As a staff product designer, I’ve been noticing something interesting lately: mentees feeling overwhelmed by choice when it comes to their portfolios. Should they be long or short? Should they focus on breadth or depth? I’ve reviewed so many different types of portfolios over the last year, and here’s the thing—they’re all different. So, how do we decide what kind of portfolio aligns with the role we’re aiming for? Let’s explore what companies are looking for in product designers today.

From my conversations on ADPList and coaching sessions, I’m starting to notice some patterns:

What Companies Want from Product Designers

1. Execution-Oriented Designers: Companies are often looking for designers who can jump in and execute on challenging, time-sensitive projects. If your portfolio demonstrates a wide range of skills—from research to implementation—it’s likely to catch their attention.

2. Team-Leveling Roles: I’ve also noticed companies hiring designers to "level up" their teams. Highlighting skills like teaching, coaching, and mentorship in your portfolio can make you stand out for these roles.

3. Design Principles Expertise: Employers are increasingly valuing a strong grasp of design principles. Make sure you can demonstrate how you’ve applied these principles in your work.

4. Collaboration Experience: Collaboration is key. Show that you’ve worked effectively with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders. Strong collaboration skills are non-negotiable for many roles.

5. Showcasing Impact: How do you show the value of your work? Companies want to see the impact of your designs—include measurable outcomes and stories that highlight the difference you made.

6. Relationship Building: Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build rapport with managers and cross-functional teams are becoming essential. Demonstrate this in your portfolio wherever possible.

7. Design Systems Knowledge: An understanding of design systems—how to build and implement them—is a major plus for many hiring managers.

8. Navigating Disagreements: Learning how to disagree constructively and show what that means in practice can reflect emotional intelligence and maturity.

Back to Basics: Designing, Thinking of the User, and Collaboration

When it comes to creating your portfolio, it can be helpful to align with the foundational pillars of product design. Coursera’s definition of a product designer breaks this down nicely into three areas:

1. Designing: Your core task is to design. Show off your ability to create—whether it’s through your mastery of color, typography, or layout—in well-crafted artifacts.

2. User-Centered Thinking: Fold UX principles into your work. Show examples of A/B testing, surveys, wireframes, prototypes, and journey maps that demonstrate your ability to think of the user.

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Product designers take a holistic view, working across teams to align with company goals. Highlight your collaboration with other designers, researchers, and business teams to showcase this aspect.

Adding Business Acumen to the Mix

Interaction Design’s definition of product design adds another layer: the business side of things. Beyond crafting delightful and usable products, product designers also:

• Define product goals and roadmaps.

• Guide teams and stakeholders on ROI and strategic concerns.

• Ensure designs align with feasibility and market success.

By integrating these elements into your portfolio, you position yourself as a candidate who not only understands design but also its broader impact on the business.

A Call to Action

If you’re feeling lost while putting your portfolio together, try anchoring it in the core principles of product design: Designing, Thinking of the User, and Collaboration. From there, add layers of business strategy and measurable impact to create a compelling narrative.

Your portfolio is more than a showcase of your work—it’s a reflection of who you are as a designer. By aligning it with today’s job market expectations and the foundational principles of product design, you’ll craft something that not only stands out but also feels true to you.

What do you think your portfolio says about you as a designer? How might it tell the story of the impact you want to create? And hey, if your portfolio feels like a never-ending work in progress… welcome to the club! Just remember, even the Mona Lisa took years to finish.

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Resources

• Coursera: What is a Product Designer?

• Interaction Design Foundation: Product Design

Resilience is a topic that has deeply resonated with me, especially in recent years. Like many, the pandemic brought unexpected challenges, leaving lasting effects on my personal and professional life. But even before the pandemic, I faced personal hardships that tested the very core of my resilience.

