https://ericdodds.com This is my portfolio RSS feed https://ericdodds.com/blog/how-to-do-good-work-fast 5 principles for doing good work, fast. Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/no-substitute-for-experience Time in the saddle will make you better, but it's no substitute for experience. Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/fragmented-focus-in-the-age-of-ai Distractions aren't new, but technology amplifies them. Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/ai-makes-notion-hubspots-biggest-threat AI is creating a counter-intuitive competitive environment. Could Notion threaten HubSpot? Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/how-to-do-good-work-fast-master-the-basics-across-disciplines There are no advanced skills, only mastery and combination of the basics. Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/how-to-do-good-work-fast-pursue-craft-not-politics If...you make the work your end...you will be one of the sound craftsmen, and other sound craftsment will know it. Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/being-fast-and-good-is-a-superpower Fast is rare. High quality is rare. Being fast at high quality work is a superpower. Sat, 24 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/text-message-bankruptcy My unread text message count topped 200. When a friend noticed and was shocked, I started thinking about how I, as an inbox zero advocate, ended up filing for text message bankruptcy. Sun, 11 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/my-rejected-raycast-job-application I applied to work at Raycast. They didn't hire me, but they did appreciate my application. Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/im-joining-vercel-after-5-years-at-rudderstack After 5 years at RudderStack, I'm joining Vercel Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/building-an-ai-blog-post-summary-feature-using-vercel-ai-gateway How I used Vercel's AI SDK and AI Gateway to build a model-selectable post summary feature for my blog Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/ai-beyond-the-chat-interface AI chat is ubiquitous, but it's not the interface of the future. Sun, 28 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/ai-will-create-a-near-term-socioeconomic-gap-among-knowledge-workers The primary beneficiaries of AI are knowledge workers with existing expertise, which will create an increasingly high barrier of entry for those jobs. Sun, 06 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/using-cursor-to-migrate-my-wordpress-blog-to-nextjs-and-vercel I migrated my 13-year-old WordPress blog to Next.js and Vercel using Cursor . The migration process involved exporting WordPress content, identifying edge cases, testing and refining migration scripts and manually QAing the content. The result was a clean and expedient migration, with estimating a total project time of 10-15 hours. Mon, 23 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/a-pipeline-stack-for-deeper-analysis-of-garmin-data I work at a company that makes data pipelines and I like to tinker, so when I came across a deficiency in Garmin’s reporting, I decided to see if I could build a basic pipeline stack that would deliv... Tue, 28 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/career-update-i-joined-rudderstack-as-director-of-customer-success We'll start with the big news: after several years of consulting, I joined a San Francisco-based startup called RudderStack[^1]. I'm incredibly excited about the product and team, but more on that lat... Fri, 21 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/what-it-looks-like-to-process-email-with-superhuman Being an entrepreneur with my hands in a variety of projects, I receive a fair amount of email. There have been points where hundreds of messages hit my inbox in a day and points where that number wa... Sun, 20 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/quick-observations-on-services-businesses-part-2-productization-and-commoditization 'This is the second post in a series I’m writing on running a services business[^1]. Sat, 24 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/quick-observations-on-services-businesses-part-1-scaling-is-completely-different 'I'm writing a short series[^1] of posts about observations I've made after transitioning from running a more direct-to-consumer focused business to running a B2B services business. Mon, 12 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/from-maker-to-manager-making-yourself-unnecessary 'This is the fourth post in an ongoing series about the transition from maker to manager[^1]. Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-end-of-an-incredible-adventure-with-the-iron-yard I was recently invited to an event about digital marketing. At the beginning of the talk, I mentioned that the material included lessons learned from The Iron Yard, a company I co-founded and helped t... Mon, 26 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/why-so-many-businesses-dont-have-a-marketingsales-funnel Over the past few weeks I’ve had conversations with a variety of people about the marketing/sales funnel, which I wrote about recently[^1]. Even though many would consider a clear understanding of whe... Tue, 07 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-amazing-marketingsales-funnel A few weeks ago I gave a talk explaining some of the lessons I’d learned about marketing as I helped grow The Iron Yard. As I reviewed my presentation with the conference organizer, one slide towards... Fri, 20 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/writing-keeps-me-sharp 286 days have passed between the last post I published and this one, which is quite a long while as far as I'm concerned. In reality, though, 3/4 of a year of dormancy probably isn't that bad relative... Thu, 19 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/is-google-making-file-organization-irrelevant Recently, while working through a list of agenda items with several people on my team, I noticed a new feature in Google Docs: recognition of what is likely an action time and a suggestion to create a... Fri, 06 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/productivity-hacking-the-source-of-distractedness 'This is the seventeenth post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Mon, 19 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/history-repeats-itself 2016 has certainly been a surprising political year for many people. Many words have been written from every perspective about the how and why of campaigns and elections happening the way they did (an... Thu, 15 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/is-an-online-presence-mandatory-part-3-societal-consequences Since writing about varying opinions on social media and ownership of online content, I’ve been musing about ‘online presence’ as a concept in general. Last night I mentioned to a friend that in 10 ye... Thu, 03 