-wall-yosemite-climbing-pictures) on El Capitan, and the first ascent of the [Fitz Traverse](http://www.tommycaldwell.com/patigonia-fitz-traverse-artical) in Patagonia. For those that want to hear even more we encourage you to check out his memoir, [The Push](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRNJOBF?tag=randohouseinc37971-20), released in 2017.* __You have had a seriously significant rock climbing career. Tell us a bit about your origin story. How did Tommy Caldwell find rock climbing and why did it become your life's work?__ My dad was a mountain guide and had me out climbing from age three. I never aspired to make it my life's work. I just did what I knew and what inspired me. In my early 20’s I started to understand what a privileged life I lived. I traveled the world and went on progressively bigger trips. I did a lot of sport climbing and bouldering. I became increasingly obsessed and at some point I realized I could actually make money climbing. It has always felt like a bit of a dream to live my life doing what I do.  __You’ve been kidnapped in Kyrgyzstan, cut off part of your index finger, freed Yosemite’s most difficult big walls, sport climbed 5.15a, completed the Fitz Traverse — the list goes on. Throughout your career we’ve seen you through incredible difficulties, setbacks, and triumphs. It seems that burnout is not something that happens to you. How do you maintain motivation and continue to set your goals higher and higher despite both failures and the exhaustion that comes with success?__ One thing that has kept me immune from burnout is that I have been able to embrace the ebb and flow. Setbacks and and hardships are great perspective builders. They humble me in a way that makes me feel lucky for all the good times. Progression is the most addicting thing in the world for me and continued progression would not be possible without the occasional reset. __Maintaining a position as a top athlete in the world for so long and being in such a visible position comes with a lot of pressure and expectation. How do you balance your career, your family, and your passion?__ The balance is probably the crux of my life these days. I rarely feel like I have it quite right. With my family I have been forced to up my productivity. Constantly ask myself what is really important to me focus on that. I am also quite lucky that my family loves the climbing life. So road tripping to climbing aras and traveling fulfills both climbing and family expectation. I have definitely had to sacrifice sleep in the past few years.    __How do you come to set new climbing goals? Are there any goals that have eluded you? Do these goals ever seems impossible when you start? And if so, how do you get past that doubt?__ I feel like I spend the majority of my life failing to reach goals. But I am really persistent and in climbing you can just keep coming back to something until you finally manage to do it. I have come to a point where I love process and the lifestyle of pursuit more than the achieving of goals. That helps with the doubt because in a way it doesn’t really matter if I succeed in the end.  __In general, what is the scariest or most profound experience you have ever had, personally or professionally?__ My experience in Kyrgyzstan in 2000 was the most impactful of my life. It reset how I view the world. Most days since I have felt incredibly lucky to be here and alive.    __What has been the biggest surprise and challenge of fatherhood?__ All the cliches of fatherhood become absolutely true once you have kids. I live my life both overwhelmed and absolutely in love. I have been somewhat surprised by how much introspection fatherhood has created. I feel a need to constantly analyze how I live so that I can both support and be a good example for my kids.  __What advice would you give to your child as they set out to achieve their own life goals — whether that be in climbing or whatever their passions end up being?__ Maintain a humble heart but an ambitious mind. Focus on the way you live more than on how you are seen by others.   __You have been literally all over the world for your career and to climb. You must have seen first hand, the darkest of environmental crisis. Can you tell us a bit about some experiences you have had that made you feel upset or concerned for nature's well being?__ The most obvious symptom of environmental change I have seen is in the receding glaciers. The big mountains are melting out and falling apart at an astonishing rate. Bug infestations are wiping out forests all over North America. Forest fires and floods are bigger and more devastating than ever. It hard to pin down the darkest. If your eyes are open you see it everywhere. Travel makes you understand that it is a worldwide issue.  __If you could send a message to every young person in the world today regarding the environment and the great outdoors, what would it be?__ In the words of my beloved lost friend Hayden Kennedy, “Respect.”   __What is your next great adventure or goal?__ After the Dawn Wall I wondered if I would be done with Yosemite for a while. But I realized that the Family/ climbing/ work balance is best when I am there. So last fall I found a new big El cap project. I am also planning on renting out my house and hitting the road for a full year with my family starting this summer. That will certainly be an adventure.   *All photography credited to [Corey Rich Productions](https://www.coreyrich.com/index).* Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-tommy-caldwell # HEROES Spotlight: HaeJun Jeon Published: 2018-01-11 HaeJun is a writer and award-winning director based out of New York City. We had the pleasure of working with HaeJun when creating our own short film "[Lessons](https://vimeo.com/236393275)," over the summer. Her incredible passion for her craft as well as the environment was emphatic. She is a indieFest Film Awards winner and her films have been featured in festivals such as the New York Short Film Festival, the Out Of The Can Film Festival, and Les Films del la Toile. __Where were you born and raised?__ I was born in Seoul, Korea, but I left when I was six months old and grew up in Germany, Singapore, and Guam. __When did you first discover your passion for writing and directing films?__ I definitely took the “scenic route.” I had always been an avid writer and grew up binge watching MTV, so I secretly wished that one day I could make music videos or films--but got sidetracked and went to Wall Street instead after college. It was a strange side track. As soon as I realized it really wasn’t for me, I didn’t hesitate to make a change.  __You didn’t go to school for film. You’ve previously had a career on Wall Street and now at a growing tech startup. What caused you to transition out of wall street and where does filmmaking fit into all of this?__ I wanted to do something that stirred my soul. So I started taking night classes in NYC for film...I had no end-game or transition plan in mind. I just trusted my intuition that this was a good thing for me. Two years and five festivals later, I’m happy to report that it is the best investment I had ever made in myself. __Do you feel that by having your living in one field and your passion in another that allows you a certain freedom in the films you choose to make? Do you feel less pressure to “make it work” as a career?__ Definitely. In fact, not having to worry about bills allows me to be more selective as a filmmaker, because I have the liberty to work on projects that I want to work on. I also don’t want to discount my experiences in Wall Street entirely because there are many transferable skills to filmmaking such as financing, distributing, negotiating, and pitching. Lots of young artists don’t know this side well and aren’t able to rep themselves sufficiently. That said, do I wish I had more fire under my ass? Absolutely. Lucky for me, I have at least ten people in my life telling me to “hurry up jump off the cliff”--including my parents. __What genre do you feel the most connected to and why? How does it relate to your life and your past experiences?__ Drama. It gives me more catharsis than any other genre. I believe that everything is either fear-motivated or love-motivated...and the best dramas I have watched transmute fear into love, and vice versa. In my own life I’ve learned that there is really a thin line between the two emotions...but which side you feel all depends on the version of truth you decide to tell yourself. And filmmaking is all about making your character choose their truth, and why.  __What inspires you?__ In my own life, spiritual intensity inspires me. When I see passionate people truly living in the moment to pursue their dreams--creative or not--it gives me a jolt. But when it comes to filmmaking I’m inspired by stories of those who wrestle with themselves their own demons, whatever it may be, and even more so by those that try to transcend it. __Your first short film won an award and now you recently created a film that was nominated for several different festivals. Does having the successes you’ve had so early scare you at all? I’ve heard that the pressure of having early wins can make it difficult to keep working out of fear of not being able to produce the same results. Do you feel that at all and if so how do you overcome it?__ It’s all about the journey and I really hope mine is far from over! I tell myself that if I am constantly learning new things and having fun, there really is no reason to stop. And sure, some of my projects may be hit or a miss...but that’s expected. The key isn’t to let that stand in the way.  __How do you currently find connections to nature and the environment?__ I try to connect with nature every chance I get--I believe it is important for every creative person to connect to the source to recharge. My room is filled with plants. New York is indeed a concrete jungle, but luckily I live two blocks away from Central Park so that really helps. (Key is to go really early in the morning or after the sunset--during the day it’s teeming with tourists!) I also travel quite far to be where my parents are. They have lived in Alaska, Caucasus mountains, Guam etc...so once a year I get to tag along to some of the most unadulterated parts of the world. __You recently worked with Cause of a Kind to co-write, direct and edit the short film, Take Back Tomorrow :: Lessons. Can you tell us a bit about this project, your connection to its message and your hopes for its message?__ "[Lessons](https://vimeo.com/236393275)" is essentially a love letter from a girl to planet earth. I wanted to humanize planet earth by making her seem capable of everlasting love, except, as you’ll see at the end of the film--she may not be as everlasting as people have hoped for. On a more personal level, I first began writing about the environment when I was living in a tropical island called Guam. In 2008 I had written an essay about coral life preservation which later aired on the local Guam radio. Few years later in college, I toured fortune 500 companies to advocate for corporate social responsibility jobs. But what C.O.K allowed me to do was pause and reflect on the “why” - why anyone would care to write or advocate for the environment in the first place? So I dug deep and connected it back to my childhood, and there I found that my best childhood memories had been formed out in nature. The founders agreed. The story just flowed naturally from there. I think it’s self-explanatory for anyone who has spent camping, gardening, or even walking their dog in the park. I would like to think that it’s only natural for anyone to want to share those kinds of experiences with their future generation.   __What is your next project and what are some aspirations you have for the near future? Will you continue to focus on the environment and creating stories that combine drama with a documentary feel?__ I’m wrapping up a coming-of-age story about women in their early twenties entering a competitive work environment for the first time. It is serendipitous timing, because now more than ever women are vocal, open, and brutally honest than ever. And yes, I plan on continuing to team up with C.O.A.K to release more environmental films/drama-documentaries. Lessons was just first of many. The best is yet to come.  __Where can people find you or get in touch?__ Insta: [@jheyjune](https://www.instagram.com/jheyjune/) Site: [www.jheyjune.org](http://www.jheyjune.org/) Email: [jhaejun@gmail.com](mailto:jhaejun@gmail.com) Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-haejun-jeon # HEROES Spotlight: John Weber Published: 2018-01-08 *We are both psyched and humbled to introduce John Weber, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager for Surfrider Foundation. A New Jersey native that has devoted most of his professional life to the nonprofit sector, John is passionate about the environment and our capacity to actively work to save it. In his current role he oversees nine Surfrider Foundation chapters across five states. We first met John at a [1% For The Planet](http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/) member meet up here in New York City and were blown away by his passion, enthusiasm and dedication to the environment.* __Where were your born and raised?__ New Jersey, I’m a lifer; never left except for college. Mostly Wyckoff which is in Bergen County and a few years in Old Bridge in Middlesex County. Summers were in Beach Haven though. My grandmother bought a house there in 1974. I moved to Monmouth County in the early 1990’s, near the beach. __Tell us a bit about your childhood and what was the defining experience that drove you to a life of non-profit work?__ My parents weren’t really outdoorsy, but they weren’t typical American parents either — my dad is German. Instead of going to sporting events and the circus, we went to museums and outdoor places. Not hardcore camping or anything, just visiting the natural areas around our town. This probably showed me there are places worth protecting right under your nose. But summers at the beach really hooked me. Some years in late June, we’d actually have the car packed on the last day of school and go straight down there. After college, I just knew I did not want to work for a big company. I leaned towards environmental stuff with my biology degree. What led me to nonprofit work was literally an ad in the paper, for a door-to-door field canvasser. I did this for environmental and social causes for years. It lead me to where I am now. That job and the organizations I worked for taught me how to organize people. It also taught me that education is not always enough. You need people to demand policies and laws that actually protect the environment and people.  __What are some outdoor activities that you enjoy participating in and why?__ I’m kind-of a one trick pony with surfing. It’s pretty much all I do if I’ve got the time and conditions are good. I’m trying to get into surf fishing, but there is a big time commitment there. I’m trying. I dabble. Some stand up paddling, mostly on flat water. It’s a good way to see birds and wildlife. But really, anything you can do at the beach. __Obviously you have taken a professional path towards focusing on the ocean, beaches and shorelines with Surfrider. As a human being, is the ocean where you personally connect, or is there a greater environmental malady that you are particularly passionate about?__ It is where I connect. I structured my life to be near the ocean. I took a job that let me live near the beach, I bought the closest house to the beach I could afford, twice. Taking the Surfrider job I knew I’d deepen my connection to the coast and ocean. This work has made me realize that the same is true for so many people; it’s where so many people connect. It’s not trivial either. It’s not just playing in the surf and sand. If you think creation is important, then “re-creation” is important too. The world can be such a screwed up place these days. Imagine what it would be like if people couldn’t go to the beach, ocean, or their favorite natural place and connect with nature. We’d be a whole lot worse off. The greater malady of course is Climate Change. While there is plenty of appropriate focus on the causes (emissions) end, everything we do at Surfrider is impacted on the results end — the sea level rise, the ocean acidification, the loss of beaches, and the impacts of storms. So while we don’t work on the emissions end of climate change, it is all related.  __If you could have a conversation with the youth of the world today, what would be your one takeaway point that you would urge them to embrace?__ My message would be different for different youth. If they live in a democracy, I’d say use your democracy, get fully involved in that as a way to bring about environmental change. If not, I’d say reject Western consumer culture and work in whatever way you can to protect the natural environment where you live. __Obviously there are some significant battles that we are fighting with respect to the environment. Do you ever see success?__ Yes! Surfrider Foundation actually measures our successes by campaign victories. We count them. When a decision is made like a law is passed or a policy is created that is good for the environment, we count that as a victory if it was a local chapter campaign. We put it right on the Surfrider website at [http://www.surfrider.org/campaigns](http://www.surfrider.org/campaigns). It’s a great way for people to know what they are getting for their donation to Surfrider Foundation. We have hundreds of victories to date; some big some small. Some big local ones include helping to stop three different proposals for Liquid Natural Gas facilities offshore in the New York, New Jersey area. Also local bag laws dealing with plastic bags, things like that. A big national victory last year was stopping offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic. We won! But now we have to fight that campaign all over again. That’s what’s hard in the environmental movement. Every victory is temporary and every loss is permanent. > That’s what’s hard in the environmental movement. Every victory is temporary and every loss is permanent. __How will you know that you have accomplished a current mission or campaign?__ With a campaign, it is easy. They are clearly defined. If this decision is made, we won, if this other decision is made, we lost. With mission...it’s never over. The coast is never saved, it is always being saved.  __What are some easy tips and tricks that you have acquired over a lifetime that would help people, regardless of their connection to the environment, to simply live a more conscious lifestyle?__ Simple — get rid of your television. I did 25 years ago. I haven’t missed a thing. In fact, it frees up so much of your life to do and learn other things. Plus, without TV you don’t want all the stuff they are selling you. You don’t feel inadequate or lacking or needy of the crap they are selling you in commercials. Also, when giving gifts, think in terms of experiences, not things, including for yourself. Time with friends or loved ones at a concert, play, dinner, surf trip, ski trip, weekend getaway is the kind of thing that will last a lifetime in memories. The thing advertised on TV will probably not last you until next year. To be more conscious, I’d suggest visiting your “away” — as in where you throw things away. Visit your local landfill (or any landfill if you can) or recycling center etc. It will change your attitude about all the “stuff” in your life. Become more materialistic. That’s right, more materialistic. And by that I mean think and consider the full life cycle of everything that passes through your hands. How was it made? Who made it? What are the raw materials involved? How were they extracted? It’s a way to know your world better and to do less harm when you have that knowledge. > To be more conscious, I’d suggest visiting your “away” — as in where you throw things away. Visit your local landfill (or any landfill if you can) or recycling center etc. It will change your attitude about all the “stuff” in your life. __If you could erase a single environmental issue from planet earth, what would it be and why?__ Greed or ignorance but that’s just not going to happen.  __How can people contact you or their local Surfrider Chapter?__ They can and should go to [surfrider.org](http://www.surfrider.org/) and click on the “Our Network” tab and choose “chapters.” You can search the map or the table [there](http://www.surfrider.org/chapters). There are also clubs in schools. If there is not one in your school, get some friends together and start one up. Chapters and clubs are great but people shouldn’t feel like they have to go through them or go to them. We have an Ocean Friendly Restaurant program now. See the criteria and if you own a restaurant, register it [here](http://www.surfrider.org/programs/ocean-friendly-restaurants). Or just tell your favorite restaurants about it. There are also DIY ways to connect. These days, people seem to just go to the beach, pick up a bunch of trash, take a picture and hashtag it [#riseaboveplastic](https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/riseaboveplastic/) or [#surfrider](https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/surfrider/). For a motivated person, I think there are a lot of options to engage in our mission. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-john-weber # HEROES Spotlight: Kait Bykowicz Published: 2018-01-04 *Kait Bykowicz is a sponsored Obstacle Course Racer, personal trainer, and designer hailing from Oklahoma City. She focuses on supplementing her intense training with just simply being outside. As a designer she owns and runs her own studio [3oh'9](http://www.3oh9.com/), with a focus on helping startups and non-profits achieve amazing results with their creative. Kait is an inspiration to strong women and a symbol of perseverance. We had the chance to catch up with Kait in between races to hear her story.* __Where were you born and raised?__ I was born and raised in Valley City, OH. It's a very rural farming township in North Eastern Ohio. I lived there for 21 years before relocating to Oklahoma after college. __How did you get into adventure racing?