I experienced not one, but three miscarriages. The first one was by far the hardest. It’s something that isn’t often talked about openly—did you know that almost 40% of pregnancies end in miscarriage? It’s a statistic we rarely hear in movies or everyday conversation. For me, these losses were painful both physically and mentally, and the aftermath involved over a dozen scans. Each scan served as a reminder that my baby was no longer growing. I felt numb during that time, but reflecting now, I realize just how profound the pain was.

However, through these painful moments, I began to build a network of support. Online communities, doctors, therapists, and grief groups became my anchors. Through coaching and the love of my family, I started the slow process of healing. I thought this was resilience—I believed that by surviving, I was growing stronger.

But recently, I attended an ICF training with Denise Campbell, and I realized I had misunderstood the concept. Resilience, as I learned, is often described as the ability to "bounce back." I had been trying to bounce back to my old life, contemplating moving back to Toronto and longing for the days when I could walk to a physical office and have friends nearby. But the truth is, life had already changed. I wasn’t going to bounce back; I needed to learn how to “bounce forward” (Campbell, n.d.).

"Bouncing forward" (Campbell, n.d.) means accepting that things have changed and finding ways to thrive in the new reality. Over the past five years, without even realizing it, I had already started bouncing forward. I’ve built strong relationships with friends across different cities, and though we live miles apart, our connections remain as close as ever. I’ve also made new friends here in Kelowna, even when we seemingly have nothing in common. I recently bought snowshoes, hoping that this winter I can explore the beautiful outdoors, embracing new experiences and continuing to move forward.

Perhaps thriving in this new direction can feel more like embarking on a luxury cruise—calm, supported, and at peace. It’s not about rushing through turbulent waters, but rather gliding steadily forward, knowing you have everything you need on board. This journey feels restful, with a newfound sense of ease and relaxation that I had never experienced when I was just trying to "survive."

Denise Campbell's course taught me that resilience is about adapting to change and thriving, not just surviving. As she explains, resilience is about "bouncing forward," not just "bouncing back" to the way things were (Campbell, n.d.). I encourage anyone interested in learning more to reach out to her for guidance.

As the world continues to evolve, I feel more confident that we will all find ways to thrive, no matter the challenges we face. What about you? In what ways have you bounced forward after the pandemic?

See you on the cruise,

Wynne

Bibliography

Campbell, D. Resilience: Bouncing Forward, Not Back. DC Learning. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://dclearning.co.uk/

Sometimes it’s challenging to decide how to move forward and whether taking a particular step will yield the results we’re hoping for. During these moments, I find myself paralyzed, contemplating and discussing options with my husband. We think about our plans for the next few years and try to strategize accordingly. As a result, we’ve postponed many renovations on our current property because we were planning to eventually sell it and move back to Toronto. This was our strategy, but time has passed, and circumstances have changed. Recently, 1,800 people were laid off from my workplace. Although I wasn’t affected this time, it prompted us to reconsider our approach.

The future feels uncertain right now, making it difficult to plan every step and establish a concrete strategy.

In response, I’ve adopted a new intention: to embrace courage. To move forward and navigate the future with confidence. There will be numerous paths and scenic routes along the way. After years of relying on Google Maps, perhaps some less-traveled roads are precisely where we’re meant to go.

Recently, while searching for vanities for our bathroom renovations, we stumbled upon a couch at Structube that we both loved. Given how much we watch TV now, we decided to purchase it. We would have never discovered it if we hadn’t embarked on this journey.

Many individuals, whether through coaching or mentorship, grapple with questions of 'if/or.' Should I pursue this or that? It makes me wonder if our fears often hold us back. Perhaps it’s less about 'if/or' and more about taking action. Try it out, explore, and see what happens. If there’s a way to experiment with something without a significant commitment, why not?

“let your aim be to come at truth, not to conquer your opponent. So you never shall be at a loss in losing the argument, and gaining a new discovery.”

Arthur Martine counseled in his magnificent 1866 guide to the art of conversation,

How to compose a successful critical commentary:

1. You should attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly, and fairly that your target says, “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it that way.”