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/is-an-online-presence-mandatory-part-2-professional-consequences Since writing about varying opinions on social media and ownership of online content, I’ve been musing about ‘online presence’ as a concept in general. Last night I mentioned to a friend that in 10 ye... Thu, 27 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/is-an-online-presence-mandatory-part-1-social-consequences Since writing about varying opinions on social media and ownership of online content, I’ve been musing about ‘online presence’ as a concept in general. Last night I mentioned to a friend that in 10 ye... Thu, 20 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/a-good-reminder-that-startups-fail-and-thoughts-on-infrastructure During a stage of significant growth at The Iron Yard, several executives had a conversation about how to quell what had become the insanity of our heavy travel and meeting schedules. The CEO asked me... Fri, 30 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-difficulty-of-technology-as-a-cure-all Did you know 72 percent of people globally believe that connected home devices offer hackers new ways to steal data? The internet and technology really does make you think about things you didn't thin... Thu, 22 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/maciej-cegowski-on-the-danger-of-data I wrote recently about thoughts that have been swirling in my head about data and privacy in the world we live in today[^1]. Being back in the swing of things full time at work, I've been reminded mor... Tue, 13 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/productivity-hacking-what-snake-oil-looks-like 'This is the sixteenth post in a series on productivity[^1]. This article adds to content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Tue, 06 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/a-few-photos-of-clouds It's been quite a while since I picked up my camera. I used to be an avid photographer, but the backlog of photos to process became so oppressive that I lost motivation to shoot when faced with the id... Tue, 30 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/personal-update-im-a-dad I don't often post personal life updates, but I thought that producing offspring was a noteworthy event.You can read more details (and check out lots of pictures) on a separate blog I set up[^1], but... Tue, 30 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/productivity-hacking-notifications-as-distraction-by-default 'This is the fifteenth post in a series on productivity[^1]. This article adds to content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Tue, 30 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/facebook-photos-privacy-and-parenthood This upcoming week is a big one for me and my wife: we will welcome our first child into the world. As you might know (or would expect), there are a myriad of ways becoming a parent challenges the way... Mon, 22 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/humans-beat-robots-at-mercedes Headlines about big data and algorithms as the infrastructure for modern companies seem commonplace in a world being eaten by software. I was surprised, then, to run across an article titled Pink slip... Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/quotes-from-the-team-at-the-iron-yard Over the last few weeks I've been culling through a gigantic pile of links, articles and ideas that I've saved up for this blog. One of the files contained quotes from team members at The Iron Yard (t... Wed, 20 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/do-stores-benefit-from-offering-cash-back Being asked if you want cash back at a grocery store or convenience store is one of those experiences you don't really question—it's just part of the normal shopping experience at many places. I could... Tue, 12 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/technology-and-the-impossible Several months ago I took a test measuring personality and work behaviors. The test is known as the Five Factor Model and "suggests five broad dimensions used by some psychologists to describe the hum... Tue, 05 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/manager-as-editor 'Management is a topic that draws no shortage of opinions, studies or differing experiences. Fri, 10 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/reinventing-the-mail-business-with-lawn-care The United States Postal Service is one of the largest civilian employers in the country[^1], but has been plagued with financial struggles, making news headlines several times over in the last decade... Fri, 10 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/name-a-product-that-has-achieved-product-market-fit Some time ago I signed up for an online course about user growth. Overall it was underwhelming (so I'm not going to link to it), but there were a few exercises that challenged me to articulate my thou... Tue, 05 Apr 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/managing-up One of the greatest mentors I’ve ever had in my professional life is named Heather Hough. When I was just out of college, she took a big chance on me as an over-confident, inexperienced grad and opene... Mon, 21 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/competition-blind-spots Months ago I somehow came across the webpage in the image above while researching publishing tools. After reading the person's feature request—to be able to publish to blogs from Microsoft Word—I re... Thu, 10 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/myths-of-productivity-finding-the-right-tools This is the fourteenth post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. I can think of several times in my life where I've purchas... Thu, 05 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/myths-of-productivity-keeping-up 'This is the thirteenth post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Sun, 01 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/productivity-requires-producing-more-than-you-consume 'This is the twelfth post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Thu, 29 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/productivity-requires-the-art-of-triage 'This is the eleventh post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Mon, 26 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/productivity-requires-harnessing-focus 'This is the tenth post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Wed, 21 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/on-hiring-a-creative-director 'I recently wrote an article on The Iron Yard's blog about hiring a creative director. You can read the full story, complete with background, but here are a few highlights: Wed, 22 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/dictionaryapp-typeface-fix 'It's the little things. Tue, 07 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-age-of-transparency 'My friend John Saddington recently pointed me to research focused on “corporate character & authentic advocacy,” or in non-buzzword vernacular, “having integrity as a company.”