<h1>Hi, I'm Danielle.</h1>
Drinker of coffee, writer of things, owner of dog. Just like other girls.
<h2>Background</h2>
<ul>
<li>Childhood &mdash; I grew up in both Michigan and Pennsylvania (a combination I'm told has given me distinctly "direct" communication styles, as noted below), moving from the former to the latter when I was eight. After a very average education, I set my sights on the University of Michigan.</li>
<li>College &mdash; When asked about my decision to go to "the Harvard of the West" (why not Penn State?), I often say, "they had a top ten program in just about everything, which was great when I didn't know what I wanted to do." Eventually, I did make a decision: English and Sociology, with an emphasis on educational disparities (and so close to a minor in Spanish).</li>
<li>Beyond &mdash; After college, I nearly immediately moved to Minnesota and turned to nonprofits. I did &mdash; and still &mdash; want to affect change in the world. I worked at a creative writing and tutoring nonprofit, an environmental nonprofit, and a political nonprofit. Through that work, I learned a lot, personally and professionally, about what it means to be human, what it means to be an employee, and who I am, and want to be. I'm still working on bridging the gap between who I am and who I want to be, but I'd like to think I make progress every day.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Current</h2>
In my current world, I work at a digital marketing agency in the Twin Cities as a Content Strategist. This means that I work with coworkers and clients on both the strategy and execution of content, from blogs and white papers to social media and emails. While the work changes day-to-day (which is why I love it), I spend a lot of my time switching between clients in various industries, writing content that shares more about their offerings and differentiators, while being mindful of content marketing best practices.
<h2>Communication</h2>
I am, at heart, a communicator. Below are some more pieces of information about&nbsp;my communications preferences, to take or leave as you see fit.
<ul>
<li>Directness &mdash; I have (often) received the feedback that I am a very direct communicator, and that my communication style can come across as abrasive to some. Most of the time, this is attributed to my time on the "East Coast" (though anyone who's been to my hometown would agree it's staunchly Midwest). I do not inherently see this as a bad thing, but I see the ways it can make others uneasy or unhappy, so I am always willing and able to tone it down and provide more gentleness when asked.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Profanity &mdash; Admittedly, I use more profanity than I think is common in the professional world. Luckily, I also use my good sense in knowing when that language is and isn't acceptable (years of working with young people and children has helped hone that skill). If you feel strongly about profanity, just let me know. I&nbsp;will&nbsp;replace all my curse words with nonsense words for a similar effect of emphasis, but it&nbsp;will be more G-rated.</li>
<li>Writing Style &mdash; I don't necessarily believe I have a distinct writing style (my job is, after all, to write for a variety of clients in their own style) but I do love using em-dashes, commas (especially of the Oxford variety), asides, and a stream of consciousness style. Editing is not my strong suit and, while I will edit when requested, I am more often aiming to get a first draft out than a perfect draft.
<ul>
<li>Grammar &mdash; I do my best to follow the rules of grammar, but am prone to choosing phrasing that is more colloquial than grammatical. My goal as a communicator is to make things clearer to others, and rearranging a sentence so it becomes needlessly confusing solely to avoid a dangling preposition isn't something that fits within that goal. I've also found that being a stickler for grammar above all else is exclusionary and harmful, and I encourage others to rethink their relationship with split infinitives. And this is coming from a one-time copy editor!</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Communication Platforms &mdash; As noted below, I am a fan of checking in with others verbally to get information. This helps everyone get on the same page, me think, and improve outcomes. When that's not feasible, my preferred communications platforms are as follows:
<ul>
<li>Combination &mdash; Ideally, I prefer working sessions to be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous communications. Preparing asynchronously give me a chance to get my thoughts straight, then meeting synchronously gives the team a chance to align and collaborate, which I've found leads to new ideas than we would reach otherwise.</li>
<li>Slack &mdash; I'm an avid Slack-er, and will often respond to Slack messages nearly immediately when I'm working (and often when I'm not). This is likely the best way to reach me for work purposes. I also make great use of&nbsp;</li>
<li>Email &mdash; I check email, but don't think I'm alone when I say email can be overwhelming. I'll often respond to emails by the end of the work day (or the following at the latest), but if I haven't responded in a couple days, feel free to reply to get it at the top of my inbox and refresh my memory.</li>
<li>Phone &mdash; If all else fails, feel free to text or call me. I keep my phone on "do not disturb" a good amount of the time, but if you double call, you'll reach me, and it's rare that I go more than the length of a movie without checking my texts.</li>
<li>Social Media &mdash; Please, don't try to reach me on social media. I am very online personally (Twitter is my platform of choice), very online professionally, and love to keep those two types of social media separate. When I'm online for work, I'll happily engage with social media as needed, but personal social media is mine &mdash; my thoughts are my own, do not represent my employer, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Quirks</h2>
Depending on who you ask and what you prefer, these could be either strengths or opportunities for growth, so I'll just list a few things and you can decide for yourself.
