Lately, that is to say, for the better part of the past ten years, I’ve been primarily interested in sustainability, in all its modalities. Certainly much could be said of the fact that I – a human that drives an EV and eats vegetarian, and otherwise aggressively tries to minimize my carbon and ecological footprint – produce 4 tons of CO2 equivalent annually. We are in a rather bad way as a planet and a society, which has created an opportunity for me to earn a not particularly remunerative living trying to tilt the needle ever so slightly in a better direction. I like to think that I’ve chosen to follow a path that is mostly benevolent or at least good intentioned. Most days I feel fulfilled and fortunate to have what I have.
I have, at other points in my life, earned income from a diverse range of endeavors including that of whitewater rafting guide, waiter at a Mexican restaurant, ski technician, intern at a law office that represented the largest insurer of NYC taxi medallions, environmental science teacher at an elite independent school, tutor, swim coach, and probably some others that I have forgotten or that are unbearably mundane (web developer and digital marketing consultant, come to mind).
I’m Good At…
helping people understand complicated systems
muddling through technical projects
identifying opportunities for collaboration or improvement
streamlining workflows and automating routine tasks
coaching and teaching
managing with limited resources
I’m Working On…
expanding my professional network
prioritizing that which is important but not time sensitive
finding the correct balance of humility and confidence to fit the circumstance
using more visuals and fewer words to articulate ideas
collecting more and better data to fully inform and evaluate initial assumptions
About This Website
Since I’ve made the conscious decision not to participate in so-called social media in any meaningful way, I initially started this website as a way to document some of my travel and whitewater kayaking experiences. I enjoy writing, but find it difficult to write about myself, at least without some more limiting context. So be it. Perhaps someday I’ll post here with regularity. In the interim, this site is a somewhat static, digital representation of me.
About The Logo
I’m a kayaker. Rivers are inspirational and ever-changing. Navigating whitewater is the perfect metaphor for a life well-lived. I once wrote a business school admissions essay emphasizing that calculated risk-taking was one of my greatest strengths. I don’t think I would have embraced the professional uncertainty of entrepreneurship if I hadn’t already discovered the deep satisfaction of paddling difficult whitewater. Since having children I’ve really dialed back back the amount of expert-level whitewater paddling I do. Part of this is a function of shifted priorities and lack of time. However, I’ve also had a few friends pass away kayaking. It’s a sobering experience when anyone drowns paddling, but especially when it’s guys you personally know on rivers and rapids that you’ve personally paddled, which was the case with four friends from the northeast who drowned between 2011 and 2014. The kayaker logo is a reminder to myself to live a full life and seek challenge and inspiration through a variety of personal and professional pursuits, but to do so within my personal limits and tolerance for risk.
Attribution: Kayak by Andrew Baygulov from the Noun Project