__ I got into Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) in 2011. I had been running road races since I was a kid, and track in high school, but had kind of distanced myself from it in college. That is until I heard of this race where you climbed over walls, and under barbed wire, and it was this new kind of big deal thing that sounded like a great time. Although far from what it is today, 6 years later, it was a welcome change from road running that gave me a renewed interest in fitness and running. That same year I ran my first Tough Mudder with my dad by my side, and I walked away with hypothermia, sore, defeated, and hungry for more. The amount of mental strength you have to have, to command yourself to continue when every part of you wants to quit, is amazing. When you gain that ability for your mental strength to be deafening over the pain you feel, you can conquer anything, and it becomes addicting to see what you can do next.  __What would you say to other women that want to do their first adventure race but are intimidated?__ The sport is men heavy, often races I toe the start line with maybe 5 other women, after having watched a couple dozen men go off. We fight for equality, yet so many of us believe we aren't capable of things our men counterparts are. Let me tell you, you are. The women who are in the sport are super amiable. I have only ever met one woman at a race, who made me feel inferior purposely. One. Out of 100s of races. I encourage all women to get out there and try a race. Don't wait for your friends to agree to go. I remember the first race I ran alone, I almost didn't go. Mud Ninja, in Ohio. My friend bailed the night before, and I told myself I couldn't do it alone. I did end up going alone, knew no one, and still had help offered when I needed it, and finished. Challenge yourself to go and make new friends, have new experiences, and walk away with a different kind of strength. If running alone scares you, and your friends aren't up for a run, look for a local team. Team Valhalla has become my family away from home. The support always helps calm anxiety before a race.  __What was the most challenging race you've competed in so far and why?__ The most challenging race I've competed in was OCR World Championships 2016 in Blue Mountain, Ontario. Although I think 2017's course was harder, I was under prepared for 2016. Living in Oklahoma there are few areas to run any sort of elevation change. The mountain tore me up physically and mentally. I was drained and dead when I crossed the finish line in 2016. Although, the charity Make A Wish 8k at the OCR World Championships 2017 might be a close second. The hurricane winds at the top of the mountain, with the hardest rain I have ever encountered, and cold temperatures made me hypothermic and absolutely miserable. Especially after having ran the 15k, and team challenge before it.  __What's you favorite obstacle?__ I have 2. One of my favorite obstacles is the Indian Mud Run Floating walls, from the Indian Mud Run Race in Coshocton, OH. They've really reinvented them over the recent years, and watching the genius behind it's evolution is awesome. They make for some pretty cool pictures, and the people watching think they're alot harder than they really are. The other was a new one for me at OCRWC 2017, the La Gaffe du Draveur, from The Northman Race. A series of poles that you cross and move from side to side. It was innovative and surprisingly fun. __What weaknesses are you currently working to overcome and what does your training look like to attack it head on?__ My biggest weakness is elevation climbing. I've always hated hills. But I recently bought another property specifically to build obstacles to practice, and it has hills! A run around the block is about 4 miles and 500 ft of climbing. Not much, but for around here it is more than I've found anywhere else. Since I've moved here I have definitely noticed a change in my training, and PR'd my 5k in a local race, on a flat course unintentionally just setting out to have a good time. I run hill sprints weekly now, and while I still hate hills, it definitely helps. __Would you consider yourself to be environmentally conscious, and why?__ I would say I am decently environmentally conscious, but I could probably do more. Is there a particular natural place that you resonate with? Anywhere out in the country. Where houses are few and far between, it's easier to breathe, and it's quiet. The land is often untouched and you pass more cows road running than cars or people. I was raised out in rural OH, and rolling farmland is where I've always felt at home.  __If there were an individual cause that you care about, related to the environment, what would it be?__ Animal habitats and the impact we as humans have on them environmentally. I'm a big animal lover. (I have 2 large dogs, and I've been dog sitting a 3rd for 6 months.) The thought that we are destroying their homes, and leaving them with few places to live, and quite frankly just ruining their lives, breaks my heart. We are seemingly careless about species other than our own, destroying their habitats in a moment. If we keep destroying the few places nature still takes precedence, our world is going to become a very dismal place. __Do you think there is an intersection between being an elite obstacle course athlete and caring about the environment?__ Of course there is an intersection between being an elite OCR racer and caring about the environment. Our races are held in some of the most beautiful areas, and anyone who has tried to find a venue for an OCR to be held at, can attest to the fact that there aren't all that many large plots of untouched land left. I took part in a 12 hour overnight adventure race, Dusk till Dawn, that was held in a state park in Kansas. We covered 50 miles on foot and bike, through corn fields, woods, and lakes. Almost everything I take part in is outdoors, and largely requires the environment to be natural and not man made. Those of us who spend so much time outdoors have no problem seeing the beauty, and knowing we have to protect it. It's on us to remind our indoor counterparts such. __Where can people find you, follow you, get in touch?__ You can find me [@kaitmzd](https://www.instagram.com/kaitmzd/) on instagram and also through [my design studio's website](http://www.3oh9.com/) if you are interested in discussing my creative work. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-kait-bykowicz # HEROES Spotlight: Erika Bergman Published: 2018-01-01 *As a submarine pilot and National Geographic Explorer, Erika Bergman is a passionate storyteller. She studied chemical oceanography at the University of Washington while working as a diesel engineer aboard the tall ship SV Lady Washington and a steamship engineer aboard the SS Virginia V. Since then she has worked as a submersible pilot for exploration, research, and filmmaking. Erika is an editor on [OpenExplorer.com](https://openexplorer.com/home), a site dedicated to supporting and curating a new era of connected, citizen exploration. She is also the Founder of [GEECs](https://www.thegeecs.com/) - Global Engineering & Exploration Counselors; providing a network of thrilling engineering camps to girls around the world.* __Where were you born and raised?__ Surprisingly complex question - I was born in San Antonio Texas however I moved often as a girl. We lived in Texas, Florida, Washington, and Hawaii. In high school I applied to Rotary International as an exchange student and was placed in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. So I also consider Central America part of where I was raised, I grew up very quickly in that year.  __How did it all begin for Erika? Tell us a bit about your childhood, your early passions and interests and a bit about your support system at home.__ I feel like mixed families can be very good for childhood development. I grew up the youngest between remarried parents and various step-siblings. I’m grateful for them all now, but certainly at the time we all learned how to cope with personality differences. My entire family always encouraged me to march to the beat of my own drum, and they continue to be pillars of support. I spent long stretches of time as a girl on my own in the woods and jungles of Washington and Hawaii. I had pretty standard farm chores, feeding cattle, mowing the lawn, and painting buildings. I particularly loved anything I got to do with the tractor, I loved our John Deere tractor and made as many messes with piles of dirt and manure as I did tidy them up like I was supposed to. Bless their hearts my folks let me get as dirty and wild as I wanted, and let me adventure into nature with a machete as long as I took a dog. It was always, “Take the dog with you, and be back for dinner!” and I was off. It was a glorious childhood.  __How in the world did you land on such a niche passion focused on oceanography, underwater robotics and marine and ocean exploration at such an early age?__ “If you cut me I bleed cold, salty, clear.” I think that’s a line from an old sea shanty. I don’t think I can explain it much better, I’m a water person. I’m also a big nerd, so things with motors and engines, like ships, and marine robotics and submarines were just a draw I couldn’t escape. When we docked our tall ship next to a steam ship one summer when I was 18, I could hear the steam engine hissing and thumping and I was instantly drawn in. I simply HAD to go work on it. Being an steam engineer, a “fireman,” was everything I dreamed it would be. My domain was deep in a steamy bilge surrounded by huge thumping machinery. My job was throwing 15 pound diesel atomizing burners in and out of the steam generating “firebox” and locking them in place with a massive lever that seated with a really satisfying thud. I was just alone down there oiling all the pistons and pumps, getting all greasy, I was just so happy. Every new engine and robot gives me that same joy - it’s so tangible. Engines make things move, it’s that simple.  __What are some of the primary issues do marine robotics and GEEC’s solve for?__ The ocean is notoriously problematic for anything mechanical or electrical. The pressure, the salinity, the biofouling of instrumentation, a true list of the challenges would daunt even the bravest ocean engineering firms. We’re going to need an army of committed innovators to find solutions to these challenges. The goal with GEECs is the inspire a league of future ocean engineers who value a balance of pure conservation and sustainable resource management. The biggest issue, and easiest to solve in my opinion, is that we haven’t even explored the entire sea floor. GEECs enables girls to lead their own small scale mapping projects and inspires scientific questions for their future work. This develops the explorers of the future, but also adds to the sorely under developed network of seafloor data, topography, and ecology now. Double whammy.  __What are some of your most notable accomplishments? Humbly, how do you refer to yourself at this point? Scientist? Oceanographer? Marine Conservationist? With so many areas of interest, how do you find focus?__ I think the most telling way to identify yourself is by the way people store you in their phone contacts. Without any suggestions, I’m often stored as “Submarine Girl,” so I guess that’s the best title for who I am. Day to day, I call myself a submarine pilot. However I’ve been described as a renaissance woman of exploration, and I like that. The stellar thing about the ocean is that you really need to consider yourself all of those things (all of the above), to impact any one. The ocean is tied so tightly to everything on the planet, you must maintain a broad picture in your head of who you are, so that you don’t miss an opportunity to make an impact from a different angle. My greatest accomplishments are in telling the untold stories of the ocean, and being a resource/reference for those doing conservation work. I go out there and produce films for national Geographic that tell the story of bizarre creatures of the deep to millions of viewers, but I also sit in a little huddle with 4 or 5 girls late at night at the aquarium and tell ghostly tales about being entangled and trapped underwater in a submarine (we came out of it just fine obviously, but the story is a good one). I don’t know which of those I’m more proud of, but my gut tells me it’s hanging with my young gal pals and dreaming of the amazing things they will accomplish in the future because of the night they camped out at the aquarium with the Submarine Girl.  __You appear to also be quite the filmmaker. How did you get involved with film?__ Behind every great camera shot, is an engineer who scurried about assembling complex film rigs of tracks, and motors, and bicycles wheels and cables. With National Geographic filmmaking you take that engineering challenge and add distance, jungle heat, bugs, and language barriers, and you have the perfect bait to to draw out the wild child who played with tractor engines and dirt all through childhood. I became a National Geographic Explorer by writing a grant to steam live skype calls from inside a submarine, no film challenge as daunted me more than that, yet.  __Your connection to the environment is evident. Can you tell us a bit about the environmental challenges you think are most pressing right now, and some solutions you believe would positively change the trajectory of our current world?__ We’re ushering in a new era of human growth on our little planet. I think we will find ways to accommodate the food and resources needed for this gigantic population, but what we haven’t addressed enough is waste management. I spend a lot of time on the seafloor, and boy let me tell you, it is a garbage dump down there. We need to address our obsession with single use plastics and carefree and liberal use of garbage cans. I think the key lies in sustainable packaging, and sustainable clothing. Those two plastics are suffocating the ocean, and this will quickly come back to suffocate us. One of the solutions I’ve seen in the clothing sector, are sustainable blue jeans production. I had no idea how deleterious the blue jean manufacturing process was on the ocean, and the humans who make them. That’s an area that needs more storytelling. I would encourage consumers to get informed, and hold themselves to higher standards of clothing reuse. There’s a film called River Blue that bent my mind, it’s a good place for all of us to start. ([riverbluethemovie.eco](http://riverbluethemovie.eco/))  __You work heavily with young girls, helping them to express their intelligence and explore a career in science without boundaries or limits. When you stand in front of the newest group of young, impressionable minds, what do you say? They could choose to follow the next a-list instagram celebrity, but they choose GEEC’s instead. How do you keep them engaged and influence their future?__ I give them the opportunity to make their own instagram rival the awesomeness of any celebrity they look up to. I show them that they have star power. I also do not coddle them, I hold them to a very high standard, and make it clear that every hope of success is on their shoulders. Not a single girl has let me down or made an excuse for a mistake. If you expect great things, they will deliver, and love doing it.   __What is your next project and what are some aspirations you have for the near future?__ My next project is the most daunting I’ve ever undertaken. It’s to stay the course, and keep doing what i’m doing. An education company is not a big sexy draw for everyone, but it’s important. With 100 girls through the program, and taking leadership roles as mentors during each new camp, I’m so happy to see Girls Underwater Robot Camp growing. Now the question is, what next? I struggle with the next steps, just like anyone halfway down a path with nothing but mountains to climb in front of them, but I’m ready to scale up GEECs to reach thousands of girls the world over. I’m open to suggestions :) __Where can people find you or get in touch?__ Instagram [@theerikabergman](https://www.instagram.com/theerikabergman/) for pretty pictures of the ocean. Email: [erika@theGEECs.com](mailto:erika@theGEECs.com) for GEECy business. Twitter for those that like thoughts: [@erika_bergman](https://twitter.com/erika_bergman) Or they can follow our various adventures and expeditions on [OpenExplorer.com](https://openexplorer.com/home), and then start their own! Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-erika-bergman # HEROES Spotlight: Catherine Capon Published: 2017-12-28 *Catherine Capon is a British naturalist, adventurer, animal lover, journalist and traveler. She travels the world in search of incredible destinations for ecotourism while writing about, filming, and photographing the journey in order to inspire others to do the same. Catherine has found through her travels that ecotourism has become a powerful method of conservation world-wide. By encouraging others to value these destinations for their own vacations they become infinitely more valuable as a preserved resource rather than a destroyed one. Her adventures are thrilling and unique and we hope you are inspired to try one for yourself after reading this spotlight.* __Where were you born and raised?__ I grew up in Greater London where the choices of outside space to explore and play in were limited. However, for as long as I can remember, I’ve craved being outdoors. I was the kind of kid who came home from school with frogs in my pockets, muddy tights and grazed elbows.  __Tell us a bit about your journey and your obvious alignment with the environment and particularly the ocean.__ My passion for nature led me to study zoology and ecology at Imperial College in Central London — perhaps the most removed you can possibly be from the natural systems on this planet. Classroom learning was always frustrating for me as I just wanted to see, smell and feel all that I was being taught in the wild. So, when the opportunity came up to study bats in Honduras for three months, I jumped at the chance. That expedition completely changed my life. I replaced my comfortable London bed for a hammock, cooked rice and beans every day on a fire that I had to start myself ‘Bear Grylls Style,’ washed in a river and had mosquito bites on every square inch of my body. However, I’d never been happier. I’d wake up to howler monkeys calling. Set up mist nets in the forest at night to take data from bats and watch fireflies dance around my head rather than rubbish late night TV. Life there was simple and beautiful and I felt completely connected to the natural world. Upon returning home from Honduras, I knew that, in my career, I wanted to inspire other people to have wild adventures too. I hoped that if others experienced the same awe and wonder that I did, places like the cloud forest of Central America with their network of interconnected species could be cherished and protected. And so, since university, I’ve worked in wildlife TV production, sustainability campaigning, and conservation journalism. I’ve learnt huge amounts about the best way to engage an audience in important global issues. But, the one thing that doesn’t work is fear mongering.   Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that the growing human population is putting unsustainable pressure on the natural world. However, the campaigns, TV shows and articles that I’ve worked on that have been most successful, are the ones that remind us of the beauty of the natural world, the simple things that we can do to make a difference and the small wins that we’ve had. Ecotourism does all of these 3 things. How many of you count down the days until you travel? We all love our vacations. But what if everyone swapped a resort for an ecolodge and sunbathing to wildlife watching? What effect would that have? As well as having life changing adventures, ecotourism is one of the best tools that we have to save endangered species from extinction. The more tourists that come to see and photograph the animals — the more money is coming into the communities. The local people then start to see that the animals are worth more alive than dead. This helps reduce things like poaching, bushmeat hunting, illegal fishing and deforestation. In fact, scientists say that without ecotourism, gorillas would now be extinct in the wild. So, there I was in December 2014. An enthusiastic naturalist with over 7 years of media experience under my belt and a new understanding about the importance of ecotourism. I set myself the almost impossible goal of visiting 12 wildlife hotspots around the world in 1 year. I then teamed up with some of the best photographers and filmmakers in the business to start a not-for-profit blog and vlog about the experiences that you can have with these wild animals. Nearly 4 years later we’re still going!  __You seem extremely well traveled. Where have you been and why did you choose each destination? Pick your favorites.__ I’ve now been fortunate enough to have travelled to over 60 countries (133 left to see!!) and I choose destinations with the greatest opportunities to see the truly charismatic animals of our planet in the wild. This isn’t to say that the less alluring animals aren’t important. However, you’re more likely to inspire wildlife adventures with tigers and orangutans than the critically endangered Bolivian chinchilla rat! One of the toughest questions that I get asked is to name my favourite destinations. Each place really does have its unique highlights. However, if I’m pushed, I’d say my top 3 destinations for wildlife are: Madagascar, the Galapagos and Uganda. You can check out [my blog](http://catherinecapon.com/) to see why!   __In your travels, what are some of the worst things you have seen with regard to the current state of the environment?