The time is always right...

Coffee talk with my new "co-workers"

I have traded in a water cooler for decaf lattes with skim.

Instead of a cubicle, I share my space: six laptops to a hulking wooden table with many knots.

I have different co-workers every day, though some are recurring.

Back to the beginning

A friend recently asked me about the beginning of Swirl.

I told her how I started it. And why. She interrupted to clarify - she wanted to know how I felt. What specifically I was experiencing when I came up with the idea, when I took the first steps to incorporate, when it all came to fruition. I had to think about this - after all, it was nearly eleven years ago.

Me & Mr. T

I'm sitting at my table. Tea mug next to me, its mossy-colored liquid rippling and sending its tea bag on mini waves to the beat of my laptop typing. Mr. Tea looks on. He's got his classic mean grill going. But he's just serious. And seriously misunderstood.

I'm glad he's here, because so far, the weirdest thing about working "for myself" is the silence.

In the arena...

What am I doing now that I've left my job at New Leaders? I'm going out on my own. I've decided to finally try to make Swirl, my ten year old on-the-side project, my full-time job. I know that if I don't try it now, I will always regret it. I am also hoping to consult on the side until working for Swirl actually supports me financially. I have never tried doing this before. It's new and exciting, but also scary, of course.

Six years of thanks

I cleared everything off of my desk last Friday and it all sits in boxes in my living room today.
A yellow bowl,
Leftover tea,
HR books,
Books about leadership and building community,
"Charlie the camel,"
Cards from friends,
Pictures.
Six years into boxes.
It's heavy.