2. You should list any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).

3. You should mention anything you have learned from your target.Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.

If only the same code of conduct could be applied to critical commentary online, particularly to the indelible inferno of comments.”

Dennett, D. C. (2014). Intuition pumps and other tools for thinking. Penguin Books.

1. Go first.

2. Be open and direct about your intent to collaborate.

3. Pay attention to responses.

4. Keep talking.

5. Forgive quickly (respond positively when others cooperate).

6. Agree ahead of time on systems for conflict resolution.

7. Conduct regular reviews and actively monitor relationships.

8. Use graduated sanctions.

9. Make a commitment to a higher ethical standard.

10. Use Interest-Based Negotiations to resolve any differences or disputes.

Tamm, J. (2019). Radical Collaboration (2nd ed.). HarperBusiness.

Sewing in my apartment, San Francisco, CA, 2016

I lived in a studio apartment in San Francisco for four years. It was right on Market Street and many years ago it used to be a theater. There were many different types of people living in the building. Some moved in and unfortunately gentrified the place like I did. Other like my neighbor lived there for over twenty years. I lived on the 22nd floor and in unit 22. It was always easy to remember - 2222.

When I moved in the building manager said, “Oh, 2222, in yoga that would mean good luck - meaning that your life is in sync now.” I thanked her and carried on.

I had a tall mirror in front of my apartment that I always looked at before I went out… To check how I looked. I would look at myself from the front and back. I was constantly feeling self-conscious about my weight.

I went to the gym twice a week so that I can be 5’7” and 125 pounds. That’s how much I weighed throughout give and take a few pounds.

In the elevator every morning I saw different people coming up and down the 30 story building. One day I bumped into my neighbor he always said good morning so I made sure to say it first this time, “good morning”.

“Good morning, Wynne! You look so nice.” He said

“Thank you sir, good morning,” I replied.

“You know, you always look so nice. So perfect. You always look so perfect.” He said.

I didn’t know what to say to him. And that that moment I didn’t know how or what to feel. I didn’t know how to tell him that I ate the same meals for three years almost every night in my little studio apartment: a cup of kale, two eggs, two sausages and multigrain bread. How I felt scared to gain weight. How “perfect” I wanted to look on the outside.

So I didn’t say anything. I took my perfect looking self out of the elevator and continued on. So for four years I worked really hard to look beautiful and perfect on the outside.

Sometimes I had to appear perfect to protect the person that I have living inside. That’s alright, I did what I had to do to survive the years living alone in a city where I knew only a few people.

It’s alright, it’s alright.

我在舊金山的一室公寓裡住了四年。它就在市場街上，多年前它曾經是一個劇院。大樓裡住著許多不同類型的人。有些人搬進來，不幸的是像我一樣把這個地方高檔化了。其他像我的鄰居在那裡住了二十多年。我住在 22 樓和 22 單元。它總是很容易記住 - 2222。

當我搬進來時，大樓經理說：“哦，2222，在瑜伽中這意味著好運——這意味著你的生活現在是同步的。”我感謝她並繼續。

我的公寓前有一面高大的鏡子，出門前我總是看它……檢查我的樣子。我會從正面和背面看自己。我一直對自己的體重感到不自在。

我每週去健身房兩次，這樣我就可以達到 5 英尺 7 英寸和 125 磅的體重。這就是我在整個給予和接受幾磅的過程中的重量。

每天早上在電梯裡，我都會看到不同的人在30層樓的大樓裡來來往往。有一天我碰到我的鄰居，他總是說早上好，所以這次我一定要先說“早上好”。

“早上好，溫妮！你真好看。”他說

“謝謝先生，早上好，”我回答道。

“你知道，你總是那麼好看。非常完美。你看起來總是那麼完美。”他說。

我不知道該對他說什麼。那一刻我不知道該有什麼感覺。我不知道如何告訴他三年來我幾乎每天晚上都在我的小單間公寓裡吃同樣的飯菜：一杯羽衣甘藍、兩個雞蛋、兩條香腸和雜糧麵包。我是多麼害怕體重增加。我想從外面看是多麼“完美”。