__ Every destination has its environmental challenges. Overdevelopment and irresponsible tourism in Crystal River, Florida. Deforestation for palm oil plantations in Borneo. The exotic bushmeat trade in Uganda. Habitat fragmentation in Madagascar. I could write something for every destination that I’ve travelled to! However, rather than focusing on the negative practices that are threatening the exquisite animals that inhabit our planet, let’s focus on something good! In every destination that I’ve been to, I’ve also met true conservation heroes who are working locally to make real change. These individuals inspire me to carry on my work because together we really could save species from disappearing forever. __You appear to be involved with many different activities and passions. What are some of them and what is the intersection between your passions and environmental preservation?__ My dream is help people fall head-over-heels in love with nature. A kind of ‘green cupid’ if you will. Whether that’s producing TV shows, running campaigns, writing articles, public speaking or creating content for social media, I’ll try any channel to communicate! Through my travels, research and people that I meet, I’m constantly learning about new issues and causes that need attention. Talking about what can be done and how seems far more impactful than just sharing doom and gloom stories.   __How do you live an eco friendly lifestyle on a daily basis? What are some simple things you have implemented in your life that everyone could do?__ The more you explore the natural world, the more you see how connected absolutely everything is. You therefore start to realise that every action that you take has a consequence. Buying products containing unsustainable palm oil destroys orangutans’ habitat. Overconsumption of meat means vast areas of forest are cut down to grow soya beans for animal feed. Single-use plastic is choking our rivers and oceans. I try to live as consciously as I can. For me, conscious living means observing every thought I think, word I speak and action I take. This sounds like an exhausting process but, once you start, the benefits are phenomenal. With regards to travel, it obviously has consequences for our planet. Flying isn’t environmentally friendly but for most people’s budget and time off work, it’s the only option. It’s not realistic to tell people not to travel. We’re a curious species and will always want to experience new things. However, resorts, cruise ships and other types of mass tourism can be swapped for far more eco options whilst also giving you better holiday stories to tell than who won the sun lounger war. By choosing wildlife, adventure or eco holiday destinations, we can all make a difference.    __If you had the opportunity to speak to the youth of the world and implore a single life lesson, what would that be and why?__ If you believe in something enough, throw everything you have at it and don’t give up at the first hurdle. You just need to be committed enough to work through the tough parts. And there are ALWAYS tough parts. I’ve come across a fair few challenges on my journey. I've suffered from seasickness so violent that I vomited through my dive regulator into shark infested water. In Malaysia, I had leeches sucking my blood all over me. And I mean EVERYWHERE! I've suffered severe dehydration, almost been arrested by police in Mexico and had a gorilla urinate on my head! But, for me, the most challenging part of these expeditions isn't the physical discomforts. Actually, they often just make for even better stories. The hardest part was/is trying to get other people to believe in my dream as much as I do. I've been well used to rejection and being a woman in this sector has been a challenge that I wasn't expecting. I hope this is no longer a factor in the future as I see more and more female adventurers achieving incredible things. However, I have had people say to me 'But you don't look like an adventurer' and 'I've had to fire women from expeditions before. They are too distracting'. For me, every moment of struggle is worth it and I'll keep on promoting eco adventures as a tool for the conservation of this planet's amazing creatures. My advice is to document the challenges as well as the highlights: write them down, photograph them and film them. They are all part of your story that, one day, you can use to inspire others with to take on those impossible challenges.    __If there were an individual cause that you care about, related to the environment, what would it be?__ No country that I’ve visited has touched me quite like Madagascar. Madagascar has the smallest species of reptile in the world, 107 species of lemur (20 per cent of the world’s primates), mysterious Tenrecs that resemble an otter-hedgehog hybrid and Baobab trees that look like they are straight from a fairytale book. In fact five per cent of the world’s biodiversity can be found on Madagascar – not bad considering it’s only 0.4 per cent of the world’s land mass! I’ve become spellbound by Madagascar’s distinction but I’m afraid for its future. 30,000 hectares of forest are being cut down each year and, if this rate continues, there will be no forest left within 25 years. Without the forests, wildlife will have nowhere to live! Ecotourism is a viable way to make the forest’s worth more to the local people than turning them into agricultural land. If the Malagasy people can make a good living from guiding tourists through the forests and showing off the befitting animals it hosts, they are far more likely to protect them for many more generations. The key here is that, if you want to save the lemurs, you need to go to visit them. And if that option is financially unobtainable, then you can donate to make a difference. Primatologists from all over the planet have come together to create the Lemur Action Plan — a scientific paper on how to save all 107 species. Only $7million is needed to ensure their future, if we can persuade 7 million people to donate $1, then we’ve done it! If you’d like to ensure that generations to come can enjoy the splendor of Madagascar, you can donate here: [http://www.saveourspecies.org/get-involved](http://www.saveourspecies.org/get-involved)   __Where can people find you?__ Instagram: [@catherinecapon](https://www.instagram.com/catherinecapon/) Website: [http://catherinecapon.com](http://catherinecapon.com/) YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/c/CatherineCaponsWildlifeAdventures](https://www.youtube.com/c/CatherineCaponsWildlifeAdventures)   Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-catherine-capon # HEROES Spotlight: Xiuhtezcatl Martinez Published: 2017-12-25 *Xiuhtezcatl (pronounced Shu-Tez-Caht) is an indigenous climate activist, hip-hop artist, public speaker, and all-around a titanic, young voice for the environmentalist movement. He is only 17 years old and he has spoken around the world from the TED stage, to the Rio+20 United Nations Summit in Rio de Janeiro, to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He is the Youth Director of Earth Guardians, a movement to empower other young people to step us as leaders and amplify their message and impact. He is also a plaintiff along with 20 other young activists suing the U.S. government for failure to act on climate change, jeopardizing our youth's future. Xiuhtezcatl is an incredible voice for a neglected generation and has a rare wisdom for a such young man. Without further adieu we give you Xiuhtezcatl Martinez...* __Where were you born and raised? Tell us a bit about your heritage and how it has formed your belief system.__ I was born in Boulder, Colorado and was raised between Boulder and Mexico. I was very young the first time I went to Mexico and my first language was Spanish. I grew up as a young kid with all my time and energy spent exploring and playing; falling in love with the world. I traveled so much as a young child. My parents took me all over mexico. I would go to a lot of different tribal ceremonies and I very much grew up with traditional dances, traditional songs and exposure to the culture of my people. It gave me such a sense of connection with the world. It really helped shape my identity as a Meshika person and someone who is a representative of the Meshika people. I also feel a sense of responsibility fighting as my ancestors did. My father and my grandfather used to tell me stories of my ancestors fighting for our people. It gives me the feeling of being a warrior. I have the same connection to our land and our water and resources that come from nature. I began to learn about environmental issues from my mom and the work that she has done with Earth Guardians. I gained a sense of urgency to fight and protect the planet. It has all helped to shape the way that I am today. My cultural heritage, to everything I learned from mom mother as well. Activism. Resistance. Non-violent disobedience. It was just very much a part of my childhood growing up.  __When kids are younger you'll catch them at the park or playing sports or playing with friends. How did you come to feel so passionate about the environment at such a young age?__ My parents taught me to love and respect nature. Love and respect the earth. It was very much a ceremonial practice with my father. We would celebrate nature with dance and songs and prayer. That allowed me to establish a really strong connection. My mom always took me outside. I used to run around in the first and catch snakes in the grass outside. As a little boy I didn't got to school until third grade. I was maybe 9 or 10. The first time I ever went to school. Everything I knew as a young child revolved around tribal ceremony and nature. I was simply able to form a really strong bond. In my household, it was emphasized to protect and respect the natural world. I did all the fun things that little kids do, I just did it specifically outside. __With your constant travel and your mission, how are you pursuing knowledge? Are you attending school? Do you plan to attend university in the near future and what do you plan to pursue as a focus?__ It has been wild. The last several years of my schooling have been in and out. Taking semesters off to travel. Taking weeks off to travel. I have always loved learning. I love everything from science to history to mathematics, just learning about the world and my place in it. The last school that I went to was an absolutely incredible experience. I am extremely passionate about learning. I stopped attending school last November. I am just finishing online in order to just graduate high school, just to get the certificate. However, the knowledge that I am receiving from the world, is just so much more than I would ever receive in a classroom or from a professor. I am meeting the most incredible, knowledgable people. From economists to politicians and analysts, scientists, entrepreneurs, historians, indigenous leaders, and people that care indigenous wisdom. Leaders on the front lines of different movements. The spectrum of knowledge that I am receiving just by being in the world, living and experiencing it, traveling; all of these things are so much deeper than I would get in a classroom. College is not in the plans right now. I think the institution of university right now is a little bit limited, in terms of what the world has to offer as opposed to paying tens of thousands of dollars to attend a school every year. I think there are a lot of things about our education system that are currently broken. I think education is one of the most important things in the world. I think a lot of things need to change in order to do it appropriately and adequately to help prepare the next generation for the world we are going to grow up in as well as provide the adequate tools to build in it. So yes, I pursue education for the rest of my life but maybe not in the traditional sense. But I am always learning.  __How did you discover your love for hip-hop and what else do you like to do when you're just enjoying some free time? What does your music help you communicate?__ The first hip-hop album I listened to was made by Michael Franti. He had an album called *Stay Human*. It's a really old album of his. Was a very Hip-Hop R&B kind of vibe. Super political. That's actually he first album I owned. I was 8 years old when I got that. An obviously learning more and listening to more and surrounding myself with music that was different. I remember the first time I heard Talib Kweli’s album Ballad of the Black Gold, which was about oil and the fossil fuel monopolization of the planet. I was so moved by that song because it was such a dope beat and such a catchy track with such a powerful message. I listened to KwelI and Mos Def, Jurassic 5 and just really exploring hip hop and its presence in shaping social movements, inspiring social movements and being the anthem for change in the past. Hop hop has been such a powerful tool for change to our history which really excited me and inspired me to use it as an expression of my voice. The last year and a half has been the most music intensive year of my life. I have focused on making my record, Break Free — releasing music, recording, learning my voice, learning about writing lyrics and freestyling, learning how to make beats and tracks. It's been a crazy journey for the last year. Working with other artists and collaborating in the studio is definitely my huge passion. It has helped me find my way as just a kid in this world to things outside of music that make me happy. I still love to just be a kid and go on crazy adventures at night time and run around with some of my friends tagging the city. I love sports too. I could talk about it any day. I love to surf and ski and eat good food. Anything a regular 17 year old kid would want to do. I love to go to parties, I love to dance and meet people. I love to make music and freestyle, meet people on the streets and jam. As long as it is creative and positive, I'm about it. Talking about climate justice, about social justice, about indigenous rights, about my heritage and my story. It's been a major outlet that connects people in a different way and inspires people to wake up in a way that just speaking and giving TED talks won't do. The music is just a different outlet. When I am playing at a club, or a show or a festival, and the audience gives me their energy. When the music is meaningful, you can see it in their eyes and feel them. It is so powerful. Yes there are songs that are just hype and you see everybody dancing and yelling, but they don't really have deep and powerful meaning. You can feel the vibe of the audience. I have had experiences where this energy comes alive when I play these songs. I think to myself, I am not alone anymore when I think these thoughts. All of a sudden the whole world is in my head.  __With the environment in such dire straights, how do you envision your mission over the next 5 years?__ Over the next five years I plan to take a small step back from all of the work that I am doing publicly. I do a lot of speaking engagements outside to educate people. I've become somewhat of the face of a movement. I really want to focus more on Earth Guardians to build the strongest infrastructure possible. I am working really hard to be a part of shifting the culture of activism to be less about be an activist and focus more on creating change and bringing these ideas into our lives. I am doing a lot of work to bring people together who are going to shape and shift and lead this movement. I want to organize it and begin to be a part of celebrating the intersectionality between the social justice movement, black lives matter, environmentalism, indigenous culture, LGBT community and my participation in a lawsuit against the federal government. We are headed to pre-trial at the end of december and our trial date is in February, taking place in Oregon. I am doing a lot to improve Earth Guardians. We have thousands of kids reaching out to us each year trying to get involved and I feel that I need to spend my time building the infrastructure to help catch all that momentum. There are so many people that want to get involved and I think Earth Guardians can be one of the biggest avenues of capturing the action of all these people.  __In general, what is the scariest experience you have ever had?__ My mother does not know about this. If she reads this I guess she will now. She's gonna be so disappointed. Love you mom. I was New Zealand with a few of my friends. One of them is my former language arts teacher, now retired. His name is Jim Barnes and he is in his 60s. The other is my crazy producer, my partner in crime, my homie Jazz. It was 8pm and we wanted to get out to the outlook, or peninsula out in the ocean. It was a 2 hour hike to get to. We wanted to do it all but, but time got away from us, so we started super late. We started heading out there and we started walking along the beach. After about an hour we got to a little place where the tide was starting to come in. We had to scramble over some boulders to get to the other side. We saw exactly where we were trying to go at this point. We walked another hour along the beach finally getting to this place which is a beautiful lookout over the ocean. We turned around to head back after kicking it for a little bit and before we new it, the sun was gone. It was a full moon. The waves were insane. We were literally stuck out there. We had to traverse our way back at the bottom of a cliff line where there were smashing waves and there was this moment where my friend actually slipped. It was like he was falling to his death. My 60 year old, former language arts teacher ended up slipping and falling and he was about to land in the ocean. I literally caught his hand and saved his life and it was so so intense. We were super scared after that. We had to take a break and sit for a minute to decide what we were going to do. It was for real a life or death vibe. We were all feeling this way. My friend Jazz, this crazy jungle kid who never wears shoes was also super scared. Obviously we survived and we made it out. We gave thanks to the mood for giving us the guiding light. We made it back to the beach after having to wade through the water. We eventually made it back to the inlet, intentionally jumped in the ocean, had some laughs about the ordeal and just left. It was definitely the scariest experience I have ever had. Also was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.  __If you could get everyone in the world to do 3 things that would positively change the environment, what would they be and why?__ The first thing would be to properly educate yourself. Read articles. Watch documentaries. Talk to experts. The first step is seriously to get educated and informed. Then to integrate the solutions into your lifestyle. Secondly, don't just focus on all of the bad problems that are happening, but also the solutions. What are the most current and efficient energy technologies? What are the newest competitive companies? For instance, Ferrari is producing a fully electric car to compete with Tesla. What will that look like? There are new ways of turning plastic and plastic waste into building materials for houses in underdeveloped countries. Educate yourself about all areas but don't forget to research the solutions as well. The most important part is integrating it into your lifestyle. We also need to recognize the way that we eat. Three meals a day, full plates of food. That is a huge strain on our environment. On our water resources which put a huge amount of strain on places like the amazon to produce food for the world. Eating meat and dairy is one of the biggest contributors to climate change because the entire industry of industrial agriculture contributes heavily to emission-based climate change. One of the most environmentally destructive industries on the planet. That ties into the second one which is to not only be educated, but simply change the way that we eat. Become more aware and make better choices. Taking one day a week and not eating meat. One meal a day and making it plant based. Small steps like that are super powerful. The third thing is to then bring that action to your community. Once you are educated and once you are living it then have that conversation with the community you are connected to. If you are a doctor bring it into your office and talk to people about. If you are a yoga practitioner, while you are teaching classes, tie these messages and these ideas into the studio. It all about bringing these ideas to change lives. Learn it. Live it and bring it out into the world. This can be repeated in every area. Social change, education change, women's rights, LGBT rights and so forth. It translates to everyone. I have never wanted to be in a position to tell people what to do or how to live their lives. I just wanted to spread education and lead by example.  __If you could meet one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?__ Tupac! The cultural influence that he had with his music. He was not truly a political MC. His music was so powerful and ultimately empowering. Especially during that time. Learning and reading his music makes me realize that he was so accessible because he was so real and so raw. His music wasn't beautifully censored. It wasn't all nice and music you would play in front of your mom. It was about explaining thing that translated to message of justice and empowerment. What I love about Tupac and his music, is that he was not reaching beyond himself to be politically correct. He was not reaching beyond himself to be super radical, or beyond his reality to be super gangster. He lived every single thing he talked about. His authenticity is what is missing from hip-hop on a large scale today. You talk about hip-hop today and it's all about drugs and women. That's not what life's all about. That is what I am trying to portray in my music. I am not trying to pretend I am from some place that I am actually not when I am rapping. That is not who I am.  __How did you find such a strong voice at such a young age and how do you manage the responsibility and challenges that come with it?