<ul>
<li>Thinker Out Loud &mdash; I like to talk through things and think out loud. This helps others understand my thought process, brings them along for the ride, and usually offers clarity. The downfall is that it can come across as rambling, not everyone processes information auditorily in a way that makes this productive, and it can lead to tangents.</li>
<li>Lover of Touching Base &mdash; In my personal opinion, checking in quickly with someone who may easily have an answer I'm looking for is more effective than doing my own digging to find the same information. I'm able to get more information, and I can trust that it will be more accurate. Sometimes, this appears as though I'm pestering others for information that I can readily find myself. (But I like to see it as better collaboration.)</li>
<li>Protector of Work-Life Balance &mdash; After many years, I've finally gotten pretty good at defending my work-life balance. My evenings and weekends are my own, within reason. I understand the occasional need for evening commitments, and am happy to do those, especially if they're helpful to others. However, repeated expectations for me to be available on my own time will lead to friction. Maintaining a work-life balance helps my mental health, which allows me to be more productive and effective at both work and life, and if there's ever a true crisis, I'm a true Millennial &ndash; always on my phone.</li>
<li>Shaker Upper &mdash; If there's one thing I'll do, it's ask questions and shake things up. If I'm discomforted by something, I will happily bring it up. To some, this is evidence of my powerful self-advocacy and my deep desire to improve myself and the systems, processes, and people around me. To others, this is proof that I cannot abide by the status quo and that I will be disruptive.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Pet Peeves</h2>
The phrase "pet peeve" is used loosely here, because some of these offenses are more egregious than "pet peeve" traditionally implies, so, for the sake of this document, a pet peeve is simply something that bothers me to some degree.
<ul>
<li>Needless Redundancy &mdash; If it can be avoided, I want to avoid redundancy. I find it frustrating to do and redo the same task, or to do a task then see it redone by others, and so on. That kind of interaction is bad for morale (nothing says Minnesota Nice like redoing a task someone just did without telling them that it wasn't what you had in mind), and it isn't the best use of anyone's time. The exception to this rule is in reviewing deliverables, ensuring long-term sustainability and stability of systems and processes, and so on. Redundancy when it's intentional is cool &mdash; when it's an accident, it's annoying.</li>
<li>Unsolicited (Public) Feedback &mdash; In my opinion, most feedback is best given (and received) in private. It allows both parties to give the time, attention, and grace that feedback deserves. Public feedback, especially when not solicited, increases the chances of misunderstanding, defensiveness, and overall lack of positive results. In the same vein, unsolicited feedback needs to be carefully considered and provided, or it can come across as unnecessary nit picking. I prefer to have guidance on improvements or suggestions when receiving feedback, and aim to provide that, too.
<ul>
<li>Prompt Feedback &mdash; If someone is asked to provide feedback, my expectation is that they'll do so, promptly, or express that they can't give it. I find it frustrating to wait around for feedback that never comes without communication, especially if it pushes back a timeline or deadline, or the excuse "I thought someone else was doing it" comes up.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Abuse of Authority &mdash; I believe people in positions of power or authority should be mindful of that and act accordingly, and to abuse that is gross. This includes if someone ignores the epople they feel are "beneath" them, talks down to them, cuts them out of decision making, has unrealistic expectations they themselves refuse to meet, and so on. I also believe the most effective leaders are ones who are willing and able to show up and do the work alongside those they lead. I was once asked, "how can you be expected to lead me if you don't show up for me or understand my work?" and I let that question guide my expectations for authority figures.</li>
<li>Lack of Empathy &mdash; I am just human! You are just human! We are all just human! When people forget that (or decline to acknowledge it), it drives me bonkers. There are, obviously, exceptions to this rule, like when someone denies the existence or validity of another person, but in general, I aim to be empathetic and expect others to be empathetic toward me and the people around me in exchange. If someone is unwilling or unable to be empathetic, it shows a fundamental mismatch of mine and their values.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Personal</h2>
I do, indeed, have a life beyond work (see: "Protector of Work-Life Balance," above). Here is some information about me and my life, just in case you're curious.
<ul>
<li>My Partner &mdash; My partner and I live in the North Loop with our dog (see: "My Dog," below). He works in cybersecurity, and, not to brag, he founded Read Me First. We spend our free time wandering around our neighborhood, planning our next trips, and working on our own individual passion projects, but together. He is an avid lover of La Croix and Crocs.</li>
<li>My Dog &mdash; My dog, Kiwi, is a two-year-old Boston Terrier. He is moderately well-trained, but his excitement often gets the best of him and he ends up a wiggly mess (with a vertical well over four feet high). He has many favorite things, but some of the top hits are peanut butter, ice cubes, and toys with the most annoying squeakers you can imagine.</li>
<li>My Hobbies &mdash; I am an ardent consumer of media and, as such, many of my hobbies revolve around this. I love reading, as one may expect, and journaling (I use Leuchtturm1917 A5 hardcover, plain, black notebooks and Pilot G2 0.038 black pens). I never considered myself a big movie or TV watcher, but I have been working my way through the Seinfeld archives, just for kicks. I (somewhat) recently began rock climbing and, though I am a ropes climber at heart, will occasionally boulder. I also like puzzles of many kinds, including crossword and jigsaw (with an honorable mention to LEGOs, which are their own form of puzzle). When I can find a willing partner, I also enjoy playing card and board games.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Miscellany</h2>
<ul>
<li>Eccentricity &mdash; I cycle through phases in my writing and speaking, often based on specific phrases. I was told once that, once you notice my current phrase, it's impossible not to see it. While I don't do this consciously, it's often related to people I've spent a great deal of time around, media I've consumed a great deal of, or other mimicking I've picked up.
<ul>
<li>Currently &mdash; I'm using a lot of the words "famously" and "notoriously," but previous favorites have been "spare me," "oh, please," and the like. I also tend to use similar metaphors and synonyms in my explanations, like "it's a square, but not a rectangle," or "it's like how you're not supposed to say 'quick, someone call 911' or no one calls 911 because they think someone else will."</li>
<li>Fun Facts &mdash; This has been around for longer than a traditional phase, but I love sharing "fun facts," even if my use of the word "fact" is loose. Everything, from a piece of information about my building manager to a true fact, can be brought up as a "fun fact." Did you know that the early stage of frostbite is called frostnip? Fun fact.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>What's Next?</h2>
I go to seek the Great Perhaps. (Just kidding &mdash; this section is under construction.)