Disqus - Latest Comments for laelene

Re: Check Out Our June Call to Action! (You Could Win $100)

laelene — Sat, 11 Jun 2016 07:19:42 -0000

We're pretty frugal in general - we hardly ever shop for clothes, neither of us drinks alcohol, and we don't go to things like sporting events or concerts. This allows us to save up money in our retirement accounts and have plenty left for savings and day-to-day expenditures. Can't say that we actually specifically save for vacations, but we're very careful about planning them for maximum impact at minimum cost. I guess it also helped that we didn't have a wedding and consider each vacation (even weekend getaways) a honeymoon. We're on honeymoon #9 now, at just 2 years in. :)

Re: Growing from Within the Company: 5 Lessons We've Learned | Wistia Blog

laelene — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 15:27:11 -0000

Yes! I absolutely agree with this and it reminds me of what I read in "First, Break All the Rules." Opportunities to advance along any track keep people engaged and management is just one of the many options. I've also seen how successful people can be making lateral moves, like my own from BD to marketing to channel enablement and colleagues who were in sales and brought that perspective product and marketing. This was a great read. :)

Re: Why We Prioritize Hiring People Who Use Our Product

laelene — Sat, 30 May 2015 15:38:53 -0000

Re: Family at Buffer: How We Work to Include Everyone With Our Values and Perks

laelene — Sat, 30 May 2015 15:38:28 -0000

What perfect timing with this post! I was just pondering whether you've had families attend the retreats before. It's amazing what you've done to make the extended Buffer family an integral part of the group. Bravo!

Re: Why We Removed the Word ‘Hacker’ From Buffer Job Descriptions

laelene — Wed, 27 May 2015 21:54:09 -0000

Nice, I look forward to reading about it when you have data to share. Thanks Courtney!

Re: What no one talks about when building a team: letting people go

laelene — Wed, 20 May 2015 22:58:08 -0000

I'm reminded of a quote from an article (http://firstround.com/revie...

"One big difference is that the company didn’t approach recruiting from a purely skills-based perspective. “Honestly, we placed a high price on ‘hilarious’ and hired wonderful people, I think partially because we were willing to work with people who were awesome culture fits even if they had a steep learning curve ahead of them.”

Conversely, that meant filtering out people who may have been exceptionally skilled
but not culture matches. Put bluntly, Guthrie suggests you ignore the “brilliant jerks.” Your company culture cannot be created by top-down edict — it’s always going to be a reflection of the collected personalities. Every single person you hire will make a difference. Also important to note: Brilliant jerks are harder to remove because it’s
nearly impossible to justify their dismissal if they’re delivering good work. But they have a pernicious effect on culture that far outlasts their physical presence at the company."

I absolutely agree that culture is paramount. Teams just work better that way. The challenge is then to strive towards a diverse team. Many startups I've seen feel like a fraternity and I feel pressure to "be one of the guys" or they do not have many minorities, so it's hard to connect over food, pop culture, or values.

Re: Inside Buffer’s Community Delight Headquarters: How and Why We Send Swag and What It All Costs

laelene — Wed, 20 May 2015 22:44:12 -0000

This just seems like so much fun. It reminds me of a video saw about "Swiftmas" (when Taylor Swift showers her fans with gifts after cyber-stalking them to figure out what they like). It's got to be delightful to delight! :)

Re: Why We Removed the Word ‘Hacker’ From Buffer Job Descriptions

laelene — Wed, 20 May 2015 22:36:35 -0000

It's wonderful to see how thoughtful you are about the implications of something most don't really consider. I'm curious how it's going - do you find that you are getting a more diverse set of applicants?

Re: Why We Prioritize Hiring People Who Use Our Product

laelene — Tue, 19 May 2015 16:41:37 -0000

I absolutely agree that it's important to use your own product. This is especially the case when it's so consumer-friendly (it can get challenging with enterprise tools, but even then it should be a priority). My company (Canvas Solutions) does internal beta testing first, which helps work out a lot of kinks before customers get to join in.