__ I always came from a very strong platform. A supportive family, supportive community that were always behind me. I never had a doubt in my mind because of the way I was supported from such a young age. That is something that many of the youth today just don't have. I am incredibly grateful for it. Managing at a young age was really not hard. Sometimes it was frustrating because I was missing out on the normal things of a childhood. I wasn't able to just go to school. I had additional expectations that I had to fulfill. The whole expectation thing has been a battle for me. Find the power for that has been a process over the last few years. Taking responsibility for my role as a leader. Recognizing that this is not about anyone else, this isn't about what other people see me as or what other people want for me. I am finding my way through my music. It has helped me to express and be share. I can be authentic and real. I'm not perfect. I'm not a hero, I'm just a kid with a voice trying to find his way and trying to do something good for the world. It has been a struggle but I am finding my way. I am finding more empowerment in my voice than I have ever experienced.  __With respect to the environment and its current critical state, what about the future truly scares you?__ There is so much scary stuff that is going on the world right now that I don't often even think about the future. I guess it's connected. Our current rate of species extinction. That scares me. Simply because I am in love with life and knowing that humans are responsible for pushing entire species every year to extinction is just wild to me. Another thing that scares me is the extinction of culture. The loss of indigenous peoples who entire languages, entire tribes, entire voices are actually just gone. In a generation, people are losing ancient, ancient traditions that have been around for so long. From tribes in Australia to Latin America and so many Native American tribes are gone. That terrifies me because it is such a result of genocide and over colonization that has happened at such a systemic level to indigenous peoples. Just my fear that my generation will not take this opportunity to change the world from the way that it currently is. Our generation will not make the right decision and raising the consciousness of others. Our future generations will suffer. I am afraid that when I am an old man and there are 17 year old kids running around the world they are going to have to be doing the same job, but even more intense than I am doing now. I am afraid that people are going to have to live the same kind of life I am now, but maybe even worse.  __Lastly, what is earth guardians and where can it be found?__ Earth Guardians is a global organization working with young people all over the world to empower their voice and offer them a platform to create change by creating a decentralized support network. Earth Guardian crews worldwide that focus on environmental and social justice through this lens of rebuilding a future we want. It's a tribe, it's a family and we are very much connected. It's called an SMO or Social Movement Organization. It is not just an organization or an initiative. It's a living breathing piece of a large social movement. It is significant. [@EarthGuardians](https://www.instagram.com/EarthGuardians/) [earthguardians.org](https://www.earthguardians.org/) [@xiuhtezcatl](https://www.instagram.com/xiuhtezcatl/) [xiuhtezcatl.com](https://www.xiuhtezcatl.com/) Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-xiuhtezcatl-martinez # HEROES Spotlight: Patrick Bardsley Published: 2017-12-21 Patrick Bardsley is the co-founder and CEO of [Spectrum Designs Foundation](https://spectrumdesigns.org/). This organization is incredibly special to us, not just because we could not have built our business without them, but also because they have created a model for providing gainful employment and opportunities for people with autism. Patrick's commitment to helping these individuals lead fuller, more independent lives along with fellow co-founders Stella Spanakos and Nicole Sugrue is a true inspiration and proof that creativity in entrepreneurship can enrich the lives of many. __Where were you born and raised?__ I am originally from the U.K. – I was born in England but raised in the countryside of neighboring Wales. __What brought you to the states many years ago?__ When I was in high school, I came to the USA on a geography field trip. I was blown away by the sheer enormity of the country and I saw so little of it! There’s something about a country this size where you can just feel the potential to take an idea and run with it, and that’s exactly what I ended up doing.  __How did you get involved with non-profit and specifically, young people with special needs?__ After that fateful high school trip I got the USA bug and got involved with a company called [Camp America](https://www.campamerica.co.uk/), and became a camp counsellor at a camp for individuals with Special Needs. Meeting these incredible people and seeing what an impact the right staff could have on them changed my path forever. __What is your most significant milestone as a young professional?__ As a boy from the UK countryside, there was something unbelievable about being recognized as one of [New York’s 40 under 40](http://nynmedia.com/news/nyn-s-3rd-annual-40-under-40) for the whole nonprofit sector. There are so many worthy individuals in larger organizations, but it felt like a real affirmation of what we’re doing here and underlined the importance of what we’re doing in this region.  __What is your greatest fear?__ My co-founder, Stella Spanakos! (Talk about fierce ☺ ) __If you could fix one significant, non-political, global problem, what would it be?__ Climate Change! Quite frankly, scientific evidence is non-political. __Why is Spectrum Designs in a position to solve for the problem it has identified?__ At first, I’ll be honest – I wasn’t sure it ever would be. I loved the idea, being involved in something like this from day one you realize there are many times where it could have not worked out if just one or two days had gone differently. Spectrum has grown 80% year-on-year since 2011, becoming a multi-million dollar nonprofit in just 5 years… we are doing something right! People love the story, and my staff and I work tirelessly every single day to make sure this growth is sustainable and meticulously planned. Once we have established our flagship location at the end of 2017, we move to the next phase of regional growth!   __If there was a specific environmental issue that you resonate with, what would it be?__ Recycling is something I am pretty passionate about. It is so easy to do, and makes an enormous difference. Why wouldn’t anyone make such a small adaptation to their routine to help society at large? __Is there a natural place that resonates with you particularly?__ For a guy who grew up in the lush Welsh hills and valleys I’m honestly not that fond of the countryside – give me the sound of the ocean over the sound of bleating sheep any day!  __Is there a profound quote or mantra that you choose to live your life by?__ If you want to make a difference, of real significance, here’s what you have to do: Don’t sit down with a smile or a frown, and paddle your own canoe! __When you think about where you live and how it has been negatively affected by environmental neglect, what do you see and experience?__ I once saw an Osprey padding her nest with some plastic garbage. Though I was impressed that ‘nature always finds a way’ there was something deeply troubling about that image.  Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-patrick-bardsley # HEROES Spotlight: Kate Williams Published: 2017-12-18 *Kate Williams stepped into the role of CEO at 1% for the Planet in May 2015 bringing a strong track record as a leader. Her former roles include Board Chair of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Executive Director of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, and founder and owner of a farm business enterprise. She has also served as an elected political leader in her community. Her achievements are only superseded by her vision and commitment to helping our environment through 1% For the Planet's mission.* __Where are your originally born and raised?__ I was born and raised outside of Boston, MA. My Mom was from Louisiana and my Dad from North Dakota, and they had both chosen Boston, so I had the benefit of living in a home and in a place that my parents had chosen and loved. __What is your absolutely favorite thing to do?__ I absolutely love long distance running. A perfect day would include a long run (or hike) on a trail or dirt road, with a few unanticipated adventures thrown in. Add some friends to run with, and...perfection. __Is there a particular phrase or quote that you live your life by?__ I have two - I don’t always embody them, but I always return to them for guidance. The first is “Do something every day that scares you” (Eleanor Roosevelt), and I return to this one as a reminder to keep learning, pushing myself, and generally not getting comfortable. And the second is “Nothing Without Joy,” (Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia educational approach), and this one is pretty self-explanatory and always good to remember.  __What are a few of your hobbies and hidden talents?__ In the hobby department, I basically opt to be outside whenever I can and I tend toward the aerobic-junkie end of the spectrum - hiking, running, cross country skiing, paddling. I’m also an avid reader and Audible book listener. In the hidden talent department, I seem to be good at standing on my head for extended periods on a paddle board. __Do you believe in the idea that one person can impact the entire world?__ Absolutely! I don’t think I could survive without that belief - it’s core to who I am and the work I do. I think it can look very different for different people at different times. Sometimes it’s the Butterfly effect (the hypothetical in which a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil causes a tornado in Texas…) - one person’s smile and kindness in the checkout line changes the course of the day for every person they see. Other times it’s the inspiration of a single act of courage, that inspires other acts of courage that create a groundswell of change. Yet other times, it’s a flash of genius or insight that, when shared, creates a new future. The list goes on. I wholeheartedly believe that each one of us has power and that each of us matters in the shape of our future. That power of collective impact is what 1% for the Planet is all about. We believe that everyone - business, individual, consumer, nonprofit - has the ability to make commitments and take everyday actions that add up to positive global impact. __Why did you originally choose a career focused on aspects of the environment and the great outdoors?__ At age 18 I spent a month in the Wind River Wilderness range with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), and I clearly remember being out there and having the realization that I had found my passion and that in some way, shape or form, it was my future. I then, like all of us, had to muck around a bit to figure out exactly what that meant, but all of my explorations were either in the form of outdoor education or working with environmental nonprofits to drive change. I’m actually amazed looking back now at how clear and stubborn I was to hold the thread from that moment of realization until today - and I’m sure I’ll continue that moving forward.  __How did you ultimately get involved with 1% for the Planet?__ I was working for a nonprofit in the 1% for the Planet network, which happened to be in an office across the street from the 1% for the Planet headquarters, which at the time was in a small town in Vermont. I think it’s remarkable that I was able to find my way from the amazing regional nonprofit, Northern Forest Canoe Trail, where I served as Executive Director for 10 years, to the global 1% for the Planet….by simply a walking across the street. What prompted that walk was the itch to grow and learn more (do something that scares you…), and conversations with friends and colleagues, the path to 1% for the Planet emerged. __What is your single greatest accomplishment with this project?__ I’m really thrilled about our addition of individual membership in 2017. This is a really exciting expansion of our model, and creates a great way for us to connect with a new and different set of members, and ultimately to grow environmental giving. I’m glad we took the leap to create and launch this program. __If you could say something to the youth of the world today, what would you say?__ Have courage and hope. Each of you can do something to change the world - you have to believe that’s possible and have the courage to do your part to bring about positive change. I also want to remind you that there is help and wisdom for you should you need it. __Is there a particular natural place that you resonate with?__ There are so many! But when I close my eyes a couple of places jump to the top. The first is Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. I love the great wide open, colorful, austere character, and the landscape that is so full of life and history. The second is a (to me) nameless stream in the Wind River Range, with a big King-sized flat rock in the middle - I slept there one starry night and it was perfection. I could go on, but the last is Great Pond in Maine, where my family has a cabin. I’ve watched and felt every season, weather pattern, and time of day on that lake, and we even baptized our kids in the lake. It’s my home water.  __It is no secret that we have an environmental crisis. So many different issues to focus on, which can be crippling to people. What advice do you have for people anxious for a better tomorrow, but overwhelmed by the vastness of the problem?__ Annie Lamott wrote this great book about writing called Bird by Bird - as in you can only write a book about birds by tackling it one bird at a time. I’ve adopted that as kind of a life philosophy, and it certainly works as a way to find a path through what is overwhelming. Pick what you care about, find a way to do something for that place or about that thing you care about, ask for help if you can’t figure out what to do, keep trying, join with others when you can, step back and reorient when you need to. You can do something every day, even if it’s just making space to discern what excites or worries you the most. Bird by bird. I get overwhelmed when I let myself get dwarfed by a problem so I remind myself to break it down and believe in the value of taking incremental action that builds toward the whole in a powerful and ultimately huge way. That idea of building seemingly small actions toward a larger goal is important. Create time to stay in touch with the larger change you hope for. You may have to take small steps each day, but step by step you will get there. I worry that this sounds simplistic, but it’s a core concept for me. Each of us has a 1% every day that we can choose to create a positive impact. Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-kate-williams # HEROES Spotlight: Alison Marras Published: 2017-12-14 *Alison is a New York based certified Nutritional Therapist and Health Coach, blogger, and health-food chef. Her blog, [Food By Mars](https://foodbymars.com/ "food by mars"), is filled with recipes that are original, healthy and delicious. After experiencing sensitivities to certain types of food on her own, she began to see food as medicine and found great benefits to the Paleo way of eating. We loved learning about how she comes up with these incredible recipes and how to analyze your own eating habits to feel your best.* __Where were you born and raised?__ Brooklyn, NY. By age 9 we moved to the suburbs in New Jersey. __When did you first get started cooking and when did you first start seeing food as medicine?__ I first started cooking as a kid. My parents always worked and as the eldest, it was my responsibility to start dinner! I had to be around 12 when I started getting comfortable with cooking. I always felt eating healthy was important, my Grandfather would often talk about what herbs, spices or types of foods were healthy and for what purpose - he was big on reading about that. But I, like most people, grew to follow whatever health trends were out there and whatever was the latest diet-craze, not understanding the science behind any of it. I always tried to eat well when I could. By the time I was in my early-mid 20’s and on my own, I started noticing some sensitivities and issues with certain foods. I started looking more into food as medicine and began my blog around that same time to both express my love for cooking and healthy food.  __What type of recipes do you focus on? Do they adhere to a particular diet like Paleo, Ketogenic, Vegan, and why?__ I’m mainly Paleo and focus on what’s called, “Ancestral Eating”. I’ve found that this is how I feel my best and after being diagnosed with an Autoimmune Disease and dealing with a lot of symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, digestive issues, skin and hair issues, etc. -- the Paleo diet has proven to be very healing. After going back to school for my Health Coach & Nutritional Therapist certifications, I’ve gotten to learn more at a cellular level on how foods really affect us, having that knowledge has changed the game on following popular diets… it’s given me the tools to make the decisions on what to eat, when to eat it and why… regardless of diet. __Are all the recipes on your blog your own? Where do you find your inspiration?__ Yes! Sometimes they’re adapted which I usually mention. I find inspiration from all over, many times it’s just something I’m craving or really miss eating that I need to Paleo-fy in order to eat. Most recently, I saw my husband eating a Greek Lasagna called [“Pastitsio”](https://foodbymars.com/home/2017/paleo-spaghetti-squash-pastitsio/ "pastitsio") that I missed after years of not eating dairy or gluten, so I made it “Paleo”! Other times, it’s from restaurants or traveling and also from my fellow food bloggers - I’m part of a fabulous and creative community that always keeps me inspired.  __If you could give people three foods or ingredients to avoid, what would they be and why?__ Generally speaking, everyone is unique - and I love teaching my clients and readers how to listen to their bodies to figure out what’s working for them or not. That being said, there are foods out there that anyone could benefit from eliminating. 1. SUGAR - Sugar is not just the sweets you eat, it’s snuck into many processed foods in some shape or another. It’s the reason most people in this country have blood sugar imbalances, and why Diabetes type 2 is on the rise. Sugar feeds cancer and bad bacterias/yeasts in our digestive systems and in large amounts (which is usually how it’s consumed) can be toxic. We were simply not meant to eat as much sugar as we do in a sedentary lifestyle that we now lead, and our bodies are crying out in the form of disease, and overall sub-par living (like always tired, need to run on coffee, need to snack, etc.). 2. Processed Foods - Fake, de-natured foods that come in boxes and bags are often devoid of any nutrients and nutrients are WHY we eat. Our bodies are depending on specific vitamins and minerals we can only get from foods that our bodies cannot make. The less whole vegetables, fruits and naturally-raised animal proteins we consume and more boxed, microwaved, processed “food” we consume… the greater the degeneration our bodies will experience. The unrecognizable ingredients are not only nutrient-less, but they’re actually stripping our bodies of the nutrients we do have. Doing a challenge like Whole 30 is a great way to see how much you might actually depend on processed foods and how great of a need it is to greatly reduce it from your life. Everyone should experience how their body can function with much less of these in our lives and the ones we do use should have as much whole/real, simple ingredients as possible. 3. Unhealthy, Hydrogenated Fats & Oils - Many of us grew up in the “low-fat” era where margarine was a “healthy” alternative to butter and oil. Canola oil and vegetables oils were pushed on us as a “heart-healthy” cooking oil. This notion has been completely disproven and no one should be consuming this stuff. Healthy fats are CRUCIAL to our body’s ability to regenerate, to create hormones, to heal and so much more. When we use healthy fats properly, we are giving our bodies what it needs. By using the alternatives, we are denying our body of what it depends on and giving it a dangerous substance. The oils I use are: Virgin Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Grass-fed Ghee (lactose-free butter from cooking butter down), and Lard (yes, lard - duck fat, tallow, etc.). Raw Sprouted Nuts, Seeds, and nut/seed butters are also a great source of fat as well as avocados and coconuts. If that sounds insane to you, please do read “The Big Fat Lie” for more information.  __If you could get people psyched on one food or ingredient what would that be and why?__ Ooh that’s a tough one! I love to switch up ingredients constantly. Perhaps coconut because it has so many uses - the milk as a dairy milk alternative, the oil as a high heat cooking oil (since it’s saturated and will not oxidize in high temps.), the meat that creates coconut cream (great for whipping with vanilla on top of fruit!), the water for it’s electrolytes. Coconut has many healing benefits and is definitely a staple in my kitchen in many forms. __If people are having health issues how do they begin to understand if their diet is to blame? Where should people start in terms of diet to begin figuring out what their sensitivities are?__ Food Journal, food journal, food journal!! This is the first step anyone can take. Besides recording what you eat and when, you MUST record how each meal makes you feel. After you analyze and look back at your week or even just 3 days, you can learn a lot. For example, let’s say you start each day with a sugar-packed smoothie and see that you get a headache before lunch, you could experiment with eggs and greens for a few days as your breakfast and see what that does instead.  [PALEO SPAGHETTI SQUASH PASTITSIO (AIP-FRIENDLY, LOW-CARB, DAIRY-FREE, GLUTEN-FREE, GRAIN-FREE)](https://foodbymars.com/home/2017/paleo-spaghetti-squash-pastitsio/) __How do the ingredients we use and consume affect the environment?