[^1] Mon, 06 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/productivity-requires-removing-distractions 'This is the ninth post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Sat, 04 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/copy-the-devils-in-the-details The marketing team at The Iron Yard has been building out a myriad of projects, tools and campaigns over the past several weeks. From radio scripts to drip campaigns to deciding the layout for a new p... Wed, 01 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/marketing-team-values At the close of 2014, I was the only full-time marketer on The Iron Yard's staff. Today, there are 7 of us total, meaning the last few months have been quite a fun adventure in learning and re-definin... Mon, 29 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-other-side-of-the-world 'The New Oxford American Dictionary defines the word worldview as follows: Sat, 27 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/productivity-requires-sacrifice 'This is the eighth post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Wed, 24 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/sleep-exercise-and-diet-as-the-foundations-of-productivity 'This is the seventh post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Tue, 23 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/first-know-thyself 'This is the sixth post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Fri, 19 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/startup-marketing I was recently invited to mentor startup teams going through Iron Yard Ventures Digital Health Accelerator program[^1]. The topic of the day was marketing, which can be a tricky, make-or-break struggl... Tue, 16 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/dictionaryapps-unfortunate-typeface I write often for work and make constant use of Apple’s Dictionary app[^1] on my Mac. Every single time I open the program, I’m surprised at the typeface and treatment chosen for normal body text.... Mon, 15 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/research-and-the-realities-of-time-worked 'This is the fifth post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Sat, 13 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/chaos-behind-the-magic '“It’s like magic!” a woman says to her family as they sit. “How do they find our table?” Wed, 15 Apr 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/productivity-hacking-is-not-intuitive 'This is the fourth post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Wed, 08 Apr 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/productivity-hacking-what-is-productivity-hacking 'This is the third post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Wed, 01 Apr 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/productivity-hacking-what-would-you-do-with-more-time 'This is the second post in a series on productivity[^1]. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Thu, 26 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/productivity-hacking-introduction 'This is the introduction to a series on productivity. The articles are based on content from a workshop I led at The Makers Summit. Fri, 13 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/making-it-count-sleep-exercise-and-diet-as-the-foundations-of-energy 'This is the seventh post in a series called Making it Count about getting things done and using our precious hours wisely[^1] . Wed, 25 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/non-mba-deficiencies 'Recently I wrote a post about whether you should get an MBA[^1]. Here’s a quick re-cap: Mon, 16 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/christian-wiman-on-technology-anxiety-and-god 'Christian Wiman is a famous American poet and author. He serves as the editor of Poetry magazine and teaches literature and religion at Yale. Wikipedia notes his pedigree: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/on-following-your-passion-part-2 'Earlier this week I wrote a post about following your passion[^1]. The thoughts can be summed up well in a quote I included from Mike Rowe: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/on-following-your-passion-part-1 Last week I wrote two posts discussing the desire to find fulfillment in your work[^1]. As I thought about it over the weekend, I noted that many people call the quest for fulfillment “following your... Tue, 10 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/from-the-comments-is-it-wrong-or-selfish-of-people-to-crave-fulfillment 'I recently wrote a post called The Challenge of Not Having a Challenge.[^1] Here's an excerpt: Fri, 06 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/should-you-get-an-mba I’m technically a “Chief Marketing Officer” at the largest intensive code school in the country, but I don’t have an MBA. Opinions abound about the value of MBAs. Personally, I’ve found that context v... Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-challenge-of-not-having-a-challenge 'I’ve been slowly working my way through The World is Flat, a book by Thomas Friedman[^1]. The subtitle describes the book well: A brief history of the twenty-first century. Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/travel-as-a-lesson-in-field-expediency 'This is a photo of a map that we used to navigate public transportation in Milan, Italy. Tue, 03 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/customer-onboarding-not-convinced-yet I recently transitioned our company to a new project management tool called Teamwork. During the on-boarding process, I noticed a really great marketing mechanism: a button that asked, “Not convinced... Fri, 30 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/my-first-lead-climb 'I write primarily about work on this blog, but from time to time I recount fun adventures I’ve had outside the office[^1]. Thu, 29 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/letters-to-the-company-what-we-do-and-why I’ve been writing a whole lot over the last weeks, but most of it has been internal communication at The Iron Yard or personal reflection. I thought I’d start the 2015 blogging season with a letter I... Wed, 28 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/merlin-mann-on-company-culture-and-why-people-quit 'I've always loved this quote by Merlin Mann. He really cuts to the quick of what motivates us: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/there-is-no-auto-pilot 'Recently I wrote about life not being Ceteris Peribus[^1]—the fact that we really can't control the variables in our lives. Here's a snippet: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/learning-a-city-walking-streets-and-talking-to-locals 'Years ago I had the chance to travel in China with a long-time family friend. This gentleman is much older than me (30+ years) and