所以我什麼都沒說。我帶著完美的自我走出電梯，繼續前行。所以四年來，我真的很努力地工作，以便在外面看起來美麗而完美。

有時我不得不表現得完美無缺，以保護我內心深處的人。沒關係，我做了我必須做的事情，才能在一個我只認識幾個人的城市裡獨自生活多年。

沒關係，沒關係。

2021 Was a lot about reflection on my past, I think a lot of us spent a lot of time going inwards. I know I did. I did that through painting, drawing and writing. I got a lot of time to think about what mattered to me. A job, career, money, family, things, leisure time. I thought a lot and felt a lot.

What was my most stunning revelation is truly knowing the sacrifices that my family and relatives did to give me - the life that I have right now. Truly knowing and replaying the love that they gave to us. It makes me feel silly, not knowing it for so long...

I visited my family after two years in this pandemic in Toronto and it’s like nothing changed. No years have gone by and the love is just as strong as ever. Every conversation just tied into the last one, no grudges, no negativity - just encouragement, positive words and support. I don’t know how they managed to do that given how challenging life must have been.

I see my Uncle and Aunt move from a big house to a small apartment to take care of their parents. I have seen them take care of people their whole lives and I don’t know how I can make the same sacrifice. Talking to my cousins, it looks like a lot of us are now needing to take care of our parents too. To continue to make that sacrifice.

But me, I feel like I have sacrificed my whole life - how does one continue to do that? Where, do I find the courage to make that sacrifice. Every time I made a life decision for my family. Moving from a rental to another, moving across to Kelowna to work, then to Seattle, San Francisco and then now back to Canada. Every decision feels so heavy… I have had to make these decisions my whole life and I just wished everytime that there was more of a guarantee. But, there wasn’t. I just had to keep running and going. I’m tired of running. I’m tired of trying to jump. Every challenge for me just felt like leaping from one side to another.

Now that I’m also 40, and it seems like this never truly ends. Now, thinking of moving back to Toronto. It’s no wonder that I’m terrified and don’t want do it. I’m scared to lose everything that I hastily put together with my two little hands. Scared for everything that I worked so hard for to come tumbling down. Who will catch my fall?

2021 年有很多關於我過去的反思，我想我們很多人都花了很多時間思考。我知道我做到了。我通過繪畫、素描和寫作做到了這一點。我有很多時間思考對我來說重要的事情。工作、事業、金錢、家庭、事物、閒暇時間。我想了很多，也感受到了很多。

我最驚人的啟示是真正了解我的家人和親戚為我所做的犧牲——我現在擁有的生活。真正了解並重播他們給我們的愛。弄得我傻了，好久不知道了……

在多倫多大流行兩年後，我拜訪了我的家人，一切都沒有改變。歲月流逝，愛依舊如初。每一次談話都與最後一次聯繫在一起，沒有怨恨，沒有消極——只有鼓勵、積極的話語和支持。鑑於生活一定充滿挑戰，我不知道他們是如何做到這一點的。

我看到我的叔叔和阿姨從一個大房子搬到一個小公寓來照顧他們的父母。我看到他們一生都在照顧人們，我不知道我該如何做出同樣的犧牲。和我的表兄弟說，我們很多人現在也需要照顧我們的父母。繼續做出這種犧牲。

但是我，我覺得我已經犧牲了我的整個生命——一個人如何繼續這樣做？我在哪裡找到做出這種犧牲的勇氣。每次我為家人做出人生決定。從租房搬到另一個，搬到基洛納工作，然後到西雅圖、舊金山，然後現在回到加拿大。每一個決定都感覺如此沉重......我一生都不得不做出這些決定，我只是希望每次都有更多的保證。但是，沒有。我只需要繼續奔跑和前進。我厭倦了跑步。我厭倦了嘗試跳躍。對我來說，每一次挑戰都像是從一側跳到另一側。