__ I could go on and on about that, but to keep it short, I’ll say that many of the processed foods for example are obviously a strain to our environment in the form of factories, etc. The poor farming practices that have been widely accepted and even forced on many farmers by using harsh chemicals in the form of pesticides and GMOs is wreaking havoc on our soil (which is depleted of nutrients) and the health and well-being of the livestock that we then consume and in turn hurts our digestive systems leading to a cascade of health issues. Our water is toxic and needs to be heavily filtered and often times needs minerals added back in because we’ve gotten so far from natural spring water that collects minerals naturally. We drink out of plastic that is a massive endocrine disruptor (hormone imbalance issues) and then sadly do not or cannot recycle this plastic so it just sits. We are only as healthy as our environment. __Can trying to eat more sustainably-sourced foods additionally have a positive impact on our health?__ Absolutely. Firstly, from a socially responsible aspect, you can feel much better about the food you are putting in your mouth. I’d rather support farmers and companies that are trying to make a difference in this world and treat animals and their customers with respect than eat factory farmed, fake and toxic ingredients that not only hurts me but the environment. Eating as close to natural, organic, and how our ancestors ate is how our bodies are meant to thrive.  [CHICKEN FLORENTINE BONE BROTH SOUP (AIP, PALEO)](https://foodbymars.com/home/2017/chicken-florentine-bone-broth-soup-paleo/) __Are there any other resources (websites, publications, books) people should know about if they want to research the effects of food on their health?__ A great resource is the [Weston A. Price Foundation](https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/). Dr. Price was a dentist who studied indigenous communities who hadn’t been exposed to modern food (processed) and were living and eating off their own land. He observed they were MUCH healthier than the rest of us and compiled his findings from numerous tribes around the world. All the commonalities of these tribes are the basis for Ancestral Eating. It focuses on nutrient-dense, properly prepared food (even including dairy and grains when prepared properly!). __Where can people find you, follow you, and get in touch?__ Follow me on Instagram: [@foodbymars](https://www.instagram.com/foodbymars/) (same on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/foodbymars/), [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/foodbymars/), and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/foodbymars/)) And sign up for my newsletter for a free recipe e-book and to get my weekly recipes at [foodbymars.com](http://foodbymars.com/)! Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-alison-marras # HEROES Spotlight: Alessio Bariviera Published: 2017-12-10 *Alessio Bariviera is an actor, photographer, filmmaker, conservation photojournalist, survivalist and Earth Day Ambassador. His efforts to showcase the beauty of this planet and highlight our unique relationship with wildlife are extraordinary. He is also passionate about exposing environmental abuse and corruption and has worked on assignment for government authorities to help expose these crimes. Without further adieu we give you our conversation with Alessio Bariviera.* __Where were your born and raised?__ I was born and raised in Arezzo, a small city in the fabulous Italian region known as Tuscany. __When did you first discover your passion for travel, photography and indigenous work?__ My passion for travel unfolded during my years as an undergraduate student in Los Angeles. I wanted to do cinema back then but the more I saw the reality behind the screen the more I grew disenchanted with the industry. I took a semester off and went on a one-month and 2.500+ miles road trip with my best friend around California, Baja California, and last Hawaii. It was life changing. Suddenly I didn’t want to live an actor’s life anymore, instead I wanted to be a host for wild tv formats. To me photography began as, and still is, a means to an end.  __You have traveled all over the world. Even some places that are extremely remote and feel almost unreal. Where in the world have you felt the greatest connection to and why?__ I have felt the greatest connection deep within the Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra, where I spent 3 weeks looking for wild male orangutans and tracking tigers. However, I have come to feel that one’s connection to the environment runs parallel with his survival skills. I am not referring to the much advertised military kind of survival, but to natural survival. The former teaches you to look at nature as an obstacle between you and your life, instead the latter tells you that nature is really your ally. Once you start looking at nature as your ally, you are one step closer to becoming one with her. All of a sudden you see things, you pick up smells, you hear things, the whole way you interconnect with nature changes. It is not about superpowers, it is about dusting off the ancestral and wild self we all have but have forgotten. __You're also an avid adventurer and have found ways to blend that into much of your work. Could you tell us about a time when you got in over your head?__ I wasn’t born a conservationist, nor was I raised and educated as one. I am self-taught. And It took me few years to develop that much awareness and knowledge that one needs to turn his detrimental energy for stunts into life cause. During that time I was assaulted and robbed by a baby gang while walking alone at night in Madagascar’s capital. I risked gas suffocation when I ventured solo to Halemaumau’s crater to see bubbling lava at night in the Big Island of Hawaii. More recently, I pretended to be a pangolin buyer to meet up with poachers in Sumatra. I was stranded at a logger’s camp on Papua New Guinea’s upper Sepik river. I caught the deadly Malaria - *Plasmodium falciparum* - and was chased by gun firing pirate bandits in the Solomon Sea while filming my first docu-film.  __You are an Earth Day Ambassador and an environmentalist. What are some of the greatest issues you have witnessed around the world?__ I feel like one could talk all day about environmental problems but in the end there is only two roots linking them all: overpopulation and lack of education. Western people are slowly switching to electric cars, are increasingly avoiding single-use plastics, are eating a plant based diet and are buying green energy. What about one less child? Medias don’t dare to take on this topic because it goes against the laws of capitalism. But capitalism doesn’t care about famine, or forests, or the planet. Until humanity as a whole learns to sort itself out, we will hardly ever get out of this. Asian countries wish to develop as Western countries did after WWII. Except when we went through industrialization the world population was less than 3 billion, microplastics weren’t outnumbering fish in the oceans, and wildlife population numbers weren’t down by 58%. __What do you feel is the biggest overlooked issue with respect to the environment you wish would get more attention right now?__ I feel he biggest overlooked issue is equality. Equality for indigenous people. Equality for women. How many problems would not occur if countries and people gave up their arrogance and sense of superiority and listened to indigenous people’s wisdom? How many more green warriors and fewer people there would be if women were respected as men and weren’t forbidden emancipation in Muslim countries?  __What is your next adventure, assignment, expedition and why there?__ I’m not a big planner. Adventure, by definition, is about coping with the unexpected. Once one starts planning on something, he is undermining his chances of being surprised or amazed. So, unless I’m on assignment, I usually think about different projects in different countries and I let myself be influenced until the very end. I found out that setback are eventually the one factor that defines all adventures. I currently work as creative consultant for Banijay Group. We will know within days if my first tv format as a host has been given the green light. The format is about submitting myself to indigenous initiations to manhood all around the world. I care about this project because there is still so much lack of understanding and of respect when it comes to indigenous people. Common people often greatly underestimate them. Through this project, as I did during the filming of my docu film in Papua New Guinea, I want to upset how people see them. I want people to look at most of them and see superheroes.  __Tell us a story that connects you to the environment. We know you are a survivalist by trade. Something radical must have happened in your tenure.__ I’ve become obsessed with human-animal inter-relationships and cognitive ethology. While I have embraced natural survival as an important step in the rewilding process, it was really up-close and personal encounters with wildlife that have radically fueled my connection to the environment. How? By empathy through wonder. We have been hearing and seeing more and more often of trapped animals sensing when humans were there to help them. The same, though less observable, happens with plants. We have also been pushing interactions with wild animals beyond previous beliefs. The most radical event of this kind that has happened to me involved a jaguar. I was volunteering at an association for jaguar research and conservation in Brazil. Every night I would go pay a visit to the enclosure of a particularly playful male jaguar and play a stalking kind of game with him. I played on all fours. The fence kept us apart. We would try hide as best as we could, crouching low, until one of us went for the other, and then back to hide. During breaks, I would talk to him and we would carefully make hand-paw contact with each other. When reading an animal’s body language, empathy is the key. The night before I left, I pressed my face against the fence and he licked me. Jaguars are among the wariest of animals. When a wild animal makes you such a gift, it empowers you forever.  __Where can people find you or get in touch?__ Environmental photojournalism is my rent to live on Planet Earth. People can find me or get in touch through my Instagram and Facebook pages, or by email through my website. FB: [Alessio Bariviera](https://www.facebook.com/alessio.bariviera "Alessio Bariviera on facebook") IG: [alessio_bariviera](https://www.instagram.com/alessio_bariviera/ "alessio bariviera on instagram") Website: [http://www.alessiobariviera.com/](http://www.alessiobariviera.com/ "alessio bariviera website") Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-alessio-bariviera # HEROES Spotlight: Maggie Sheerin Published: 2017-12-06 *Maggie is a Rhode Island native who decided to ride her bike across America, all to raise money and awareness for proper recycling through [Recycle Across America](http://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/ "recycle across america"). The journey is over 4,000 miles long and Maggie only took what she could carry. Along the way she stopped and talked to folks about the work of [Recycle Across America](http://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/ "recycle across america") and how we can build a more sustainable future. Her campaign was called [Cycle for One Planet](https://www.facebook.com/CycleforOne/ "cycle for one planet") and we were super excited when our friends at [Recycle Across America](http://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/ "recycle across america") introduced us to Maggie.* __Where were you born and raised and tell me a little bit about it?__ Born in Boston, MA and moved to Rhode Island at 2 years old. Rhode Island has my heart, as the Ocean State and home of many many rock formations, four unique seasons that are so noticeably changing, and wild, open shoreline ready to be explored by anyone who is wild and open enough!  __What were some of your hobbies when you were younger?__ I was always on or in the water. I swam, sailed, kayaked, jumped off rocks, bridges, rafts, and swam some more. In the winter, I swam competitively. I was also fortunate to travel up north to nearby mountains in Vermont, New Hampshire, even into Canada with family. Started picking up lacrosse and traveling with Rhode Island Metacomets. __Who is your favorite superhero of all time?__ Wonder Woman, for sure. Her grace and peaceful message, while strong and diplomatic embodies a true superhero to this day.  __Biking across America is an extreme endeavour. How did you prepare for such a journey?__ Preparation... I feel like I prepared my whole life for the tour and every endeavor, for that matter. I did take some necessary steps — bought my first road bike (from a highly reviewed ebay seller), reached out to some friends who have traveled on bike for advice, researched a lot for budgeting reasons, reached out to a couple wellness brands for potential sponsorship, received an approval for leave of absence from work, and bought some maps! __What was your most challenging experience along the way?__ There are a lot of challenges, got to love them all so the one to follow won’t be as hard. With that being said, Pennsylvania was challenging for me with consistent ups and downs. The beginning challenges, however, did not / can not prepare me for the weather ahead. The MOST challenging may have been my first century of the tour, 100 miles in one day. It was heading into Amarillo, Texas. Really, it is the mentality you persevere that will overcome any challenge. Began the day confidently before sunrise with the idea to take a midday stop at a lake ahead. Long day short, I went through a thunderstorm, hopeful for blue skies and it did eventually clear. Continued to the lake, which knowingly extended the time I would be riding. Back on the road. Straight. Flat. Long. HOT. First century in 100 degree weather. I did have enough water and the good part about this challenge was about 10 miles from Amarillo - a peace garden perfectly designed by Richard Daniel Baker.     __Why did you resonate so strongly with recycling? Where did that focus originate?__ I knew that I wanted to talk to others on the road about wellness and our connection to the surrounding environment. Recycling, for me, is a way of enjoying our natural world. If you enjoy something, then it is equally important to respect it. It is a huge problem. I really started working toward sustainability at the College of Charleston. As a member of the ECOllective Student Project Committee, we supported and guided student funded sustainability projects, we replaced the landfill trash bins with a dual Paper and GPM (Glass, Plastic, Metal) system, we created a Zero Waste event initiative, and we hosted zero waste audits in the middle of campus demonstrating everything that can be composted and disposed responsibly. This focus must have originated from the pure admiration for our planet. __Is there a specific goal that you have with your journey after the trip?__ I would absolutely love to continue this journey by providing guidance to companies, schools, individuals on sustainability steps. __What inspires you to continue to achieve and grow as a human?__ Ah myself. I would say that I am self-motivated. Also, the idea that we are all connected. So what is growth for me is growth for you is growth for our ecosystem.  __Tell me about your partnership with Recycle Across America.__ About a month before I left for the road, I reached out to several local wellness brands that may want to be represented across America. One of which (not local) was Aimee Lee, national account director of RAA, who was extremely enthusiastic and supportive of the mission! She immediately told her team, sent out a T-shirt, Earth flag, and sweet card. We are now working on bringing 5 elementary schools standardized recycling programs with the money I raised on tour. __Is there a particular natural place that you resonate with here or around the world?__ This is a hard question for me!!! I have traveled outside of America but, am going to focus on our country here. I love Taos, New Mexico. The cycle of water is everywhere there, from the mountains to the Rio Grande. I think everyone should spend time by a natural water source to have a tangible understanding of the support Earth provides for us and a consciousness of daily resource consumption (i.e. water, electricity, gas, plastic, coffee cups).   __Is there a profound quote or mantra that you choose to live your life by?__ Mindful. Need less. Manifest. Something like that :) I enjoy being mindful of every single moment. Traveling on a bike allows you to truly harp on every breath, thought, rotation. Take it in. If we can go along our day with less, then there is only more room to be mindful! On manifestation, it all starts with an idea...nuff said. __When you think about where you live and how it has been negatively affected by environmental neglect, what do you see and experience?__ Oh gosh, thank you for asking such questions. I have not officially written this down before but, it is very painful for me to live in a city environment with the amount of waste everywhere. It has become fanatic for me seeing cars, coffee cups, litter, plastic, even reusing materials hurts because it is still purchasing the material and supporting it to be reproduced. That’s just me, though, I try to put it toward my own next step in zero waste living and sustainability. Rhode Island is definitely doing amazing things - recently restoring our wild oysters reefs with The Nature Conservancy. Spread the word!  *If you are inspired by Maggie's story, you can follow Maggie at [@cycleforone](https://www.instagram.com/cycleforone/ "cycle for one planet on instagram") on instagram and [Cycle for One Planet](https://www.facebook.com/CycleforOne/ "cycle for one planet on facebook") on facebook.* Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-maggie-sheerin # An Open Letter To Our Government By: Justin Abrams Published: 2017-12-05 Dear Sir or Madam, I come to you from a place of love, empathy and gratitude. I am having a hard time understanding and justifying the actions of our country's current leadership, focused on the matter of the environment. It feels like sheer negligence. From what I can see, it feels like the government is so rabid for economic growth in direct spite of the environment and its well being. I love our country. I am grateful every single day that I am an American. We come from one of the most spectacular places on earth, with lands, wildlife, and history as rich and as important as any other. I am incredibly empathetic to any American that has a different experience. I lead an organization called Cause of a Kind. We exist to socialize the earth's greatest environmental maladies and facilitate partnerships between people and environmental non-profits who are actively working to take back tomorrow. We work around the clock to find people around the world, dedicating their lives and attention to actively making the world a better place. We look for people pursuing extraordinary goals and pair their efforts with environmental organizations that are on the frontlines working to truly secure our future. As a comprehensive digital marketing agency, we partner with the most recognizable brands on earth to help them tell their environmental and social stories. Do you not see the confluence of your actions? You are constantly expanding oil and gas exploration at the expense of our critical aquifers and public lands. You are relaxing rules on trophy hunting, putting our rare and endangered wildlife at further risk above and beyond their current habitat challenges, which humans are largely responsible for. You backed out of the Paris Agreement and have been the only world leader to do so, further straining our reputation and position of power. You drive industry that supports deforestation and ecosystem destruction for continued real estate development, mining, and corporate gain. You acknowledge unsustainable shortages of fossil fuels but offer no scalable renewable energy alternatives. Marine and oceanic negligence causing rifts in the food chain and irreversible damage, such as the death of the Great Barrier Reef. Do you realize that there are many more issues as well that are threatening our home, let alone the entire globe? We have one earth. The United States are supposed to lead the world. We are designed to set an example to every other country and be a symbol for hope and innovation. That is simply what leaders do. In our recent past, we have failed at this critical role. I write to you in desperate concern for our future. I do not have children yet, but I am incredibly concerned that they will not experience the world the way that I did. What else do the people of this country have to do to make you realize that we need massive change? How could there even be a debate? This is your home too. I find it hard to believe that you are not personally concerned with the availability and quality of drinking water, or the preservation of public lands, or even proper sanitation systems. Your children and their children are at risk. Restoration of the damage done takes a tremendous amount of time, global effort and money. But let's agree; you are making it worse. The citizens of the free world need our governments support. We need bold leadership that is willing to stand up for our future and make significant strides towards sustainability. We need to start caring about tomorrow or there will not be a tomorrow to care about. With love and in mission, Justin Abrams Cause of a Kind Originally Published: December 5th, 2017 As we approach a historic election, nothing has changed. Atleast not for the betterment of the environment.
Take Back Tomorrow | Lessons from Cause of a Kind on Vimeo.
Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/an-open-letter-to-our-government # HEROES Spotlight: Nadia Redel Published: 2017-12-04 *Co-Founder of [World-Class Surf Trips](http://www.worldclasssurftrips.com/ "world class surf trips"), global adventurer, yogi, climber, surfer and environmentalist, Nadia Redel is making an impact around the globe, one awesome experience at a time. Her company does more than create incredible surf experiences, they also promote sustainable travel, products, and lifestyle choices. Nadia and the company she has built are a true inspiration to us, so naturally we had to get in touch. We got a chance to speak to Nadia in between adventures. Enjoy.* __Where were you born and raised?__ I was born in Berkshire County in Massachusetts. It was great to grow up in the country, surrounded by nature, yoga and good small town vibes. I grew up with a close connection to nature. __When were you first introduced to your passions of surfing, climbing, yoga, and other adventure based activities?__ My passion for adventure started at a young age. My parents really encouraged traveling which introduced me to many different types of activities including yoga, cliff jumping, free diving, rock climbing etc. It wasn't until my early 20’s when I met Mac ( co-founder of World-Class Surf Trips) that I found my love for surfing. ![Nadia Redel World-Class Surf Trips 3[1]](//images.contentful.com/o3vn3w2yy4rp/6IBxi9ZljUgoyWmGUEKgya/7a09cbbf52515ddac3bf34d920712d8e/Nadia_Redel_World-Class_Surf_Trips_3_1_.png) __What makes Nadia tick? What are some of the things that motivate you to wake up and charge the day?__ Someone once told me, “If you’re not progressing, you are degressing.” That idea gets me out of bed every day. I apply that to every aspect of my life including work, health, fitness and my own impact on the environment. __What are some of your most creative experiences that you have had, personally?__ When I was a kid, I was part of a creative problem solving team called D.I. It was really fun and it encouraged me to solve a problem from a unique perspective. One of my most creative experiences has been starting a travel company. Every day it is different and it has been a fun journey shaping and changing World-Class Surf Trips as it grows. ![Nadia Redel World-Class Surf Trips 1[1]](//images.contentful.com/o3vn3w2yy4rp/5klF5zeTjG8geKOCSuWqaa/74cc2ec5a7c7e9f22b26bb0c944991ef/Nadia_Redel_World-Class_Surf_Trips_1_1_.png) __What do you enjoy doing when nobody's watching and you are alone or with friends?__ I’m the biggest goofball in the water, especially when it’s my core group with me. I’m always singing, trying handstands on my board and dancing down the waves. Life shouldn't be too serious. __If you could have advice for the youth of the world today, what would it be?__ My advice for the youth would be to look at the world through an environmental lens. In order to achieve any amount of success, the world we live in needs to be healthy. It is important that the environment is a part of every single decision that we collectively make. ![Nadia Redel World-Class Surf Trips 2[1]](//images.contentful.com/o3vn3w2yy4rp/11CpvQsUYiOuueCi8A2M0g/9a7e68eb405cba205df346d356d6b784/Nadia_Redel_World-Class_Surf_Trips_2_1_.png) __What is your relationship with nature, the environment and organizations that are fighting for a better tomorrow?__ I have always had a high level of respect for nature. Growing up in the country gave me a unique understanding for the wilderness and a feeling of home among the sublime. I have volunteered for many organizations in the past that benefit the environment. Two projects that are close to my heart right now are Vatuvara Foundations, that helps protect the marine ecosystems within the Fijian waters and the International Anti-Poaching Foundation led by ex navy seal Damien Mander. __Is there a particular natural place that you resonate with?__ The ocean is a place that resonates with me. I feel truly at home in the water. I love holding my breath and swimming down deep among the fish and marine animals. It is at this depth that time seems to stand still. It is this connection that makes me so passionate about marine conservation. __Within the Environment, what is a primary focus for you? Is there a specific malady that you resonate with the most?__ One of my biggest passions is to limit the use of plastic. This can be very challenging and at times might seem impossible, however if everyone tries to make a conscious effort to reduce, reuse and recycle we can limit the amount of plastic waste on our planet. I’ve been very fortunate to travel a lot and it always saddens me when I visit a remote location and find plastic waste littering the coast and land. ![Nadia Redel World-Class Surf Trips 4[1]](//images.contentful.com/o3vn3w2yy4rp/36pfhsj67CO8YA6Oc4awks/da4b19891d52b7345c45be732da9c852/Nadia_Redel_World-Class_Surf_Trips_4_1_.png) __It is no secret that we have an environmental crisis. So many different issues to focus on, which can be crippling to people. What advice do you have for people anxious for a better tomorrow, but overwhelmed by the vastness of the problem?__ Don’t feel like YOU need to fix ALL the problems. Find something that inspires you, and then become passionate about it. We need to all keep living our lives, but we can do this through an environmental lens. It might start as small changes, but even these make big differences. The best way to feel inspired is to spend more time outside! We encourage you all to follow [@worldclass.surftrips](https://www.instagram.com/worldclass.surftrips/ "world class surf trips instagram") or checkout [www.worldclasssurftrips.com](http://www.worldclasssurftrips.com/ "world class surf trips") to plan your next adventure! Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-nadia-redel # HEROES Spotlight: J.J. Kelley Published: 2017-11-26 *J.J. Kelley is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, director, adventurer and explorer. His work focuses on conservation, exploration and wildlife crime. Some of his most notable works are Gyre, a National Geographic documentary that explores the growing issue of ocean trash killing wildlife; and [Warlords of Ivory](http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/explorer/episodes/warlords-of-ivory/ "warlords of ivory"), an Emmy-nominated film on how the ivory trade funds some of Africa's most notorious militias and terrorist groups. If this weren't impressive enough, he has paddled [1,400-miles from Alaska to Seattle](http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/movies/kayakers-laugh-off-foibles-in-1200-mile-long-journey/ "seattle times article") in a homemade kayak and the full length of India's River Ganges. He has also hiked the Appalachian Trail and biked 1,300 miles along the Alaksa Pipeline. Blending his filmmaking with his desire for adventure has given his work a unique perspective that is both compelling and immersive. We had the good fortune to catch up with J.J. between adventures and hope you enjoy this awesome interview as much as we did.* __Where were your born and raised?__ I was born in Minneapolis and raised in Taylors Falls, Minnesota. A small town of about 1,000 people. I helped on a family farm where we raised goats, honey bees, chickens and made maple syrup. __When did you first get into journalism and filmmaking?__ When I was 20, I did a year of college and then left. I was studying something that didn’t make me happy. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I liked being outside. I drove a truck to Alaska and lived in a tent for the summer; there I got a job driving a tractor at an outfitter. They had a kayaking department where instructors took guests deep into the wild; I was in love! I slowly made my way onto the kayaking department as in instructor. This kicked off many Alaska adventures, some a few days long others months long. One day I thought, you know there are some wild stories you encounter on these big trips, I bet people would find the characters you meet and places you see interesting. So I picked up a video camera, got some advice and made my first film. Touring the film at festivals, I caught the attention of National Geographic; they purchased 7-min of my video for a TV show. Most importantly, I was able to secure an internship position at National Geographic. This lead to me move to Washington, D.C. working out of the National Geographic headquarters. I’ve been learning to make and making films ever sense.   __From poachers in Africa to the drug war in the Philippines, you've covered some difficult and sensitive topics. As the artist behind the lens it's your job not to look away. How do you push forward when faced with such emotional subject matter?__ One of the most tragic moments I’ve witnessed was the suicide of a Maasai man in rural Kenya. There were no other journalists there, not even another person who spoke English. Through a series of chaotic events I found myself holding a camera as a man accused of murder was surrounded by angry Maasai warriors. The accused didn’t want to face their wrath so took his life right in front of them and me. I’ll leave out the details, but I’ll never forget the courage the lens gave me. I felt like I was there reporting on something greater; there was no time to be scared for myself, I had a job to do. Since then I’ve filmed many events that would normally make me sick to my stomach or pee my pants, but having that sense of purpose gives me a courage that’s almost superhuman.    __You're also an avid adventurer and have found ways to blend that into much of your work. Could you tell us about a time when you got in over your head?__ I had the opportunity to work in Antarctica for 5 months. For a full month I was to deploy onto an ice shelf the size of France, and for all I knew our small party of 15 would be the only people there. The entire area was riddled with cravases, but using a sonar device we were able to prove routes where we could travel. One day I went out with a snowmobile to film on my own. A crazy thing about Antarctica is that though the continent is covered with snow and ice, it’s a desert--it rarely snows. It’s just so cold that when it does snow, the snow rarely melts. With all this dry snow blanketing the mile thick slab of ice I stood on, when a 50-mph wind storm picked up, I could hardly see my outstretched hand. My world view was reduced to inches. The windchill was now close to -50F and I needed to get back to the shelter of our tents. I had a satellite phone and a GPS, but I was about 30-minutes away from help, too long to stand and wait. My heart was racing out of my chest. I did my best to draw on all the courage I could gather, took a deep breath and said you got this dude. I knew if I didn’t freak out, staying confident and calm, that I could navigate back. I’d done it before without issues, now the only difference was the pressure of frostbite, getting lost or worse. Staying calm and confident worked. I remember almost crashing into the camp when I intersected with my home course, the snow was so all consuming I almost drove right into a tent.    __If you could have lunch with another person alive or dead, who would that be and why? What do you think you would discuss?__ This is a hard question for me. I think my answer would change almost weekly depending on what’s inspiring me. Today I’d say Joan of Arc. I’m compelled by people who exhibit great courage, strength and leadership. Joan was fearless and lived her life by her ideals. She poured everything into what she believed was just. __What do you feel is the biggest overlooked issue with respect to the environment you wish would get more attention right now?__ I just finished filming a story with New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. He’s fighting environmental racism, which is a subject that was new to me before starting work on this story. We witnessed people living in the United States with straight pipes that literally run from their toilet into their back yards, where the kid’s aren't able to play. We saw case after case of people living next to environmental disasters, like skyrocketing cancer rates in a stretch of Louisiana with over 150 chemical factories built on freed slave land. It’s described as the new Jim Crow. The Senator just announced a bill to address the issue. It’s been an emotional process learning more about an issue I recently didn’t know anything about.   __If you could give three pieces of advice to an aspiring journalist or filmmaker in college right now what would they be?__ Don’t let excuses keep you from telling your story. Too often I hear from aspiring filmmakers who say, as soon as I can get this camera or as soon as someone gives me money to make my idea, I’ll go do it. You’ll never get there if you rely on other people for your strength, grab a camera, tell a story, watch what you shoot to celebrate the successes and learn from from the mistakes. Stay fresh. Continue to learn about the latest gear, the most innovative shooting technique and other sides of storytelling that you’ve never tried. When we get too comfortable our stories suffer, we get lazy and use the same techniques again and again. Take on something that makes your heart race, something that freaks you out, try to get comfortable in that space, and when you do, try something new. Apprentice. My successes in filmmaking are the result of an unpaid internship where I could learn from people who were much more talented than I was. I had to work an extra job to pay the bills, but it was worth it for the skills I gained. Looking back, I was so clueless then. I often take gigs that don’t pay as well as I’d like when they come with the opportunity to learn from someone I admire. To be a great filmmaker you don’t have to go to college for filmmaking or journalism, there are extremely talented people out in the world telling great stories and if they offer up a chance to ride along and show you a few things, go!    __What's next for you? Any lofty goals that you are pursuing right now?__ Every 5 years I start to get restless in my career. I adore traveling the world and telling stories from near and afar. However, how I tell those stories can get a little repetitive. After being a producer for a few years, I decided to shoot more as a director of photography, then an editor. Now, I’m starting to do more work in front of the camera. I just hosted a new show for The Travel Channel. For me it’s about loving what I’m doing, with that comes passion. The most profound works for me are the ones inspired by passion. __What comes first, the adventure or the story? For instance when you paddled the Ganges was that adventure something you always wanted to do? Or was shooting a story about the Ganges the goal and paddling just an interesting way to immerse yourself in the story?__ For me storytelling is a progression that evolves as you gather life experiences. When I was younger on a small farm in Minnesota the idea of taking a rowboat down the most polluted river in the world, in the most populated country in the world, was a thought I would never naturally stumble upon. I bet I didn’t know more than 5 things about India then, nor was it a place I ever thought about going. Then I knew the Minnesota woods, this lead me to dream up taking a super long walk in the woods, which lead me east where I took 5-months to hike from Maine to Georgia on the Appalachian Trail. Out east I was exposed to people who’d traveled further, outside of the U.S.. This lead me to start traveling overseas where I experienced intense pollution, people living in poverty who are surrounded by trash and industrial runoff. Then I thought, well instead of doing a long trip in a pristine wilderness, what if I went down the most polluted river on earth. A quick search lead me to the Ganges River in India and 6 months later I was in India. I bring my cameras to places that compel me with the hope that what I make might inspire others who would otherwise never see such exotic places; like the me who lived on a farm in Minnesota.    __Where can people find you or get in touch?__ [www.jjkelley.com](http://www.jjkelley.com/ "j.j. Kelley's website") Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-j-j-kelley # HEROES Spotlight: Aja Nikiya Published: 2017-11-20 *Aja Nikiya is an international traveler, humanitarian, photographer, and activist for animals and under-served populations. A modern-day warrior and a true example for us all to look up to we continue to be inspired by Aja's efforts around the world. When we caught up with Aja, she was on her way to Utuado, Puerto Rico to help animals in need after Hurricane Maria. Her story is beyond impressive and we are super honored to be able to share a small piece of it with you here.* __How did you get started in this type of work? What is your origin story?__ I'd have to go back to second grade for this question as I was quite the advocate back then. Always on animal rescues, [writing letters to Congress](https://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ "how to find your congressional representatives") on behalf of animals and going around the lunch room getting petitions signed for bears in captivity. I've always had the urge to help those in need, be it people or animals. But in all seriousness, I started my nonprofit work about 4 years ago after leaving corporate America to live out my dream. I broke away from the 6-figure job to travel and help vulnerable people and animals around the world.  __Looking at your Instagram it looks like you are passionate about many causes from animal welfare, to humanitarian issues, to environmentalism. With so much to do in all these areas how do you pick your focus?__ It is very difficult at times to pick a focus. I think in general, I always try to advocate for the betterment of animals, people and the environment so I can at least serve as a voice for them. Generally, I pick up projects as I travel around the globe and see a need. I assess how I can be of most help and I try to pick projects that are mutually benefiting to people and animals and even the environment. I try to focus on the most pressing needs in each of the areas I work in. I look for the entire trifecta. As I travel and meet other compassionate people, projects start to develop and before you know it, I've got an entire team in a new country within weeks. It can be overwhelming at times but I wouldn't trade it for the world. __We've noticed that everyone involved in this type of work has a unique compassion for the world around them, but they also have unique strengths that make them successful in such a tough mission. What is your superpower?__ My superpower is the ability to connect with any culture. I've had great successes in areas of the world that some fear or think are impossible to work in. My other super power is the ability to function on no sleep when I am in project mode!  __We noticed that you recently wrote a blog post on conscious consumerism, what are the top five ingredients you wish people would boycott and why?__ That is a great question and hard to narrow down but if I had to choose, it would be [palm oil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_oil "palm oil on wikipedia"), plastic bags, petroleum, sunscreen and leather. Palm oil is in many of the foods and beauty products we use and is one of the [top ingredients destroying the rainforests](https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/topics/palm-oil "rainforest rescue on palm oil"), releasing carbon into the environment and killing endangered animals like the Orangutan. Plastic bags are destroying the ocean. They are one of the top killers of sea turtles, whales, dolphins and puffins. Petroleum is an ingredient often found in lip balms and Vaseline. Petroleum is toxic to the environment and often destroys shorelines and nesting grounds due to spills. Sunscreen is the leading cause of coral bleaching and leather requires massive amounts of energy and chemicals to produce. It is harmful to animals, people and the environment.  __Could you tell us a bit about your NGO project Compassion Kind?__ [Compassion Kind](https://www.compassionkind.org/ "Compassion Kind") is a 501c3 focusing on creating a more compassionate culture through global change. We envision a world with less suffering and more compassion; a conscious culture that extends its circle of compassion to all kinds regardless of race, gender, sexuality, religion or species. We work with the most vulnerable populations; those without a voice. We work in a few key areas including humane education, global awareness, disaster relief and community action. Our projects range from [disaster relief in Puerto Rico](https://www.compassionkind.org/puerto-rico-relief "Puerto Rico relief") to Wild Dog conservation in Tanzania. __What were some of the unique challenges to starting your own international NGO?__ Getting started is difficult on your own. You've got big ideas and small pockets and are your own accountant, project manager, travel agent and marketer. Once you get past the initial setup, keeping your projects going is the hard part. Getting funding isn't easy and when you're doing a lot of the work on your own, it's hard to promote your organization and solicit funds. But as time goes on, you get better at all of it, meet great people along the way to offload some of the work and things really start to come together.  __What are your future ambitions for both yourself and Compassion Kind?__ I want to continue this work indefinitely. It feeds my soul and is the most rewarding job one could ever have. I'd like to see [Compassion Kind](https://www.compassionkind.org/ "Compassion Kind") become an internationally recognized organization with staff and volunteers in every country around the globe. We want to be the driving force behind the compassion movement. For me personally, I'd love to start filming documentaries and showcasing amazing individuals around the world and this type of work. I'd also like to improve my photography skill set and do assignment shoots for [NatGeo](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ "national geographic"). __What is your biggest victory to date?__ I'd have to say my recent flight back from Puerto Rico with 26 animals was quite the accomplishment. We were able to rescue these animals from horrific conditions, get them vetted with certificates, driven to the airport and flown to Florida, all in 24 hours. We have them all in foster care now and some already adopted. With no service, power or water and many different obstacles, this was one for the books!  __What's one thing you wish every person would either do or be mindful of every single day when they wake up?__ I wish everyone would wake up grateful thinking about how they can make a difference in the world. Every decision we make has the power to change the lives of many. __Where can people find you, follow you, and get involved in what you do?__ You can find me [@compassioncurator](https://www.instagram.com/compassioncurator/ "Aja Nikiya on Instagram") on Instagram and [Aja Nikiya on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/AjaNikiya "Aja Nikiya on Facebook"). Compassion Kind also has its own social media pages [@compassionkind](https://www.instagram.com/compassionkind/ "compassion kind instagram"). If you are interested in getting involved, we are always looking for new volunteers and ambassadors. Feel free to send us an email at [info@compassionkind.org](mailto:info@compassionkind.org "email compassion kind").   *We encourage everyone to follow Aja on the socials and you can donate to Compassion Kind [here](https://www.compassionkind.org/donate/ "compassion kind donate page").* Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-aja-nikiya # Searching for Silence and Solitude in Utah By: Michael Rispoli Published: 2017-11-17 > “I liked the work and the canyon country and returned the following year for a second season. I would have returned the third year too and each year thereafter but unfortunately for me the Arches, a primitive place when I first went there, was developed and improved so well that I had to leave.”> — Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire In the fall of 2016 my wife and I took a trip to Utah. We aren’t the type for fancy resorts and high brow dining. For us vacation is renting a car and seeing as many places as our time there would allow. We book no hotels, and make no reservations ahead of time. We buy plane tickets, we rent a car, and we see where the road takes us. This type of travel gives us a freedom we don’t get in our day to day life, where each day blends together under the rhythm of routine. We want our vacations to be as far from predictable as we can get. For us, this is the perfect escape. Before that, the last time I was in Utah was the winter of 2011. I just earned my first two paid vacation days in my life, and like a good 25 year old, I thought saving them for an actual illness would be wasteful. I moved to Denver six months earlier with the idea that I would spend all of my free time rock climbing and hiking in the Rockies. The cruel trick was that my job as a rental car agent kept me chained to the airport in a suit every day. It was about as far from my dream life as I could get—but I had never gotten paid to go on an adventure before, so I reveled in the moment. I left Denver after work that evening and planned to drive through the night, with the goal of reaching Hurricane, Utah ten hours later. It ended up taking closer to 15 hours since a snow storm formed over the entire western front. Had I owned a smartphone, I could have checked the weather. Had I understood the point of AM radio, I would have known about 1010 WINS. Instead I put my iPod on shuffle and drove onward, clueless as to what awaited me. My little Mazda3 entered Eisenhower Tunnel on the eastern side of Loveland Pass under a pleasant flurry of snow. I exited to the wrath of a Rocky Mountain blizzard that produced near white-out conditions. The roads grew treacherous and snow fell so hard that my car felt like a small boat as I slid down I-70. My left palm cramped around the steering wheel and my right hand slid over the shifter as I prayed my driving skills would keep me from careening off into the runaway truck ramp. I could have turned back, I should have turned back, but I was determined not to waste my mini-vacation. I would later learn the storm got so bad they closed Eisenhower tunnel, restricting travel through the mountains that evening, right after I made it through. Five hours later, as though the state line were more than just a mark on a map, I crossed the curtain of snow to clear, starry skies. With no cars in sight, I stopped the car right in the middle of the interstate and lay on the hood of my car, wiping sweat from my forehead and laughing in relief. And that feeling is how I would always remember Utah, salvation. The evening my wife told me she wanted to go to Utah, I thought back to that night. It was such a shame that driving to and from Denver, I saw most of the Utah frontier in darkness. Sure I saw Zion and some of southwestern Utah, but on the way back to Denver I drove through the night again under the comfort of clear skies the entire way.  *View of the south-side of Zion National Park*  *Hiking over the orange slick rock in Zion National Park* We planned to go for seven days and I made it a goal to not drive at night if we could help it. Seeing every mountain, rocky outcrop, and canyon was essential. We planned our route starting in Salt Lake City and driving south to Zion. Then we would make our way east across Bryce Canyon and Grand Staircase - Escalante before heading up through Capitol Reef and ending in Moab where we would see Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. We had the goal of exploring a slot canyon. I had assumed we would do this when we got to Canyonlands National Park at the end of our trip, however I found a small blog post on a place in Grand Staircase - Escalante called Peek-a-boo Canyon. We decided we couldn’t wait until we got all the way to Moab and would check it out after Bryce Canyon. We arrived at the entrance to Zion National Park on a Saturday morning to the glimmer of crawling lines of automobile hoods and RV roofs. The glowing orange towers rising out of the lush valley leave you in a surreal trance — but the freight train of motorists and pullouts filled with tourists, holding phones in outstretched arms, took something away. It made it impossible to just relax and enjoy, to stop and meander around, to get lost in the grandeur. The following day at Bryce Canyon, the experience was similar to that of a shopping mall, circling the parking lot for ten minutes as we waited to see back-up lights. We decided it would be better to come back around dinner time when the crowds cleared. I was re-reading Desert Solitaire on that trip and was seeing first hand what Edward Abbey cautioned us against fifty years earlier.  *View from the top of Bryce Canyon National Park* > “Those were all good times, especially the first two seasons when the tourist business was poor and the time passed extremely slowly, as time should pass, with the days lingering and long, spacious and free as the summers of childhood.”
> — Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire While we loved our time in Zion and Bryce, my wife and I reflected that we would have to remember to return on weekdays and in the off-season in the future. National Parks are incredible places, but it is clear that the demand has grown far higher than the supply. Today’s political struggle for the protection of public lands is astounding to me. When you consider the human herds that migrate over every square inch of roadway and trailhead every year, do we really need another resort casino or golf course? The following morning we began the drive to Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument. A National Monument is different from a National Park in that it is maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rather than the National Parks Service (NPS). The land becomes off limits for industrial uses, however local ranchers use it to allow their cattle to graze on the open plains for a small fee. Many farmers rely on this land to provide the kind of space they need to raise their livestock every season. National Monuments are also far less manicured, and a bit more rugged. This is precisely why I love BLM land. It is typically free to enter, void of immense crowds, and ripe with little adventures and a play at your own risk ethos. When we arrived at the entrance to Grand Staircase - Escalante, the difference from Zion and Bryce National Parks is striking. There are no fee booths, covered kiosks, or parking lots—just a mid-sized sign that reads “Grand Staircase - Escalante,” and a wire fence. Near the fence is an angled information display and six inch road sign warning visitors the road is maintained for four-wheel access only. We took a look down the dirt road that rolled over the desert plain, a look back at our tiny Chevy Cruze rental and started rumbling down the road into the interior.  *Stefany at the entrance to Grand Staircase - Escalante*  *Stefany revoking my driving privileges.* The maps on our phone were not going to be much use since the road we were on did not appear anywhere on Google, just a pin in the rough location of Peek-a-boo canyon. We knew the road that led toward the canyon was 26 miles in. So we reset the trip odometer to zero and hoped that we would see a turnoff when we got there. As we crept down the dirt road, our bodies’ rumbling under the weak suspension of our rental, the emptiness of the place started to creep into our heads. Crowds can be frustrating, but the absence of a single soul gets frightening. When was the last time my wife and I were truly alone like this? Had we ever been? Our phones soon lost service and we just watched the odometer and prayed that this car would not get stuck in a sand trap. Roughly 10 miles in we saw a truck hauling cattle in a pull-off where they would be left to graze open and free, which gave us some relief. At around 15 miles my wife got frustrated by my slow driving and decided to take the wheel. And at 26 miles, right when we were starting to think these canyons were a hoax and we would never find them there was a small road that cut off to the left. We started down the road and saw a small cluster of cars and vans, relieved that we were in fact somewhere. We pulled over and made a quick lunch before heading over toward the trailhead. Again there were no road signs or markers, just stacks of rocks piled at various points indicating the way. We descended across the slick rock, into a sandy gulch, and at last arrived at the entryway to something we had only seen in pictures before, our first real slot canyon.   Arches National Park in Moab was as Edward Abbey described—developed and crowded. While it still retained its beauty everyone had to wait in line under Delicate Arch like taking a picture with Donald Duck in Disneyland. There’s always a special place in our heart for all of these places, for the beauty far outweighs the crowd. But when we look back and talk about the trip we always tell one story. The day we took that poor little Chevy Cruze into Grand Staircase in search of a true adventure and found it. --- *Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument was created by President Bill Clinton in 1996. At 1.9 million acres, it is the largest national monument in the United States and was the last piece of the lower 48 to be mapped. Its terrain is just as diverse, being home to both low-lying desert and coniferous forest. It was the home to the Anasazi and Fremont and contains one of the most extensive fossil records of the Late Cretaceous Period.* *The history and scientific potential of this monument is enormous. However in 2017 its future is uncertain. President Trump has approved measures to shrink the size of Grand Staircase - Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments. I wrote this piece to urge people to both see the importance of these sites and to go enjoy them for yourselves. Their relative anonymity keeps the landscape pure and the crowds low. They are truly our last national treasures and worth our attention and efforts at preservation.* __Sources:__ 1. [Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument | BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT](https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument "Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument BLM") 2. [Utah’s ‘Grand Staircase’ Leads Back in Time to Dinosaur Shangri-La - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/21/science/utah-grand-staircase-dinosaurs-kaiparowits-plateau-fossils.html "Utah’s ‘Grand Staircase’ Leads Back in Time to Dinosaur Shangri-La - The New York Times") 3. [Trump Plans to Shrink Two National Monuments in Utah - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/27/climate/bears-ears-utah.html "Trump Plans to Shrink Two National Monuments in Utah - The New York Times") Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/searching-for-silence-and-solitude-in-utah # HEROES Spotlight: Mitch Hedlund Published: 2017-11-12 *Founder and Executive Director of [www.RecycleAcrossAmerica.org](http://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/ "recycle across america"), Mitch Hedlund is on a mission to fix the world's recycling problems. Realizing that the process of recycling is over complicated, ambiguous and seemingly avoided due to the unnecessary confusion at the bin, Mitch and her outstanding team have devised a solution that has gone viral. Make recycling fundamental, make the decision clear and concise, and nurture the movement until it is no longer a choice, it's instinct.* __Where are your born and raised?__ Palos Verdes, California __Do you believe in the idea that one person can impact the entire world?__ Absolutely. This is proven throughout history. One person can absolutely change the world with a solution or a new approach — and collectively the power of many can expedite the progress of that solution, which also means that each person in that collective is changing the world. Each of us prove this everyday.  __Why recycling? Why is this your life’s work and not some other environmental issue?__ There is no greater impact that each of us can have on the environment, the economy, on manufacturing, on mitigating climate change, on conserving fresh water and energy, and to help prevent waste from going into oceans and waterways than recycling. It is the only action that can hit on so many critical points to help us become a sustainable species on this planet, especially as the human population continues to grow exponentially. We are the only species on this planet that doesn’t live within the system or the cycle of the planet; recycling can help us begin living within more of the system again. Every other species uses, reuses and even is used — which helps them and other reliant organisms live and thrive. Since the industrial revolution, and possibly even before then, the human species has increasingly been in the habit of a manufactured and one-use existence, and that simply doesn’t work. It’s a bad math equation for our species to continue to have that approach. Fixing recycling can help prevent that bad math equation and help reduce CO2 levels, which are also threatening us. Recycling even helps create jobs and helps stimulate the economy. It’s a home run on so many levels AND the infrastructure exists. The public is passionate about it and the manufacturers are demanding the materials. The only thing standing in the way of thriving recycling is the public confusion at the bin! Once we fix that little issue, which is why we’re doing the standardized labels for recycling bins, it will release the bottleneck in the industry — and finally allow recycling and closed loop manufacturing to begin to truly live up to its environmental potential.  __Why did you make a significant career shift after spending so much time in the corporate world? Was becoming an enviro-entrepreneur always the goal?__ I’m extremely solutions driven and have been my entire life, including when I was just a little girl. It was almost to a fault. My mind continuously looks at problems or issues that present themselves or that I witness. As an analogy, my mind looks at large scale (and small scale) issues almost as if they are Rubik’s cubes — and my mind continues to turn the cube until I can see a solution. This has been my way of looking at situations my entire life, both personally and professionally, including when I was in the corporate world. I grew up with a mother that was very health and environmentally conscious, although I don’t think we thought of it as a category or title. My mom would shop at healthfood stores and co-ops long before co-ops were cool or trendy. In fact at that time, they were anything but cool. I think that way of life affected my DNA, and therefore I’ve always looked through the lens of being conservative with resources and understanding that every action we take, affects more than just ourselves. I’m always scaling up decisions and scenarios in my mind. For instance, “If I do this and everyone does this also, will the world be a better place, a worse place or simply neutral?” When we start looking through that lens, it helps us all make better decisions for ourselves and for the world around us. At one point in my career, about 12 years ago, I had an opportunity to look at the green movement from a broad perspective. I quickly realized how dysfunctional and confusing the environmental movement is from the public and consumers’ perspective. Once we fix the confusion for the public and consumer, and make it easier for people to act on their good intentions (such as recycling), or easier to make consumer choices to truly support environmentally responsible businesses, then we’ll see dramatic environmental progress in the world. The confusion is the barrier to progress, as seen in the recycling industry. __What is your single greatest accomplishment with this project?__ It’s not so much about my accomplishments as it is about people, brands, and organizations that have come into this mission to help move the needle more quickly; Groups that are standing by my side. Those accomplishments, by their leadership and understanding of this issue, are the greatest hallmarks of this journey for me. One example is when I became an Ashoka Fellow. Ashoka recognized this as a “world changing solution,” and provided me with a three year stipend to allow me to continue this mission. Disney came on board to pilot the standardized labels in all of their employee areas in Florida, and they were one of our most high profile early adopters — which led to others following their lead. Here are other examples: Bank of America, Kiehl’s, and Whole Foods. So many other great brands continue to carry this mission out. Our small, but oh-so mighty little team, with RAA, is our little powerhouse troops that carry this mission forward everyday, lifting the load from my shoulders. Rhode Island is our first state to utilize the labels throughout the state, and show other states why this is critical to do statewide and nationwide. It’s the celebrities that have said yes to our PSA campaign, the US Bank Stadium that started using the labels and is the stadium for the next Super Bowl, the 140 South Korean students that came to the U.S. this year and last year — and took time to help people in the U.S. know about this solution, and why recycling right is so critical to people all around the world. The young woman who biked from Rhode Island to San Francisco, who carried our literature and our Earth Flag on her solo, riding coast to coast to help people know about our mission, and all on her own, helped raise money for labels for K-12 schools. I could go on and on. These people, groups, brands; they move me! They are my fuel and the fuel of this mission! Individuals can change the world.  __If you could say something to the youth of the world today, what would you say?__ The first thing I would say is, "I’m sorry." I’m sorry that it has taken this long for all of us from previous generations to take these issues seriously. Then I would say, “I’m so hopeful because this next generation gets it, and is passionate and ready to take action!” I would encourage them to look for and to support big solutions to address big problems. The solutions don’t have to be complex, but at this point they do need to have a big impact. Small actions are incredibly important for each of us to take. But we also need to start implementing big solutions that can have the fastest and broadest impact as well. It’s time to recognize how critical common-sense is, when it comes to the environment. Don’t wait for the government. Use the power of a collective people and as consumers to affect change rapidly. And, of course, recycle more and recycle right! __What is your relationship with nature, the environment, and organizations that are fighting for a better tomorrow?__ Not to sound negative, but when I started RAA, I was really surprised and a bit disheartened to see how fragmented the nonprofit space is. I think it has to do a bit with the fact that many nonprofits are having to constantly look for funding, and they see others as potential competitors for funding. This isn’t true everywhere, but I’ve heard from others that they witness the same thing. The reality is that if all the nonprofits working in each category of a problem, such as recycling, really united together to fix recycling, it would be fixed. That’s a simple fact. So if we’re all saying we’re trying to make it better, working together to implement solutions and programs to do so, collectively, would truly fix the issues. I believe that is true for hunger and education etc., but there is so much autonomy, which is good I guess from a for-profit business perspective, because it creates constant need and job security, but honestly, I think all nonprofits should be considered short term organizations. They should be designed to solve the issue that their mission is focused on as quickly as possible, and strive to eliminate the need for their organization to exist because they have eliminated the problem. People might say that’s unrealistic or too altruistic, but perhaps it shouldn’t be unrealistic. Perhaps donors or supporters should ask the nonprofits they fund, “How are you going to solve the problem and how long will it take, and how much funding do you need to solve the problem?” versus having an open ended approach to issues. From our perspective, our goal is to make the need for our nonprofit extinct. Just as there isn’t a need to have a nonprofit organization promoting standardized stop sign and speed limit signs, there should be a day when our organization isn't needed anymore in the recycling space because the standardized labels are in fully in use throughout the U.S. And people are able to recycle more and recycle right, everywhere they go. It is then that I will personally know that we did our job... *because we eliminated our jobs!