OK well, Shane put the challenge out there, so I decided to do it… only a week late… but who’s counting? I have been so busy with work lately that I literally have 400 unread RSS feeds, a mountain of social phone calls to return, and an eyestrain headache that the Ray Ban Bunnies would be proud of…
So anyway, whilst I wind down from working… its time for me to do what I promised and answer some questions…
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What’s your personal mission statement?
To live my life like this is “it”, and leave a legacy for my children that they are proud of. And to leave this earth just a little bit better for having been here. Anything else is a bonus.
What’s the biggest mess you’ve dealt with this year?
I am guessing that you *don’t* mean that nappy of Jules’ that i had to clean up about 2 weeks ago when he had severe diahorrea? Apparently us business people aren’t supposed to talk about such unsavoury things — and that is why I am always crossing the line with people.
In all seriousness though, the biggest mess that I have had to clean up is from my own lack of confidence. And yes, occasionally my tendency to tell clients about my son’s diahorrea and bad cake disasters…
What current entrepreneurial efforts consume your time?
Right now, building my business to not just be a job, but to also be earning income when I am NOT pull all nighters is something I am working on. I am also working on some ideas for band sites, and a few other things that never get my attention because I am too busy.
I have found that I feel uncomfortable calling myself an entrepeneur, too, which is probably why I find it hard to talk about my “entrepeneurial” efforts…
Why do you do what you do? What inspires you? When do you get most excited?
Quite simply, I love just about every aspect of my job… except for that point in the project where its bugs and niggles, that PISSES ME OFF AND IS ANYONE A CSS GURU THAT CAN HELP ME OUT BECAUSE I AM TEARING MY HAIR OUT OY VEY…
What inspires me? Well… I am a big picture kind of girl, so I would have to say that for me, the inspiration comes from helping to empower people using technology. It sounds really trite, but I really do get a kick out of making things look cool, but in a meaningful way.
I spent a lot of years trying to find my place, and trying to maintain my sense of optimism about human nature (although that has been tested, and I have been known to cry from the disappointment of people’s selfishness sometimes!), so for me, in a small way, being part of this little information revolution that will one day be looked upon as a turning point for humanity… well… that is kinda inspiring, don’t you think?
Boxers or Briefs? or as Naomi says, Bikini or Thong, duh?!?
Briefs make for a much better client relationship… oh, wait, you mean the other kind of undies… do women wear boxers?
What do you do when you’re not [designing | programming | managing | writing | toiling for the wo/man]?
I think about designing, programming, managing, writing and thank fuck for every day that I am not working FOR THE MAN. Oh, and I try to spend time with my kids 🙂
What one thing made the biggest difference when getting started?
Perseverance, fo sho. I have now been doing this for almost 3 years. It has flown by…
What’s your exit strategy?
On a plane, to a place with no extradition treaty, with a suitcase full of old ladies’ life savings…
ok, not really…
What is the last thing that made you belly laugh?
I belly laugh at least once a day. I think it was Jules’ impersonation of Charlie the Unicorn. It’s usually as a result of watching my kids.
Have you ever been in business before?
No… this was actually very scary for me. Lucky it crept up on me!
At what point do you consider yourself successful?
I already am. I have overcome tremendous obstacles already in the last 28 years, and the fact that I am even sitting here today, in my house, with my kids asleep… without any great worries (other than petty shit that gets us all from time to time) — I already am a success.
What was your first experience with a computer?
It involved rohypnol, a fishnet stockings and a mattress on the floor. It’s best I don’t talk about it. Let’s just that that Amstrad CPC 6128K will never be the same.
Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates in a jello wrestling match, where’s your money?
Probably in both of their pockets.
Where do you do your best thinking?
When I am swimming laps. Which I don’t do nearly as much as I should/want to!
What does your average daily work / life balance look like? How much time do you work, play and sleep?
Balance? hahahahahahahahha
Unless 3 hours of nose picking whilst I contemplate a design counts as play… well… yeah. I am answering this at 1am — does that answer your question?
If I could introduce you to anyone, who would it be?
Naomi. She’s a top top chick 🙂
What stops you from giving up when you are frustrated?
The fact that I could never, ever tolerate sitting in a cubicle again.
If Chuck Norris and Steven Hawking had a baby (hey it’s my damn interview), would you vote for her for president?
Well, given that Steven Hawking is from the UK, he would need to live in the US to have the baby, otherwise she wouldn’t satisfy the American birth requirement for US Presidential candidates. See, I know stuff about stuff and that. Girls and boys, that’s what a degree in Politics gets you.
Why do I now, suddenly have the mental image of Steven Hawking judo-kicking? Oh how my un-PC mind works.
And I don’t vote for the US President so it a moot point.