has traveled the world extensively. Tue, 09 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/maine-sea The second stop on our Northeastern tour found us in Acadia National Park[^1]. We stayed on both the Shoodic Peninsula[^2] and Mount Desert Island[^3] sides of the park and found the Schoodic area to... Sat, 06 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/being-head-of-marketing-doesnt-mean-you-have-the-best-ideas I come from the world of marketing agencies. Marketing and advertising as a service can be a really fun industry to work in—it's fast paced, full of variety and if you're hungry, you can learn a whole... Fri, 05 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/maine-mountains The second stop on our Northeastern tour found us in Acadia National Park[^1]. We stayed on both the Shoodic Peninsula[^2] and Mount Desert Island[^3] sides of the park and found the Schoodic area to... Fri, 05 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/redundant-ui-click-call-to-make-this-call '“Click Call to make this call.” I’m not a UI expert, but giving such self-evident instructions to the user seems either unnecessary or a bandaid for poor design. Fri, 05 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/a-few-thoughts-on-not-quitting 'This year I've been working on a few projects/goals outside of work: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/making-it-count-how-i-consume-the-internet 'This is the sixth post in a series called Making it Count about getting things done and using our precious hours wisely[^1] . Thu, 04 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/business-as-relationship-over-time I hate when our customers are upset. Sometimes the culprit is something we did (or didn’t do) and sometimes the customer (dare I say it) has made a mistake or set up unrealistic expectations. Either w... Tue, 02 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/new-hampshire Last year my wife and I went on an adventure in the Northeastern US. Our first stop was the Franconia Range[^1] in New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest[^2]. The terrain was simultaneously so... Tue, 02 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/wendell-berry-process-and-product I recently had a chance to visit with my dear friend Dan Roge in Washington, D.C. Dan is a big fan of Wendell Berry[^1], an acclaimed author and activist. Recently, Dan had the privilege of sharing Be... Tue, 02 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/crisis-separates-leaders 'My dad has a friend who spent many years as a veterinarian. Part of his job was neutering household pets and he used to tell a funny story about one of his nurses: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/life-isnt-ceteris-peribus Ceteris Peribus is a Latin phrase that means, "all other things being equal."Economists often use the term to qualify their analysis. In other words, economic models necessarily assume in many cases t... Thu, 13 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-difference-between-having-an-idea-and-owning-an-idea 'It's common for people on my team to bring up great ideas. Tue, 11 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/from-maker-to-manager-when-you-dont-know-everything-your-partners-are-doing 'Recently one of my business partners joined my team's weekly call to explain an HR process we were implementing (he focuses on The Iron Yard's hiring and staff growth). Mon, 10 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/what-makes-an-early-stage-startup-exhilarating As I approach the end of a year in which me and my partners grew The Iron Yard from four employees and one location to almost 40 employees across 10 locations, I'm beginning the process of reflection.... Thu, 06 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/because-im-too-busy-as-a-cop-out-excuse My wife's uncle is an amazing entrepreneur and creative director. He shoots commercials for big brands all around the country and lives on a completely off-the-grid farm in rural Oregon. Needless to s... Wed, 05 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/automated-emails-and-authority-part-2 'Last week I wrote a post about how one simple difference in email signatures in automated emails can make the difference between perceiving authority or just another email[^1]. Tue, 04 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/turn-off-search-term-highlihghting-in-gmail 'Though I work to manage it well, I spend a good bit of time in email. Specifically, I use Gmail, both personally and for work. Mon, 03 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/really-thoughtful-answers-as-marketing I’ve written before about leaders of growing organizations undergoing the transition from maker to manager[^1], seeing less of their time devoted to building things and more of it focused on supportin... Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/finally-a-good-desktop-publishing-tool I’ve been creating content personally and professionally for over a decade. That’s not a presumptuous statement—I’ve always enjoyed writing personally and every job I’ve had has required me to produce... Thu, 30 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/do-people-still-check-out-books-at-libraries Recently I've written two posts about changes technology is driving in libraries[^1]. One of the articles I mentioned[^2] from Wired included a small snippet about books—the traditional medium availab... Tue, 28 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/email-signatures-onboarding-and-perception-of-authority 'I’ve recently signed up for two services: Uberconference and Zirtual. Tue, 28 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/libraries-from-consume-to-create 'Last week I wrote a post about bookless libraries[^1]. I ran across another library trend that will be just as fascinating to watch: the transition of emphasis from consumption to production. Mon, 27 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/business-politics-and-mudslinging-at-the-top 'Last year Quartz published an article comparing Bing's direct jab at Google (the 'Scroogle' campaign[^1]) to tactics commonly used in political campaigns[^2]. Thu, 23 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/bookless-libraries-and-the-democratization-of-information A few recent articles have made the democratization of information—and the 'arrival of the future,' as some call these advances—hit much closer to home. First on display is the advent of the bookless... Tue, 21 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/advertising-hype-vs-reality This week I had the pleasure of speaking at the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association's yearly Summit[^1]. MIMA happens to be the oldest interactive marketing association in the US. Wed, 15 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/sticking-with-lingering-to-dos I am generally categorically opposed to what