Away from Keyboard
15 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 7 ratingsExploring the human side of creative work (retired). Host Timothy Smith talks with creative professionals from different industries about the nitty gritty: life, mistakes, burnout, and finding balance while creating satisfying work.
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Episodes
Laura Gaetano doesn't want to be a manager
January 31, 2019 00:52 - 31 minutes - 43.9 MBLaura Gaetano was born in Italy, and by my count has lived in at least four different countries. Her multicultural upbringing has had a huge impact on her life. In fact, she currently works at the Travis Foundation with a focus on diversity and inclusion. We talk about her upbringing, her troubles with art school, the work she’s doing now, and changes that may be on the horizon.
Adam Clark wants to be independently wealthy
January 17, 2019 04:13 - 27 minutes - 38 MBAdam Clark and I met back in 2013. We started a podcasting company together (which we both left), he shut down his consulting business to move to California and work for Apple, and now he’s back in Tennessee. Last year he launched a new business, Podcast Royale, a company he says will afford him more freedom to do whatever he wants to do. He talks to me about growing up in a cult, losing his father, marriage, and how being a parent gives him a purpose in life.
Maria Boland Ploessl found her home in technology
December 20, 2018 18:08 - 24 minutes - 34.1 MBIn our last episode of the year, I talk with Maria Boland Ploessl. Maria’s path to technology has been interesting to say the least. A Saint Paul native, she studied Spanish and Latin American studies in college. In 2016, after living in a few different cities (even a year-long stint in Brazil), she moved back to Minnesota. Now, she’s the Executive Director of Minnestar, a non-profit organization with the aim of supporting and growing Minnesota’s tech community. Maria talks to me about what M...
Jeremy Fuksa is a unicorn
December 05, 2018 22:22 - 31 minutes - 43.1 MBJeremy Fuksa has had a rough few years. After deciding to go out on his own, his third year in business was filled with anxiety. Going back to working a full-time job may sound like a failure to some, but Jeremy doesn’t look at it that way. He talks to me about his unique skill set, dealing with anxiety and depression, and how his recent experience has taught him some great lessons.
New episodes coming in December!
November 19, 2018 20:48 - 1 minute - 1.73 MBThere hasn’t been a new episode in a few weeks so I wanted to give you a small update. We’ll be back with new episodes on December 4th.
Eryn O'Neil isn't afraid to speak her mind
October 10, 2018 17:00 - 31 minutes - 43.6 MBEryn O’Neil grew up in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago. When it came time for college, it was easy for her to move a few states over and go to college in a small town in Iowa. She now lives in Minneapolis, and after years of being self-employed, she just finished a months-long journey to find her next job. Eryn talks to me about being the first female engineering manager at her new company, what excites her about technology, the hurdles of married life, and staying healthy in a demanding ...
Suz Hinton says find your allies
September 26, 2018 17:00 - 28 minutes - 39.1 MBAlmost eight years ago, Suz Hinton made one of the biggest decisions of her life: move away from her home in Melbourne, Australia and move to the United States. After amicably breaking up with her boyfriend, another decision lied ahead: would she stay? Suz talks to me about culture shock, the hoops she had to jump through to get her visa, her parents, and dealing with burnout.
Mahdi Yusuf knows being healthy is a constant struggle
September 06, 2018 11:00 - 16 minutes - 22.8 MBMahdi Yusuf worked a startup in his twenties and wasn’t worried too much about his health. When he quit that job, he decided to take better care of himself and lost fifty pounds. Now, he’s the CTO of Gyroscope, a startup that aims to be the operating system for the human body, but ever since joining, has gained weight back. Mahdi talks to me about how Gyroscope is trying to help people understand their bodies better, growing up with a love for computers, and trying to be healthy with a busy l...
Justin Dorfman’s passion is advocating for developers
August 29, 2018 17:00 - 18 minutes - 26.2 MBAfter a very difficult 2014 that put Justin Dorfman in the hospital, he vowed to never go back. Justin has Bipolar I disorder, so coming to terms with his limitations and the sacrifices he needs to make to stay healthy hasn’t been easy. He talks to me about his early BMX dreams, his transition from engineering to marketing, and the stigma around mental health.
Jeff Robbins is an actual rockstar
August 08, 2018 17:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBWhile some dream of having a successful career, Jeff Robbins has already had several. Once the lead singer and guitarist for Orbit, Jeff has worked on some of the most famous Drupal websites. He talks to me about his early interest in computers, starting Lullabot, and adjusting to life after leaving the company he built and ran.
Ashley Baxter is excited about… insurance?
August 01, 2018 17:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBThirteen years ago, Ashley Baxter inherited the family insurance business when her Dad passed away. Even though she’s a talented photographer, and built a successful photography business, the insurance industry kept calling her name. Ashley talks about what excites her about insurance, the challenges of running a business, and how burnout forced her to focus.
Away at OSCON
July 25, 2018 17:00 - 33 seconds - 606 KBHello everyone! No new episode this week, since I was away at OSCON last week in Portland. We had a fantastic time. The show will be back with new episodes next Wednesday!
Justin Jackson finds focus
July 18, 2018 17:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBI first heard of Justin Jackson about six years ago. Back then, he was consulting full-time for a company with the dream of going independent. Fast forward to 2018, and after building a successful business, he’s now embarking on a new adventure. Justin talks about his parents, dealing with depression, and a new business he’s co-founded.
Jason Snell is his own HR person
July 11, 2018 17:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBIt’s been four years since Jason Snell left his job at Macworld and started his own site Six Colors. In that time, Jason is back to what he loves: creating. He talks about the diversity of his work day, finding the right mix of revenue streams, and taking a break when you need one.
Welcome to Away from Keyboard
July 10, 2018 21:11 - 2 minutes - 1.96 MBAway from Keyboard is a new show from Changelog that talks to creative professionals about how they do what they do, where they started, and how they deal with the things that make us all humans. As exciting as our work can sometimes be, we all face burnout, a lack of motivation, mental and physical health issues, and more. While these are topics that can be difficult to talk about, our experiences shape who we are and teach us so many things. AFK is a show that explores the human side of cre...