現在我也 40 歲了，這似乎永遠不會真正結束。現在，考慮搬回多倫多。難怪我害怕而且不想這樣做。我害怕失去我用兩隻小手匆忙拼湊的一切。害怕我努力工作的一切都倒塌了。誰來接我的墜落？

Being a designer there’s a part of me that really wants to evaluate, understand and measure everything that happens. What can I do more of to improve this? How come this happens to me? Why is my plant dying? Things like that.

I end up trying to control everything in my life.

To be honest, the only that that has worked all my life is to continue to practice the things that matter to my heart, such as making time everyday to practice; meditation, design, exercising, drawing and being with my family. One of my favorite quotes from my daily meditation is by Dr. Elliot S. Dacher that I say practically everyday after my practice. He says (on meditation):

“Be willing to not judge your practice as successful for unsuccessful or compare one session to another.

This is a mental trap.

Just follow the practice and it’ll be perfect as it is.

No judgement, striving or excess effort or perfectionism.

Be pleased grateful for your good fortune to have the time and motivation to practice.”

Thank you, thank you and thank you.

Wynne

I’ve been reading the book Radical Collaboration and learned today about the different “zones” we choose to be in. I must say that as much as I desire to be in the green zone that’s what I aspire to be. But in reality I think I’m more in all of the zones at different times. The green zone is where I hope to strive to be, most of the time. Here are the different zones to explore:

我一直在閱讀 Radical Collaboration 這本書，今天了解了我們選擇進入的不同“區域”。我必須說，儘管我希望進入綠色區域，這正是我渴望成為的。但實際上，我認為我在不同時間更多地處於所有區域。大多數時候，綠色區域是我希望努力的地方。以下是要探索的不同區域：

A person in the green zone

• Takes responsibility for the circumstances of his or her life

• Seeks to respond non-defensively

• Is not easily threatened psychologically

• Attempts to build mutual success

• Seeks solution rather than blame

• Uses persuasion rather than force

• Can be firm, but not rigid, about his or her interests

• Thinks both short tern and long term

• Is interested in other points of view

• Welcomes feedback

• Sees conflict as a natural part of the human condition

• Talks calmly and directly about difficult issues

• Accepts responsibility for the consequences of his or her actions

• Continuously seeks deeper levels of understanding

• Communicates a caring attitude

• Seeks excellence rather than victory

• Listens well

A person in the Red Zone

• Blames others for the circumstances of his or her life

• Feels threatened and wronged

• Responds defensively

• Triggers defensiveness in others

• Is rigid, reactive and righteous

• Uses shame, blame and accusations

• Is unaware of the climate of antagonism he or she creates

• Has low awareness of blind spots

• Doesn’t seek or value feedback

• Sees others as problem or enemy

• Sees conflict as a battle and seeks to win at any cost

• Doesn’t let go or forgive

• Communicates high levels of disapproval and contempt

• Focuses on short-term advantages and gain

• Feels victimized by different points of view

• Is black/white, right/wrong thinking

• Doesn’t listen effectively

A person in the pink zone

• Sees conflict as a battle and seeks to avoid it at any cost

• Blames others for the circumstances of his or her life

• Feels threatened and wronged

• Responds defensively

• Triggers frustration and anxiety in others

• Is passively rigid, reactive, and righteous

• Uses behind-the-scenes shaming, blaming and accusations

• Is unaware of the climate of frustration and confusion he or she creates

• Has low awareness of blind spots

• Is fearful of seeking feedback

• Sees others as the problem or enemy

• Can be superficially nice but doesn’t let go or forgive

• Hides their disapproval and contempt

• Focuses on short-term stress reduction and avoidance of conflict

• Feels victimized and underappreciated a lot of the time

• Can be very wishy-washy in expressing their point of view

• Doesn’t listen effectively

Our family ins’t like any other family. Probably just like every other family out there we don’t fit into a poster book of what a family is supposed to look like.