I call 'productivity snake oil'. I am also opposed to the prescription of silver-bullet productivity/GTD/time management advice. Tue, 14 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/if-youre-not-an-art-director-dont-be 'This is a snippet from an email I sent to a designer I'm working with: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/my-answer-is-the-iron-yard-academy-worth-the-investment 'Yesterday I wrote about a potential customer asking a question about our business on Quora[^1]: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/is-what-you-are-selling-worth-the-investment 'Recently a potential customer (who is now a customer) asked a question about our business on Quora[^1]: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-changing-demographics-of-the-internet-will-mold-it 'It's a healthy exercise to think about the way people who aren't like me experience things differently than I do (even if the raw material of those things are the same). Tue, 07 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/less-decisions-for-your-brain 'Last night my wife and I were folding laundry. We had two loads to process, so I started on one while she took care of a few other chores around the house. Mon, 06 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/how-do-you-refer-to-your-customers This week a potential student reached out to The Iron Yard. I manage some incoming leads and distribute them to my team as needed. As I was writing the email to hand off this particular potential cu... Fri, 03 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/rewind-creation-and-chaotic-residue-part-2 'Reflecting on my past writing is always a fun time. Yesterday I mentioned a post my wife wrote and how it reminded me of a few articles I'd written years ago about "chaotic residue."[^1] Wed, 01 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/rewind-creation-and-chaotic-residue-part-1 'Earlier this month my wife, a florist, wrote a short blog post about messes and failure[^1]. It included a few pictures of what her studio and work truck look like after the chaos of a big event. Tue, 30 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/joe-dirts-marketing-wisdom Monday I wrote a post about marketing perspective—whether we view ourselves as part of our customers' stories or the other way around[^1]. This morning I remembered a funny example I've used before to... Wed, 24 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/its-the-customers-story-not-yours 'Recently I was working with one of our teams to distribute pre-work for classes at The Iron Yard. One of our instructors (Matt Keas) included the following in his message to incoming students: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/paralyzed-in-the-face-of-infinity Because I travel a good bit, blocks of down-time in airports have become coveted chances to knock work out and clear my inbox. Sometimes, though, I choose to take a break from productivity and simply... Mon, 22 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/reading-online-vs-reading-print 'A significant portion of the reading I do is digital. I would suspect the same of many people today—afterall, there are now bookless libraries[^1]. Sat, 20 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/i-coded-my-first-program 'I'll delve into more detail in the future, but I'm very happy to say that today I completed a goal I've had for a long time: writing a program using code. Mon, 08 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/on-the-road-my-hotel-work-station Recently I thought about what people might envision when they think about what others actually do when they travel for their job. For me, the tasks on each trip vary—sometimes its non-stop meetings,... Sat, 06 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/freedom-to-make-things-better 'Yesterday I wrote a post about post about the difference between being entrepreneurial and enterprising[^1]. Fri, 05 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/entrepreneurial-or-enterprising The term "entrepreneurial" gets thrown around a good bit these days, especially now that startups are a popular headline in the news. If you're trying to become an entrepreneur, take a look at these I... Thu, 04 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/quotes-wont-revolutionize-your-business If I could read 77 quotes and suddenly experience all of the desired transformation I seek personally and in my business, I’d be…well…not writing about how to navigate the crazy adventure I’ve found... Wed, 03 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/gears-of-change-time-technology-and-me Yesterday morning I somewhat randomly reminisced about my introduction to email and how I used electronic messaging "early on" (at least in my personal history). During high school I had an AOL email... Fri, 29 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/videographers-butchers-and-talent I've worked on a fair number of video projects over the past few years. I always enjoy watching really talented people perform their craft and tend to ask questions when I notice a particular way a cr... Tue, 26 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/updates-on-testing-duckduckgo 'In June I wrote about testing "un-tailored search"[^1] with a tool called DuckDuckGo[^2] Mon, 25 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/bypassing-ad-blockers-to-create-a-second-chance Lately I feel like I've noticed more user experience details or other instances of creativity as I browse the web. I know I experience a lot of different interfaces and interface elements, but for s... Fri, 22 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/sms-notifications-from-the-auto-shop I recently took my car to the shop to be repaired. When the mechanic needed my approval to purchase a part, I received an SMS notifying me that I needed to call. They also called my phone, but the n... Wed, 20 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/what-apps-are-on-my-iphone Last week I wrote a long post about how I attempt to steward my time, attention and technology[^1]. In that article I mentioned that I intentionally removed social applications from my iPhone and set... Mon, 18 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/making-it-count-how-i-steward-time-attention-and-technology 'This is the fifth post in a series called Making it Count about getting things done and using our precious hours wisely[^1] . Wed, 13 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/thank-you-culture Sometimes decisions made about what a company's culture is going to be like are significant. Will we or won't we allow employees to work remotely? What does our managerial structure look like? How do... Mon, 11 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/user-experience-win-skypes-install-on-quit I've said before that I'm not a user experience or design expert. Even so, I do tend to have a pretty critical