*  __Is there a particular natural place that you resonate with?__ Everywhere outdoors, especially by water. I’m a serious water person. I grew up with our house overlooking the ocean, and I swear I’m either a dolphin in my next life or was a dolphin in my previous life. I love water (rivers, oceans, lakes). I love mountains. I love animals. I love watching nature and seeing how it works. It doesn’t need meetings or phone calls or discussions or panels or symposiums to know how it should exist. It just exists in harmony (for the most part). I love that about nature — I’m humbled by it. __It is no secret that we have an environmental crisis. With so many issues to focus on, it can feel hopeless and crippling to people. What advice do you have for people anxious for a better tomorrow, but overwhelmed by the vastness of the problem?__ There are simple solutions to fix the big problems, period. We have the ability to overcome the massive issues, but we need to fix the lowest hanging fruit that has the biggest impact. This is why we’re focusing on fixing recycling. People need to see something that actually gets fixed today. People are overwhelmed and exhausted by hearing about problems and awareness of issues. Fixing one big issue at a time will provide momentum and enthusiasm to begin tackling the next big issue. Society and industry has become a bit schizophrenic. It’s time to tackle one thing at a time and make some measurable progress. Fixing recycling is a way to unite people, manufacturers, cities, and to work together to make it thrive. I’m super excited that that is what we’re working on and that there is so much momentum to achieve that goal. I believe in the next five years that we’ll look back and say, “Remember when recycling was confusing and when most manufacturers couldn’t close the loop with the manufacturing?” Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-mitch-hedlund # What Snows of Kilimanjaro? By: Justin Abrams Published: 2017-11-06 I was 23 years old and it was 2012. As a kid I was an avid athlete. But not in the traditional sense. Yes, I played soccer and baseball, but team sports just weren’t for me. I was always better off as an individual contributor. I think it's because I was competitive to a fault. I was often so hyperfocused on the victory that I forgot about the journey. I was always drawn to "extreme sports;" finding myself immersed in mountain biking, rock climbing, snowboarding and mountaineering. Anything that could challenge my comfort zone and allow me to challenge myself. I was 22 years old when I saw an opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, reaching to the sky at a height of 19,341 feet of dormant volcano. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain on the African continent and is the tallest freestanding mountain on earth. Not being part of a mountain range, it rises up out of the flat Tanzanian desert with nothing to distract from its grandeur. I was intrigued, scared and motivated.  I flew out of Dulles International in Washington DC and had two connecting flights in Abu Dhabi and Kenya before arriving at Kilimanjaro International Airport 27 hours later. I was meeting a guide service coordinator there from Zara Tours, who was to pick me up at the airport to take me to my hotel. He didn't arrive for 3 hours. The entire time I was waiting, there must have been over 100 men viciously soliciting for me to take a cab ride with them. I had over 100 pounds of gear and various pieces of luggage which ended up in the trunk of multiple different vehicles. A trying situation for anyone, let alone a bright eyed kid in a third world country. I was struggling.  My first wildlife encounter in Africa occurred the second we exited the airport, after I was finally picked up by the guide service. In the middle of a 2 lane highway stood a gigantic Wildebeest with huge horns that was easily the size of a horse. Seconds later we passed a 6 foot ant hill on the side of the road. I was instantly intrigued and intimidated. Driving through the streets of Arusha, the scene was humbling. There are huge stretches of farmland and crop, with intermittent roadside stands selling varieties of fruits and vegetables, toys, clothing, and many other creature comforts. There was even a roadside stand called “Best Buys” that sold electronics like televisions, computers, cell phones and more. The markets were buzzing with every mode of transportation on a mixture of dirt roads and rutted pavement. The children, the businessmen, the mothers; I saw one mother carrying an infant on the front of her with a toddler on her back and a massive weave basket filled to the brim balanced on her head. She was then carrying multiple plastic bags of groceries in each hand. I was so humbled and felt at the time that she must have been the strongest woman in the world. There was such an overwhelming feeling of controlled chaos. It made me extremely uneasy, yet so grateful for the life that I am accustomed to. I noticed something fundamental about Africa, that I have come to look forward to in all of my travels around the world. The less people appear to have by western standards, the happier they appear to be.  However, I remember the pollution vividly. There is no sanitation department in Arusha. The heaps of trash and filth emitting an odor that physically affected me was practically unbearable. Clean water and simple hygiene are a rarity to most who populate this city and region. What is incomprehensible is how this one common denominator, Kilimanjaro, has become the life source for this area. What little resources the people have here are all provided by this mountain in some form. Over the next 8 days I would hike the 43 miles of the Marangu Route up and down Kilimanjaro and find out a barrage of interesting and shocking facts about the mountain and the effects that pollution and environmental neglect have had on it.   Kilimanjaro covers nearly every terrestrial micro environment or ecosystem found on earth. Cultivated land, rainforest, heath, moorland, alpine desert and an arctic summit make up this extreme landscape. Despite direct human contact, the people that work on Kilimanjaro as guides, cooks, porters and builders, take a keen care of the cleanliness of the mountain. While Kilimanjaro is heavily populated and [sees roughy 25,000 to 35,000 visitors a year](https://www.climbkilimanjaroguide.com/kilimanjaro-facts/), the mountain appeared to be in relatively clean condition. My guide Mudi, who had climbed and summited 69 times in his lifetime, had seen massive change over the years and showed me along the way, what had occurred. Pollution from cities at the base of Kilimanjaro, littering the circumference of the mountain, have caused much of the destruction on the mountain.  My summit day had the most notable evidence. We had left the final camp for our summit attempt at 2AM. Climbing through the night in -20 degrees F, but a clear, perfect night nonetheless. By the time we had reached snow, it was sunrise. The scene was incredible, but missing something that the books and the movies had promised me; massive glaciers. The infamous snows of Kilimanjaro. It was shocking to see how massive it was when I finally found it, but even more shocking to find out how much it has shrank over the years from my guide. The mountain’s snow caps are still diminishing, [having lost more than 80 percent of their mass since 1912. In fact, they may be completely ice free by the year 2030, according to scientists](https://www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/good-nature-travel/posts/ten-interesting-facts-about-mt-kilimanjaro%20). The environment at this elevation can no longer maintain a sub-arctic condition due to unsustainable levels of greenhouse gases emitting from Arusha and the cities circling the mountain below. All the pollution, gas emissions, sewage and waste have caused an environmental shift to occur at a rate that is irreversible. I realized that this was a prime example of global warming. This was the hardest blow. I realized in that moment, that my future child, and the next generation looking to tackle this mountain, will not experience it the way that I did.   Human impact on the world is nearly irreversible. In an extremely short period of time, we have managed to destroy our home, particularly, the places that most of us will never see, because our lives revolve around the urban environment. What else needs to disappear, go extinct, mutate or dry up before we do something about our impact on our own homes?  __Sources:__ 1. [https://www.climbkilimanjaroguide.com/kilimanjaro-facts/](https://www.climbkilimanjaroguide.com/kilimanjaro-facts/) 2. [https://www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/good-nature-travel/posts/ten-interesting-facts-about-mt-kilimanjaro](https://www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/good-nature-travel/posts/ten-interesting-facts-about-mt-kilimanjaro) Tour Company: [10 Adventures Tours](https://www.10adventures.com/climb-kilimanjaro/ "10 Adventures Tours") Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/what-snows-of-kilimanjaro # HEROES Spotlight: Alexandra Kahn Published: 2017-10-30 *Alexandra Kahn is a photographer, videographer, story teller, rock climber, and all-around creative based out of Broomfield, Colorado. She has a passion for the outdoors and travel that is evident in her work and lifestyle. We first caught up with Alex before she embarked on a climbing trip to Hawaii. We got to ask her a few questions about her journey and how that translates into a passion for the environment.* __How did you get started climbing? What is your origin story?__ My mom is actually a climber, she started dragging me to the gym when I was 4 and outdoor trad and sport crags when I was 7. So as long as I can remember it has been a part of my life but I wouldn’t say I truly fell in love with the sport, to the point where I now go outside to climb alone if I can’t find someone to join me, until I was 25/26. I’m 29 now. But I’ve always appreciated it and thought of it as a part of who I am.  __Looking at your Instagram it looks like you are passionate about many causes from animal welfare, to humanitarian issues, to environmentalism. With so much to do in all these areas do you have a particular focus?__ While I would love to get more into animal welfare and plan to, my first love has always been the environment. I work with the [Access Fund](https://www.accessfund.org/), [American Alpine Club](https://americanalpineclub.org/) and a few eco friendly brands like [Onsight Equipment](http://www.onsightequipment.com/), and can only hope to leave some sort of legacy in terms of environmentalism. __If you were able to speak to all the young people out there looking to identify with an activity or passion, what would be your advice?__ My true love of nature blossomed with the ability to travel and photograph my surroundings. My advice would be to go to a new place alone, or with a patient person, go for a walk and get off the beaten trail and take your camera. Walk slowly and look everywhere, attempting to see the subtleties and intricacies of the world around you. I do this all the time and it rejuvenates my soul and makes me so grateful to live in such a diverse world.  __Tell us a bit about your current work with the environment and any organization that you are working with for a better tomorrow?__ I am a full time photographer and videographer who works in the outdoor world. I do commercial, fashion, weddings and portraits and for the most part everything is outside. I work hard to get the people to appreciate the nature around them by capturing the beauty. I am an ambassador for [Onsight Equipment](http://www.onsightequipment.com/) and [LifeStraw](https://lifestraw.eartheasy.com/), two companies trying to make a huge impact in the outdoor industry. And like I said before I work with [The Access Fund](https://www.accessfund.org/) and [American Alpine Club](https://americanalpineclub.org/). My goal for this year is to work with more outdoor centric non profits and sustainable outdoor brands and I recently made a commercial for Women’s Wilderness Project. I feel like I can make the most impact by teaming up with the companies that need more creative marketing and media content and helping to spread awareness of those brands and organizations. __What are your future ambitions for both yourself and the brand you are building?__ Hmm well I want to finish a young adult book I have been writing for awhile. I want to have multiple creatives working under me but with a diversity of skills so we can provide more to the clients we work with. And I want all the companies I work with to provide something meaningful for society and inspire change towards a more sustainable future. I would like to create content for an adult audience but then have in-house animators to create simplified and animated versions for kids since educating them about the environment and inspiring their love for the land is the only hope we have. __What is your biggest victory to date?__ Hmm professionally, I just found out my last documentary film is on [Qantas Airlines](https://www.qantas.com/us/en.html) which is super cool and I landed a multi page article with my words and photos in the French Climbing magazine [Grimper](http://www.grimper.com/) which will come out this winter. Personally, I would say coming back from a horrific back injury where I was told I could never boulder again.  __What's one things you wish every person would either do or be mindful of every single day when they wake up, focused on the environment and self improvement?__ Be mindful of the natural world around you each morning. Look at the sky, the birds, listen to the plants rustle in the wind. Watch the sunset or the moon rise as often as you can and be grateful to be in the present moment. Take a deep breathe and relax, however, remember that every person on earth including you has a meaning and an impact and what you think and do and say matters to the earth and it’s people, so be mindful of your choices. __Where can people find you, follow you, and get involved in what you do?__ My personal Instagram with my adventure and climbing photos of myself, my friends and my personal stories is [alex_simone88](https://www.instagram.com/alex_simone88/) and then I have a commercial account as well [@asinspiredmedia](https://www.instagram.com/asinspiredmedia/). *Stay tuned! Alex is currently working on a collaborative design with us to support The Trust for Public Lands. We're super excited to work with Alex on this and if you're as excited as we are sign up for our newsletter below to get a sneak peak before the launch!* Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-alexandra-kahn # HEROES Spotlight: Danielle "Dee" Esposito Published: 2017-10-15 *If you don't recognize Dee Esposito, perhaps you need to take another look at our homepage. Dee has been a close friend to the Cause of a Kind family since the beginning and we finally get the chance to talk more about her.* *Dee is not just a Cause of a Kind model, she's also a competitive Spartan racer! We got a chance to catch up with her last week so we could tell everyone her story.* __How did you get into adventure racing?__ My old gym was bootcamp-style, meaning it had walls, ropes, fake barbed wire, monkey bars, etc. They used to do a ton of Spartan Races, so just being there and having my trainer and buddies around me all the time sort of convinced me to try it. I had always had an interest in them but never felt comfortable enough to actually do one. Those guys made me try... and changed my life entirely.  __What would you say to other women that want to do their first adventure race but are intimidated?__ Evvvvvveryone is intimidated. I'm still intimidated before every single race, no matter how short or long of a distance. But I'm also a firm believer that those nerves and that intimidation comes before all of the best things in life. The best I can promise is you'll come out the other side with a new sense of what life actually is. Where today we're so accustomed to thinking life means texts and Google searches and losing ourselves in this crazy digital world, these races take all of those things away for a moment. For those hours that you're on a course, you'll remember what it's like to be a human - when you're in tune with your breathing and your steps, when your mind and your body gets to work together... and you get to just be. Also, the Open Heats guarantee friendships - you'll see all different types of people from all walks of life on that course. I've seen 90 year old women, blind men, children and the handicap conquering a course alongside each other. The only thing to be intimidated by is your own mind... because once you cross that start line, you CAN do this - and we won't let you fail.  __What was the most challenging race you've competed in so far and why?__ Easy. The 2014 Spartan World Championships in Killington, Vermont. It was my first season doing any sort of OCR (obstacle course racing) and my first time running a Spartan Beast. Killington is known as being one of the most challenging courses (it's the birthplace of the Spartan Beast, after all), because they love to utilize their steep ski slopes. I remember it was freezing that year, and at the summit we were walking in a cloud. I had busted out my knee on Mile 5 of this 12+ mile course and had to do every decent in a crab walk. I had strangers who carried me over walls, some that had warned me to quit to avoid further injury, and others that told me not to. It was the first race where my mind really had to come in to play to keep me moving, and I LOVED that. I think that's partly why I've been so interested this season in endurance events - I really like the mental aspect of pushing myself to break through those mind games. There's something very satisfying about that.  __What's your favorite obstacle?__ Rope climb! I also really like rig work now that I'm developing a stronger grip. __What weaknesses are you currently working to overcome?__ Two things: grip strength and steep climbs __How are you training to overcome them?__ Honestly CrossFit has helped me make leaps and bounds with my grip. Probably all that barbell work and those pullups. Other than that though I do dead hangs a lot, play around on the gym rig and I've gotten some grippy tools like the GripSling. For steep climbs it's a little harder because we don't have the terrain in Queens that other parts of the country get, but I throw on my ruck and find stairs and a few spots that I know of that have some hills to work on. If you had to train for an adventure race in four weeks what would your regiment look like? I'd keep WODing daily and doing ruck workouts after. One thing I will say is since I've begun training nightly with my ruck, heavy carries in a race have felt so much better. Also, use some weekends to focus on timed training rather than mileage training. What I mean here is a road mile and a mountain mile are two completely different things, and you might be out on a race and find you've only covered 3 miles in an hour. Get used to working for long periods of time. Carve out 4 hours to just explore - run, burpee, speed walk, pick up a heavy rock and carry it around for a bit. Just use that time to get your body acclimated to long non-stop movement.  __Would you consider yourself to be environmentally conscious, and why?__ I'm environmentally conscious but I do think I could get better at it actually executing that consciousness. __Is there a particular natural place that resonates with you particularly?__ Two things: bodies of water and trails. __If there were an individual cause that you care about, related to the environment, what would it be?__ Water pollution and wrecking beautiful forests.  __Do you think there is an intersection between being an elite spartan athlete and caring about the environment?__ Well, of course. Spartan Racers, or really any racer that races out in the world, cares about the environment because that's where we play. Obviously you don't have to race trails or swim lakes to care about them, but we're connected to them differently. They're an intricate part of our world not only physically, or in those typical aspects, but we use these places to train, we suffer here and grow here, and there's something very special that comes from living part of your life with this sort of primal connection to the earth. I think it helps us to really appreciate it. __When you say that you are environmentally conscious but wish to do more, what do you feel you could improve on?__ Volunteer more, donate more, live consciously, etc. no wrong answer. Live more consciously. I mean, I already don't litter, and while racing I'm one of those that picks up any wrapper some inconsiderate person threw on to the trail, but I mean most people can always do MORE, right? It's just a matter of having the outlet and resources... and education... to do that.  Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/heroes-spotlight-danielle-dee-esposito # Take Back Tomorrow | Lessons Published: 2017-10-01 Based on our collective reality, Lessons follows a young woman from childhood to motherhood and her relationship with nature, what it has taught her, how it has supported her through tough times and how she has grown to embody its purity and power. Until the realization that due to a lack of care, pollution and degradation, her wild places will not be passed down in the same way to her child. We must Take Back Tomorrow, today. This was the first brand film that we did as Cause of a Kind. Special thanks to our entire crew for helping make this amazing shoot happen! Canonical URL: https://www.causeofakind.com/strictly-from-nowhere/take-back-tomorrow-lessons