A Living Introduction

This blog has been on and off since 2008. I’ve started it, stopped it, and restarted it more times than I can count. At this point, even I roll my eyes when I say, “I’m bringing it back.”

But something’s changed.

Lately, I’ve been thinking differently about how I share my thoughts—and where.

I’ve always been curious, and like most people, I chased the next new platform. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, back to Facebook again. Each one felt like the right place to say what I needed to say.

But over time, I saw the quality of what I was posting decline. Social media encourages fast takes and short posts. Not context. Not clarity. And the things I shared? They disappeared into the feed, gone within hours.

That didn’t sit right with me.

So I’m back here. Writing in a space I control, in a way that allows more room for thought.

 

About Me

I live in Metro Phoenix now. Before that, Atlanta. Before that, Detroit—where I grew up. I work in product and promotional design, mostly for large industries: finance, defense, pharma, and aviation.

I didn’t plan on this career. I got into it after getting laid off in the late ’90s. My company offered retraining, and I chose network security—mostly because the people I was recruiting were making six figures with a few years of experience. Sounded smart.

It wasn’t. I hated it. The training was dry and technical, and I realized something important: no amount of money is worth doing work you don’t enjoy.

One small section of that training was on web design. That’s what grabbed me. I finished the course, skipped the security path, and taught myself design. I freelanced for a few years, got better, got hired, and found something I actually loved.

I still do (love it).

And alongside that love for design, I’ve always had a desire to do work that matters, especially for Black people.

That’s why I started Urban Folk.

It’s not just a business. It’s a way to shift how we spend, who we support, and how we build power in our own communities.

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