Coming back to Canada I had this idea of what I thought a family is supposed to be like from the movies. Everyone has dinner together every night. We go to the beach on the weekends and spend time together. Cam and I are used to having dinner together in San Francisco. It was a time we came together to recap on our days, vent and talk about whatever’s on our minds.

I thought that it would be the same now that we lived with my mom. For two years now we’ve struggled as a family to have any meaningful conversation over dinner.

My mom doesn’t speak English very well and Cam well he doesn’t speak Chinese. So, during dinner all I do is translate, try to talk about things that we can all talk about and eat as fast as possible. It wasn’t exactly my idea of a time to decompress. Usually I would leave dinner feeling drained, not really full and just waiting for it to be over.

We had a family talk the other day and learned that my mother’s been eating mostly alone the past seven years while I was away. She was also at work and having to eat quickly. This idea of sitting down, talking and discussing how something tastes is so foreign to her. She doesn’t know how to talk and eat at the same time. Flustered my mother would repeat, “why do we have to talk? Why can’t we just eat?” I too, was eating a lot alone in San Francisco but never really had this challenge. I think she’s been doing it for far longer than I have.

So recently we decided to just do something different. Cam and I would go and make dinner first and eat, and then my mother would go and make dinner and eat. It wouldn’t exactly be how a picture book looks like, but it is what makes us all feel the most comfortable, safe and connected. Connected that we are giving each other what we need right now. Space and time to eat comfortably in the way that makes us feel the most comfortable.

Chinese workers on the Canadian Pacific Railway
(Image D-07548 courtesy of the Royal BC Museum and Archives)

Over the course of construction and by the end of 1882, of the 9,000 railway workers, 6,500 were Chinese Canadians. They were employed to build the B.C. segment of the railway through the most challenging and dangerous terrain.

Growing up in a small town in Ontario I was one of the few Asian people in my elementary school. At the time to be honest I didn’t feel any different from my friends nor do I remember them treating me any differently.

At home I had a supportive community. Our family had dinners with our cousins and like a big family it was as if I had a dozen siblings.

My mother, worked two jobs one in the morning and one at night so that she can support us.

We grew up in a basement and my mother and I didn’t have our own home until I was fourteen. We took care of each other within our community of relatives. Always making sure that the children were kept busy and constantly learning.

Even though we were poor growing up my mother always invested in my education. I was consistently enrolled in Chinese, Mandarin, gymnastics, swimming and art classes. Our weekends were always about spending time with our relatives, going to Chinese school and math school. It was imperative that we knew how to write and speak Chinese. We were taught to carry our culture forward with us. Summertime when I noticed our friends were going on holidays, we were going to Chinese immersion summer school where we can learn more Chinese in different subjects and connect with our extended community.

During the day I went to a French immersion school, which was very difficult for me at first because I had to learn English as well. But somehow through tutoring and the help of my cousins I learned to speak and write: English, French and Chinese.

This entire time my mother continued to work her minimum wage job day and night to support us. Life was about sacrifice. She wanted a better future for us.

As you can see, our life was surrounded by our own community and how important that was for us to feel supported.

My family consisted of a group of very hard working and sacrificing elders. We worked hard and our children did too. We understand and taste the understanding of sacrifice. We spent every holiday together and helped each other out whenever we can.

I hope that people can understand how special and unique our culture is. We may not speak up as much but we are human beings too. We are an incredibly hard-working, self-sacrificing and educated. We also, helped build the railway that Canadian Pacific Railway which you can read about here. But there again was an incredible sacrifice. We then not only built the Railway, but we found ways to build community in Canada even through the injustice of immigration against Canadian Chinese. We found a way to stay together because of our community.