eye when it comes to using software, so it's fun for me to find small details that make... Fri, 08 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-inevitable-ubiquity-of-the-web I ran across a story not long ago that is a shining example of the exhaustive reach of the internet. A company in Turkey is producing donkey-mounted solar panels that can be used to power devices and... Wed, 06 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/why-coffee-is-nicknamed-joe 'Etymology is the study of the history of words. I'm no language expert, but uncovering the origin of words and phrases—especially common slang—can be really fun. Mon, 04 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/photo-shadow-plane ' Sun, 03 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/from-the-comments-can-distraction-be-a-good-thing 'Earlier this week I wrote a post called Distraction is the Enemy[^1]. Thu, 31 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/making-it-count-distraction-is-the-enemy This article will be the first somewhat "practical" post in a series of posts I'm writing called Making it Count[^1]. The idea arose after multiple people, seeing the demands of my job, asked, "how do... Tue, 29 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/solving-scale-is-hard-at-every-size Today Peter and I had the chance to spend time with both leadership and various other teams from Zappos and MailChimp Tue, 29 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/at-long-last-phone-calls-from-the-desktop I participated in the Apple Beta program for OS X Yosemite. Along with a developer preview of iOS 8, you can now make and receive calls from your desktop. This has been possible for some time via Gm... Sat, 26 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/a-great-response-to-my-post-about-news Last week I shared a few quotes that explain why I don't pay attention to the news[^1]. One of our former students commented on the post and his thoughts were great[^2]. I'll post my response to his t... Mon, 21 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/comfortable-in-your-own-head One of my business partners, Mason, studied philosophy in college. He explains that choice by saying, "I wanted to enjoy my thought life." The first time I heard it I don't think I grasped the gravity... Fri, 18 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/was-my-college-experience-valuable 'Last week I wrote a post about significant shifts in people's views on college in our country[^1] The article grew out of a conversation I had with a high school grad considering which path to take: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/who-designed-theses-restroom-icons-part-2 'Not too long ago I pointed out a few very strange icons representing male and female restrooms[^1]. I found another instance, also in the airline travel space. This time I was in Belgium. Wed, 16 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/unequivocal-agreement-is-scary Yesterday morning I had disagreement with one of my business partners. The details aren’t important, but we argued over how and where to offer certain subjects, marketing projections, and probably a f... Tue, 15 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/from-maker-to-manager-its-crap-because-im-doing-it 'This is the third post in an ongoing series about the transition from maker to manager.[^1] Mon, 14 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/front-end-design-conference-2014 'I've had the privilege of attending Front End Design Conference for the last few days. Mason Stewart[^1] was the last speaker and his talk was really well received. Sat, 12 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/learning-and-the-comfort-zone In an effort to consistently apply critical thought to what we do at The Iron Yard, we often post food for thought around education and learning. Recently we discussed comfort zones and the place wher... Fri, 11 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/two-quotes-about-news-or-why-i-dont-keep-up I don't read a whole lot of news. In fact, the only consistent source of news I consume is a daily brief from Quartz[^1]. There are two quotes—one new and one old—that explain my habit of not staying... Thu, 10 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/national-affairs-on-the-coming-higher-ed-revolution Yesterday I had the chance to talk to a recent high school graduate who was thinking about their future. Specifically, they had questions for me about education: Are you happy with your college degree... Wed, 09 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/i-love-this-company Last week an internal email exchange came across my inbox that made me stop and smile. Sally Kingston[^1], our Campus Director in Charleston was working on a great plan to help several of our students... Tue, 08 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/from-idea-to-production-or-sometimes-i-get-to-code I'm responsible for writing most of the copy on The Iron Yard's website. It doesn't change too often, but as we grow, add new cities, partnerships, etc. we're often faced with the need for new pages,... Sat, 05 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/progress-without-questions Last week I was in Colorado at a family reunion (hence the lack of writing) and randomly found a single page from the Des Moines Sunday Register. The main headline was a story about Edwin Wong, Yahoo'... Fri, 04 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/why-footnotes You might have noticed that I use footnotes, not links, in the body text of my articles. Footnotes are certainly useful in their own right, but the decision to forego in-text hyperlinks is intentional... Wed, 25 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/encouraging-compliments-for-running-a-nice-business This week a friend[^1] emailed me and shared a few extremely encouraging words with me. He pointed to an article by Fred Wilson[^2] and said, "this reminded me of TIY in general. I think this has a lo... Fri, 20 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/diminishing-marketing-budget 'Here's an interesting fact about The Iron Yard Academy: in the city where the school was founded (Greenville, SC) we haven't spent a single dollar on marketing. Ever. Thu, 19 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/yo-and-the-fallacy-of-all-technology-as-good Last night my wife asked me if I'd heard about an iPhone app called Yo. When she explained the concept and told me the company had raised money, I thought she might be joking. (I really should have le... Thu, 19 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/testing-un-tailored-search-with-duckduckgo 'Two days ago I wrote an article[^1] about the risk of the internet presenting homogeneity to individuals as opposed to varying opinions and 'balanced' content in response to search. Fri, 13 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-internet-as-a-giant-echo-chamber-for-individuals