Personal Development

The Science of Conversation for people who hate small talk

One morning, I watched a data engineer struggle with using AI for thirty minutes, trying to debug a DBT job. The problem wasn’t the LLM’s capabilities—it was how the engineer framed the question. No context about what they’d already tried. No explanation of the expected versus actual output. Just “fix this code” followed by a massive code dump. This same engineer had similar struggles with stakeholders. Presentations that assumed too much context. Emails that buried the ask. Meetings where they answered questions nobody asked.

Sunday, January 4, 2026 Read

The Invisible PR You're Building Right Now

The Email That Changed Everything I received a meeting invite labeled “Check In” and it was to discuss news about the restructure. In a few months, my role would be gone. I was still processing it, sitting with that particular brand of numbness that comes when your career gets upended. In the following weeks, my inbox started filling up. LinkedIn messages. Texts. Emails from people I’d worked with years ago.

Monday, December 8, 2025 Read

Discover our best selves

Introduction Here’s what nobody tells you about: your biggest blind spot isn’t your technical weaknesses—it’s your strengths. That sounds weird doesn’t it. Most of us can recite our shortcomings on command, yet we struggle to articulate what we’re genuinely good at. This isn’t just modesty. It’s a fundamental quirk of human psychology that keeps us from reaching our full potential. The Reflected Best Self Portrait exercise, developed by researchers at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, flips this script entirely. Instead of the usual deficit-focused approach (“here’s what you need to fix”), it asks a radical question: what if we built our careers around who we are when we’re at our absolute best? For data professionals navigating an industry that’s constantly evolving—where yesterday’s cutting-edge tool becomes today’s legacy system—this approach isn’t just refreshing. It’s essential.

Saturday, November 1, 2025 Read

Individual Contributor to Senior Manager of Data

Introduction Starting a new role at any organization—whether it’s a school, a workplace, or another setting—typically begins with a focus on individual contribution. Your success is directly tied to your personal efforts. You have control over the pace and quality of your work, and ultimately, you are solely accountable for your outcomes. This phase allows you to develop the skills and discipline necessary to excel in more complex roles. The Path to Success as an Individual Contributor During my time in this phase, I likely spent longer than most. I always had the mindset of making my manager—and by extension, my team—look good. This meant not only delivering quality work but also taking full accountability for my tasks.

Saturday, August 10, 2024 Read

2023 - Books that are worth you time?

Introduction As a Data Engineer, it’s crucial to constantly improve your skills and knowledge to stay ahead of the curve. Whether it’s working with large data sets, building efficient data pipelines, or collaborating with a team, there are many different aspects to consider. To help you succeed, I’ve put together a list of books that cover a range of topics, from culture and team building to Python and SQL. Each of the books I’ve selected offers valuable insights and practical advice to help you become a better Data Engineer. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your coding skills, learn how to effectively communicate with your team, or improve your organization’s data processes, there’s something here for everyone. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the books that can help you take your skills to the next level.

Development

Sunday, March 5, 2023 Read

Onboarding a data team

Introduction Onboarding is so important to give a great impression, but also setting up the scaffolding of what a new employee would expect the culture to be like at a company. Needless to say, it’s not normally a great experience, it normally starts with spending the first two weeks getting access to systems and tools. Then once you have access, especially in the remote working environment - sometimes you get only a brief introduction with your manager, and get a small glimpse as to what you are to be working on. This common scenario, makes people feel less connected to the team, and no excitement or passion for the work - they feel undervalued, which isn’t a great start from day one or two.

Sunday, January 29, 2023 Read

Journalling

Introduction Journalling is a habit that helps us reflect on the year, but also allows us to coach ourselves to be a better you. There is a element of getting it down in writing that allows us to “slow” down and focus on what we are writing. There is something about Journalling in physical form, as when you reflect back on past Journal there is some sort of bond you have with your hand writing, and you can also go back to that moment in time and remember when you wrote it.

Sunday, January 8, 2023 Read