Through this really challenging time. I urge you to reach out to friends and family who are Asian. Ask them how they’re doing. Let them know that you support them. Visit local businesses and support an Asian business. Help them feel safe in their community after this terrorizing incident in Georgia. See something, say something.

Speak up and do not remain silent.

With the recent turn of events in Canada and in the US, this class has really helped me understand deeper into issues of diversity and inclusivity. Diversity is a fact in our workplace, however inclusivity is still a choice.

Inequality between men and women in tech continue despite years of efforts. Women make up 47% of all employed adults in the U.S., but as of 2015, they hold only 25% of computing roles, according to data from the National Center for Women & Information Technology. Of the 25 percent of women working in tech, Asian women make up just 5 percent of that number, while black and Hispanic women accounted for 3 percent and 1 percent, respectively.

Though there are many programs such as Women Techmakers at Google that are created to support women, women earned only 19 percent of computer science degrees at the bachelor level in 2016, compared to 27 percent in 1997. There are not enough women coming into the workplace to fill in the gap.

Another factor that makes it more challenging for women is the continued gender discrimination: 50 percent of women said they had experienced gender discrimination at work, while only 19 percent of men said the same. Women in male dominated environments like this were more likely to report higher rates of gender discrimination and hostile work environments. These are issues that men do not have to face on a daily basis.

Women also have to balance caretaking along with work. There are not enough public social programs that support women in the tech workplace. Though for women who work for larger tech companies such as Reddit, Amazon and IBM. Those companies are providing support to women returning to work from maternal leave. For example, Reddit offers flexible time off after the arrival of the child, comfortable on-site breastfeeding rooms, reimbursement of breast milk delivery services, a child care stipend for use after the parent returns to work, and access to Cleo, a female-founded company that offers parents 24/7 support and resources about early childcare development, a phone hotline, lactation consulting, night dulas, and even estate planning.

However, the expectations for work performance for women as well when she returns from maternal are the same rate as men. This presents a challenge for women in many aspects. Having been away for 6 months to a year, she has to rekindle important relationships at work that she will need to support her work, she also has to juggle caretaking for her newborn child while having possibly sacrificing time for rest and time to study and catch up after being away for a year.  “I think it’s a myth that there’s all this free time when you have kids,” Alice Steinglass said of her experience as a mother in tech. “People are all like, ‘Your kid is going to sleep and then you can actually be productive,’ but it’s impossible to turn it on and off like that…There is no world in which we can do it all.” 

The impact of these programs such as the one we saw in Reddit helps women feel more supported at work after maternal leave. However, it does not provide information on how we might improve the gender gap for women in tech. Women hold only 25% of computing roles, according to data from the National Center for Women & Information Technology. Women compared to men still face more challenges on a daily basis such as the gender gap, higher rates of workplace discrimination and known hurdles despite the support for maternal leave provided by certain tech companies. We must continue our efforts toward equality for women and men in the tech workspace because we aren't there yet.

Inner Sunset, San Francisco

I was sitting at my desk in San Francisco on Kayak.com. And decided, we need to move back to Canada. I bought our one-way tickets on Westjet, started our sponsorship to Canada.

We found out to do that would cost $6000 to move everything, so we decided to try to move all the things that we loved in seven suitcases.

We found out two days before leaving that the flight we booked had a max capacity for 2 luggages each.

We had to give away everything else and just let go. I remember walking down 7th avenue with my favorite Miyazaki Totoro and having to give it away to the local Japanese store. I cried but also knew that he too was too large to take to the next chapter of my life. We put our second hand clothes in the local bin on 7th Avenue.

The first day I found Totoro, San Francisco, CA

I held onto a lot in my life the last seven years. A lot of things that were long overdue, but still it felt heartbreaking having to let go of it all at once.

We arrived to Canada to a beautiful airbnb where we spent the first month imagining what our life would be in Canada. Will we buy a house? What’s that like buying a house? Where would we work? What kinds of jobs would there be?