While it can be a self-fulfilling prophecy that the features you build cater more towards individuals, which in turn will attract that type of customer, I'd say it's still paramount that your connection with the product/service is strong. Everything will feel far more authentic and relevant that way. I do see potential for Buffer to help companies manage their social media accounts too, so perhaps trying out some more enterprise features could attract an additional user base.

I'm a big fan of diversity, which would include the fresh perspective of someone who is newer to Buffer, since they will likely notice and experience things differently. My company takes data collection (mainly in the form of paperwork) mobile and to ensure we're hiring the right kind of people with an understanding of the service, we always have applicants build an app from a copy of a paper form. It's a quick and easy way to see how they think through the process, which gives insights into their critical thinking as well as curiosity. While most hires are pretty new to Canvas since it's mostly a business solution, we've also gotten some who were using Canvas at their previous organization, which has helped us improve on many fronts.

One last note - the link for "our opportunities to join the team" is missing a period after the www. Took me a few clicks to figure out why the link was broken!

Re: Rethinking Ambition: Why Less of it May be a Good Thing

laelene — Tue, 19 May 2015 15:10:05 -0000

This really speaks to me as I've often considered the dark side of ambition. I think it blinds us from the pursuit of happiness, making us think that our ambition will get us there when in fact it could be hindering us. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!

Re: What’s In a Name? Feminism After Marriage

laelene — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 23:25:42 -0000

Hah! This is much of the same stuff that was going through my mind as I pondered the options. I wrote about it (http://maryqin.com/the-name... and then ultimately went with not changing my name. I think part of it had to do with the cultural traditions of our heritage - Chinese people don't change their names, so it's kind of like blending our families' cultures with the American one we were brought up with.

I also weighed in the fact that I've built an online identity around my name (like that URL I blog from!) and the complexity of updating to a new name. The kids will likely have his last name and possibly mine as a middle name, but maybe I'll decide I want them to get two last names. We'll see when that time comes. For now, like you, I like the idea of our family unit being "the HisLastNames" even if that's not my legal last name. What irks me is the Mrs. HisFirstName HisLastName. I'll be Mrs. HisLastName with my OWN first name, thank you very much.

It's fascinating all the influences that go into naming decisions. I think I'm more concerned about the first names, though really names are pretty easily changed... mine is not my birth name, nor is my mother's her birth name. My cousin revamped his identity has a kid too, so who knows what future generations will go with.

Re: How Much Does the Dang Thing Cost? An Honest Accounting of a Modern Wedding

laelene — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 00:14:41 -0000

Congrats! I was surprised how many similarities we have - my now-husband and I have been together for just about 6 years and got married last Friday (but just a civil ceremony this year... sometimes I want to throw the whole wedding next year out the window too). We're also living in the DC area (though out by IAD).

For the first portion of the post I thought your budget for the entire wedding was what you were spending for just the venue and I thought, "Dang! That's expensive!!!!" Glad to see it covered much more though. :)

Re: Q Box Review + Promo Code – Lifestyle Subscription Box – January 2014

laelene — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 13:37:17 -0000

This is definitely a great gift for girls and women still tuned in to their inner girls. :)

Re: hello, rigby! — Beauty Review: Julep Maven January 2014 Nail Polish Subscription Box

laelene — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 13:27:15 -0000

I skipped Jan, but I'm hoping I can try those Ta-Da drops sometime.

Re: Catladyland: Cats are Funny: The 411 on Hills Grain-Free Cat Food ... and a Giveaway!

laelene — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 21:03:23 -0000

Ooo I'd love to see if this is something my cats would enjoy. Molly my old grumpy one is nearly 15 so she could use some extra healthy stuff. mary@maryqin.com

Re: Don’t Quit Your Job Until You Make Some Money

laelene — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 19:10:55 -0000

I totally agree that having a fund is important. I thought mine would last me for about 6 months, but then I started making some money selling on eBay and that has helped extend my fund. I'm going on 16 months now and could probably last until the 2 year mark, though I don't plan on it. I'm fortunate though, since I also have a fiance who is supportive and helps cover a lot of things.

