I'm not wearing an Apple one. On a day when I should be wearing an Apple one because of #WWDC22 happening later this morning.
Why? Because of how @jeriellsworth treated me.
It isn't just me, either. I watched as her booth was PACKED all last week at the #AWE2022 show.
Why? Because of how @jeriellsworth treated me.
It isn't just me, either. I watched as her booth was PACKED all last week at the #AWE2022 show.
And I watched as it was PACKED at the GDC show, too. I study companies, so I notice such things.
I've met her several times over the years and she has always had a kind word and taken the time to treat me like a human being.
I've met her several times over the years and she has always had a kind word and taken the time to treat me like a human being.
Even though I have a reputation as a toxic person who was nasty to women (deserved, too). Even though she has every reason to despise me.
Another woman, @PeggyJ, invited me to see her demos and made sure I got what I needed from her team. She runs @magicleap. Her booth, too, was PACKED. People waited in line for an hour or more to get a demo.
Her team, both men and women, were gracious and kind -- I watched as they dealt with dozens. She, too, getting a reputation as being nice and humble both with customers and with employees who are excited to work for her.
In recovery we learn to be humble, a hard thing for me to learn.
Both teams had that in spades. Helped, a little, by their underdog status, but I learned it mostly comes directly from the leadership of these two women.
Both teams had that in spades. Helped, a little, by their underdog status, but I learned it mostly comes directly from the leadership of these two women.
Something I noticed different from many other booths I visited where aggressive men often talked over people and tried to force their point of view from an ego-driven place. I keep hearing stories about men, who say stupid things or are driven by ego, who destroy businesses.
In talking to other attendees at both AWE and GDC I kept hearing how nice both were to them. There is a whisper network at these things and it works to protect people from toxic people but also people go to these things to decide whether to work for these companies or not.
Word gets around if you are a toxic company or leader. Thank you Peggy and Jeri. I am humbled by your example and wish I had learned to treat everyone nicer like you do decades ago. Would have saved me bringing a lot of pain into a lot of other people's lives.
Even on the show floor I was pitched to, by many men, rudely. At a TechCrunch conference, once, I was pitched in a bathroom by an aggressive man who expected me to write about his company.
The difference stands out.
The difference stands out.
I wear your shirt today to remind myself to be nicer and more humble. Thank you!
I can't wait to get my Tilt Five and use it to play games with my sons. I will use it as an example of why they should always be nice and humble.
I can't wait to get my Tilt Five and use it to play games with my sons. I will use it as an example of why they should always be nice and humble.
Yesterday I wasn't nice to someone. Which is why I couldn't sleep tonight and got up and wrote this. Today is a new day to be nice.
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