I've long held that media in and of themselves are morally neutral: they can be used for good or for bad. They can, of course, influence the message as Marshall McLuhan noted[^1], but the actual machi... Wed, 11 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/my-grandfather-remembering 'We have been moving non-stop since arriving in Europe and I haven't had a chance to process many photos at all. Tue, 10 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/clever-outdoor-marketing-and-sales-tactic-from-pizza-hut 'If you've ever attended a large event in a non-traditional event venue, you know that obtaining food and beverage can sometimes be a challenge. Mon, 09 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/an-honest-look-at-content-marketing Below is an incredibly honest take on content marketing from Kathy Sierra[^1]. An immense amount of link-building crap exists and hers is one of the only perspectives that I've seen which pulls ethics... Sat, 07 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-might-and-fury-of-the-free-world This is a marvelous quote from Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day[^1] about the approach of Allied ships to the beaches of Normandy. This morning I stood at the top of the hills behind Omaha beach and... Fri, 06 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/moderate-intelligence-and-pure-grit Andrew Dumont is an entrepreneur who works for betaworks[^1], a launchpad for great companies. I ran across his site the other day and part of his about section[^2] really resonated with me. This is e... Thu, 05 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/letters-to-the-company-i-wont-be-available I'm about to leave on an international trip with my family. I had told my company that I'd be available and working while on the trip, then realized that was poor leadership. So I wrote another letter... Tue, 03 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/more-than-yes-or-no 'Email subscriptions are one of my nemeses. I am a serial un-subscriber and instantly remove myself from 99% of mailing lists (more on that in another post). Fri, 30 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-learners-will-inherit-the-world 'This quote always challenges me to be a lifelong learner: Thu, 29 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/from-maker-to-manager-personal-productivity 'This is the second post in an ongoing series about the transition from maker to manager.[^1] Tue, 27 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/to-normandy-to-remember 'This is my grandfather, Herb Simmons, showing his medals to my wife. Mon, 26 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/what-to-expect-from-this-blog 'One truism that I harp on relentlessly focuses on expectations: Fri, 23 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/a-few-photos-from-vegas 'I had the chance to process a few non-Zappos pictures from my recent trip to Las Vegas. That town is truly a 24/7 neon city. Thu, 22 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/from-maker-to-manager 'This is the first post in an ongoing series about the transition from maker to manager.[^1] Wed, 21 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/benchmarks-code-schools-and-olympic-weight-training Last week I published a letter that I wrote to our company about disagreements.[1. 1. You can read the letter here.] One of our code school[2. 2. Learn more about The Iron Yard Academy.] students resp... Mon, 19 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/making-it-count-threads-of-belief-questions-and-answers 'This is the third post in a series called Making it Count about getting things done and using our precious hours wisely[^1]. Thu, 15 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/letters-to-the-company-disagreements 'When success happens, people tend to view the path leading up to that success with rose-colored glasses. Wed, 14 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/on-the-hunt-for-new-budgeting-software The first draft of this post was titled, "All Budgeting Software Sucks." That's not true, of course. The reality is that budgeting sucks—or, more accurately, budgeting can be frustrating because it... Mon, 12 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/a-visit-to-zappos-in-las-vegas This week I've had the unbelievable privilege of spending time with a handful people from the Zappos team. Yes, that included Tony Hsieh and Fred Mossler. Peter, John and I had a drink with them last... Wed, 07 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/why-do-i-blog 'I’ve been picking up the pace on my blogging lately and thought it would be interesting to share the reasons behind my effort to produce more content. Mon, 05 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/pictures-of-the-lowcountry ' Fri, 02 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/failure-means-growth Failure is a funny thing. At the very least, most of us hate failure. Our gut response is generally some sort of shame or search for a scapegoat. Many of us also have this strange idea that progress m... Tue, 29 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/a-pirate-needs-the-sight-of-the-sea I'm always fascinated by a writer's ability to say so much with so few words. The following quote from Brian Andreas gives me several moments of contemplative pause every time I run across it. On the... Mon, 28 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/who-designed-these-restroom-icons 'I found these icons above the aft lavatory on a Delta flight to Houston. Fri, 25 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/theres-nothing-new-empowered-consumers 'I've always loved this bit about empowered consumers. Reads like it was written yesterday: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/if-you-want-to-work-in-a-startup-get-used-to-everything-breaking-all-of-the-time Startups attract people for different reasons. Freedom, control, decentralized authority, loving your job, making a difference, the allure of potential wealth, the sheer energy of the whole thing—take... Tue, 22 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-best-plan-is-the-one-thats-happening 'I have a fair amount of experience in the world of agency and client work. One thing that always struck me as interesting about both worlds is the need for a perfect plan. Tue, 22 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/airplane-propellers-as-a-nearly-perfect-version-one 'I recently wrote about the strange comfort I find in ships and the fact that on a basic level they've remained largely the same for thousands of years. Airplane propellers are similar. Sun, 13 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-window-seat 'Today I had several hours of work to do in a hotel room, so I dragged the desk to the window for sunlight and at least some sort of view (other than beige walls). Sat, 29 