I remember going to one of the new developments in this little town to see what kind of a home we could buy here. We saw large homes, small homes. I noticed how happy I was looking at homes. It was something that I wanted.

The view from our Airbnb in Kelowna, BC

So, after getting a job Cam and I decided to buy our first home together. We went online and Googled many nights about how to buy a home. We even started Paper doc. We researched a lot. What type of owner do we want to be?

But, I learned that nothing began until we started to call the realtor. That’s when we saw for ourselves what it’s like to buy a home. Walking into that office and finally going through with it. We saw places that we loved, some that we didn’t. We went and we saw.

We saw this home that we knew was outside of our price range. But we still, wanted to see if we can get it. So with a little bit of support from our realtor and our lawyer we bought our first home.

Reflecting back, I saw a lot the past ten years of my career and in my life. Spending time abroad and traveling through Asia and Europe. But no amount of Googling, could have helped me see for myself the choice that I’m about to make.

So this year, I’m excited to see again the choices we get to make this year. The choice always presents itself when I least expect it.

So, I’m excited to see for myself what this year will bring. To not over plan, and to see things as they come.

Love and grace,

Wynne

”In this course you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits. As preparation for these tasks, Professor Laurie Santos reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change. You will ultimately be prepared to successfully incorporate a specific wellness activity into your life.”

Take this course online here on Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being

1. The Michelle Obama podcast: President Barack Obama

2. Simon Sinek’s podcast: A Bit of Optimism

3. Simon Sinek’s Live Online Classes

4. Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson

5. Improve your UX process by learning more about Stakeholder Management

"REACTING IN ANGER OR ANNOYANCE WILL NOT ADVANCE ONE'S ABILITY TO PERSUADE.”
- RUTH BADER GINSBERG

The other day, I had a situation at work that required me to listen to my body and to have patience. My co-worker and friend was expressing her fears and concerns about our project. It was 4:45pm on Friday, my mouth felt dry and I didn't eat lunch. I felt hungry, exasperated and now worried. We all work remotely, so I sat at my computer turned on Google Meet to wait for my friend to appear.

PA·TIENCE NOUN
”THE CAPACITY TO ACCEPT OR TOLERATE DELAY, TROUBLE, OR SUFFERING WITHOUT GETTING ANGRY OR UPSET.” MIDDLE ENGLISH: FROM OLD FRENCH, FROM LATIN PATIENTIA, FROM PATIENT- ‘SUFFERING’, FROM THE VERB PATi.

I immediately tried to pay attention to my body how I felt - tired, hungry and thirsty. I know she felt scared and concerned, so I used the energy I had to listen. Then, I recapped them to her, apologized and asked her to forgive me. I also asked in actions what I needed, which is “can she come to the next meeting so we can stay connected?” She replied with a very solid yes and I felt relieved that she also apologized for not keeping us updated. After our discussion she wanted to continue to chat, but again I listened to my body and it was a tired body! So, instead of saying yes I said no to my friend, wished her a happy long weekend and thanked her for connecting.

It’s not always easy to listen to our bodies at work especially during times of high stress. Relationships are so tender and important. It’s what connects us all. I’m so glad that I was able to listen to my body, stay calm and connect with my friend.

“Kelowna” - Photography: Cameron McIntosh

Art making gives me time and space to look within myself. It’s where I can feel safe coming back to when I am feeling overwhelmed or worried. Especially at this time of many major transformations. Getting married, moving to a different country, relocating, starting my own business and reuniting with my mom. All at the same time. It’s a lot. A lot of great, awesome, loving and much needed transformation and healing.

Whenever I write, draw or paint my heart remembers why I’m making these changes and there are no words to explain why rather than just my eagerness to let life love me. To know it and feel supported by it.

I am so grateful to have access to an art practice as it helps to find ground me back to my heart.

Namaste

Wynne