One thing that sucks though is that if you're planning on changing jobs, you're pretty screwed when it comes to getting a loan, so you should also not plan on getting any within the next few years. They love to see people who have been in their current job for 2 years+

All this talk about luck reminds me of a blog post I meant to write up! Thanks for the reminder - the premise is that those who are lucky, TRY.

~Mary @ ((little fat notebook))

Re: Opting Out of Climbing the Career Ladder

laelene — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 19:00:17 -0000

I've often struggled with the perception people have when you aren't climbing that corporate ladder. I quit my job over a year ago and more and more I've been feeling the pressures to be in the rat race. It's funny that I was reading your blog a few weeks ago, thinking that I used to be like that - so ambitious with my career goals and ready to conquer my work. But then everything started to change and I found myself wondering if I was weak, lazy, or otherwise a bad person for not wanting all that stress.

My priorities have shifted towards enjoying life more, but living comfortably and without financial worries. I cherish the ability to do things in the middle of the day, to step out into the sunshine and fresh air, and to have the freedom and flexibility when not tied to a desk job. Granted, I still spend way too much online, but I can at least bring my laptop to more interesting environments.

I respect your decision to step off, even as I choose to step back on! But I guess this year is what I needed and now that I'm running low on my reserve funds I'm looking for an interesting job with growth potential, but something that won't throw me into the crazy competitiveness of some industries. I'm so glad to see I was not alone in choosing to leave my career and I'm sure you'll end up being even more productive in other ways!

Re: The DIY Frenchie: French Beauty Favorites - Part 1

laelene — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 03:10:47 -0000

Oh my gosh! I totally won that Klorane dry shampoo and have been scared to try it. Now I must. :) I think a giveaway would be awesome, if it's open to the US. :-D Will definitely have to look out for these items next time I'm in France. Thanks for sharing!

Re: The DIY Frenchie: Things I've Learned About America from Living in France

laelene — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 03:06:28 -0000

Haha, I love cultural differences. Fascinating to see how "norms" are vastly different. Oh, and I think if you had become a dentist you'd be way too stressed trying to get your French clientele to floss! :-P

Re: Purr by Katy Perry Eau de Parfum Gift Set

laelene — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:06:08 -0000

I agree with most others - I like "Firework" because it's really encouraging and a positive message.

Re: 10 Cats Who Will Literally Sleep ANYWHERE - by Angie Bailey

laelene — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:01:01 -0000

Ah these are all so great! One of my cats snuggles under the covers with me every night and insists on laying between my legs with her head on my thigh. Sometimes she sleeps with her belly up and arms & legs straight out as if she's flying. Both cats are also really fond of letting their heads and arms dangle over something. :)

Re: KushyFoot Launches Athletic Sport Collection (Review)

laelene — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:56:52 -0000

I've never tried Kushy Foot (or heard of them before this) and I'd love to try them! I'd love the slipper socks most since I want to have slippers but super lightweight ones. Those seem to fit the bill!

Re: Don’t judge me, but I’ve never…

laelene — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 01:48:32 -0000

You know, I haven't a clue... I think it doesn't have a meaning?

Re: Seeking: Mama with slight imperfections.

laelene — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:09:21 -0000

Love it! I was gonna say that to me "messy" is really code for "lived in."

Re: Don’t judge me, but I’ve never…

laelene — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 03:59:01 -0000

I've never had coffee either! Same goes for energy drinks. I pulled all-nighters with good old water.

Never had most forms of alcohol, nor do I plan to. Tried beer (pong) once & it was way worse than I thought it'd be.

I've never been able to stay in once place more than 3.5 years (consecutively living). All my life I've moved around and that elusive 4 years is always out of grasp.