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/letters-to-the-company-sales-storytelling-and-the-iron-yard When I have the opportunity, I write letters to our company. They are generally attempts to either encapsulate our collective philosophy on a certain subject or remind our team why we do what we do (a... Wed, 26 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/user-experience-fail-no-ice-cream-for-you 'It's hard to call any machine that gives you ice cream a failure, but this one is about as close as they come. (Your product shouldn't need Sharpie scrawled all over it just to be useable). Wed, 26 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/happy-92nd-papa 'Today we made a trip to the mountains to wish my grandfather a happy 92nd birthday. Here he is walking out of his shop after finding a tool my dad and I needed to borrow from him: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/making-it-count-values-beliefs-and-precious-hours 'This is the second post in a series called Making it Count about getting things done and using our precious hours wisely[^1] . Fri, 21 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/making-it-count-introduction 'This is the first post in a series called Making it Count about getting things done and using our precious hours wisely. Mon, 20 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/a-kid-a-jeep-and-the-meaning-of-greatness 'When I was a kid my dream car was a vintage Jeep CJ-7. I had Matchbox car replicas and books on classic off-road vehicles. It wasn’t an obsession, but it was a passion. Fri, 27 Dec 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-music-of-western-north-carolina I’m not much a radio listener, but there’s one station we get in Upstate South Carolina that makes me smile every time I tune in. Most of the time they play mountain music—bluegrass, authentic country... Sat, 21 Dec 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/red-sky-by-morning 'The sky outside my kitchen window this morning was a brilliant pinkish red. As I grabbed a pair of shoes so I could enjoy the view outside, I remembered a phrase I’d heard many times before: Fri, 20 Dec 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/why-i-like-doing-the-dishes I am the official Washer of Dishes in the Dodds household. Most every night before bed and every morning before I leave for work, I scrub, spray and wipe so that our kitchen is ready for the next meal... Thu, 05 Dec 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/gather-and-move-nested-audio-files-via-command-line Over the years my brother has amassed a large music library of 20,000+ songs. He has a great taste for sound, but when it comes to technology his nerd DNA is dwarfed by his outdoorsman DNA. After seve... Thu, 22 Aug 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/follow-your-procrastination-or-how-i-changed-careers 'A few years ago my friend posted a quote about procrastination: Sun, 14 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/before-and-after 'Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with the remodeled bathroom. Sat, 21 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/places-to-put-things-the-cabinet 'This is the second-to-last update on this blog. Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/plumbing-part-2-fixtures 'If installing trim felt like bounding progress with every hiss of the nail gun, installing fixtures felt like victory with every turn of the wrench. Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/attention-to-detail-trim It has been exactly 90 days since the last update, and for good reason. March, the month before our April 7 wedding, was perhaps the busiest time of my life to date. Between frantically finishing the... Sat, 26 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/checkered-floors-tile The final coats of paint on the ceiling and bead board were just dry when Ben and I started in on the tile this past Thursday. As usual, Ben showed me the ropes and we moved very quickly laying the ne... Sun, 26 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/walls-of-white-bead-board-ceiling-and-window Progress is a funny thing. Everything we accomplished up to finishing sheetrock was great, but much of the time it didn't feel like leaps and bounds were being made. It felt more like we were pouring... Sat, 25 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-green-room-walls-of-sheetrock If I could pick one person to hang drywall with, it would be my brother-in-law Ben Stoner. Not only can he add and subtract fractions in his head with deftness, he's a master of the tape measure and c... Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/wired-the-electrical Friday night I was exhausted: we went from a fully functional bathroom the previous Saturday to a demolished, cleaned, plumbed, sub floored, and framed room in only a handful of days. I was up early a... Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/framed-the-new-wall After the plumbing was finished last Monday, my dad and I took to the lumber and framed in the new wall. We gained 12 square feet, which sounds small, but makes a big difference relative to the origin... Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/supply-and-waste-plumbing The dust from broken plaster finally settled and a quick clean-up made the way for water and drainage. My gracious friend Steven (with whom I used to plumb) came over the day after demolition and we r... Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/demolition The last 5 days have been quite a blitzkrieg of work. We started demolition on Saturday afternoon and had the entire footprint completely gutted in 24 hours. (For the record, I also taught children's... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-bathroom-before 'Here are pictures of the bathroom before the storm. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/the-long-list-materials Here are pictures of me and my dad loading materials after a careful and lengthy shopping spree. A heartfelt thanks to: Our families for giving us so many Lowes and Home Depot gift cards over the ho... Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/heavier-iron-the-cast-iron-sink 'The story behind the sink is much the same as the story behind the bathtub, so I'll spend a little less time telling it. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/heavy-iron-the-claw-foot-bathtub Many times I prefer old things to new things. I appreciate the character of something used and built to last, and I enjoy the vintage aesthetic. Naturally, when the idea of a claw foot tub came up in... Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://ericdodds.com/blog/hello-friend My lovely fiancé and I are working hard to remodel a bathroom in our little mill house before we get married in April. This weblog is where I will post possibly infrequent, and probably succinct, upda... Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT