What is your long term goal or career pathway?
22.01.23
After 19 years working in hospitality and reaching the highest achievements within the occupation, I have become disenfranchised with the industry at large. The sector only thrives through rampant abuse of workers, spontaneous but constant harm to local communities, and promotion of alcohol - the most harmful drug widely available in Aotearoa/New Zealand. I opened my first restaurant, Civil & Naval, at 21. I am proud of my accomplishments as a young entrepreneur – and my reputation in the community as someone who cares deeply about employee well-being – but after selling my business last year I could not see a way to make significant positive change chasing further success in the field.
That said, I do not have a clear vision for 2023, let alone the specifics of a future career path.
I know I want to create. That is what lead me to owning (at peak) three start-up sized business simultaneously.
I know I want to help, as the lack there-of is what motivated me to leave my previous profession and begin seeking anew.
A description of your strengths and limitations when it comes to learning?
I can be focused when a subject suits, to the point of obsession. In these moments of near tunnel-vision I can solve problems and acquire skills at the pace of a Harvard student cramming before finals. Even better, I’m actually enjoying myself. Even so, this can lead to me being flaky. Whilst I can throw myself in the deep end of curio, as soon as the next fascination takes my attention I’ll throw the old karate gi or 5PC drumkit in storage.
I am a practical learner. I need to really do something in order to acquire understanding. I feel this a weakness most days until I complete a personal project that calcifies new knowledge permanently. For this reason D.A. course materials presented in video or essay form have been challenging and I’ve had to invent my own homework. I do like that creating joke websites and pranking my partner with CTRL + SHIFT + i has lead to meeting my learning outcomes.
What skills (non-technical core/human skills) would you like to see developed in yourself while at Dev Academy?
In my 20s I thought myself invincible. For my 30th birthday life decided to bring me the gift of uncertainty, most would call it anxiety. I have been comfortable being myself as a well-off, cis-gendered, white man (read: stale, pale, white, male) for so long that reaching out for assistance is a such a foreign concept it may as well be another language (although, it seems I’ve learnt two this week). I don’t seek to fit the shoes of that arrogant 20-something-year-old again, but I would like to find confidence again. This time, more helpful, sustainable, and based in reality.
A commitment to how you will manage your workload in this programme. This should include:
Despite moving around and attending more schools than I had years, my report cards were consistent.
“Louis can be loud”
“Louis is a distraction”
When confronted, I mask with humour. Whether the challenge be educational, emotional, situational, ad infinitum. It’s a family tradition to ignore, obfuscate, and make light of the situation. At Dev Academy I intend to break this tradition. Not only shall I commit to not being distracted but more importantly, not distract others.
I solved a problem this week by sleeping on it. After going to bed at 2am I woke up the next morning having dreamed the solution. Whilst it was the first time I have dreamt in HTML I assume it won’t be the last time I dream in another language (namely, javascript).
I solved another by going outside on the Interislander. I had been going nowhere with a .header selector for nearly three hours when the captain announced there was a fire in main engine. We were evacuated to the balcony. Whilst nervous about my ability to swim I realised my ID tags were the problem. We made it to Picton and I made a resolution.
Take breaks.
At the screen I was running on a hamster wheel. Debugging is useless when missing the forest for the trees. Struggling over object fit: cover vs. contain is fruitless when the div class is the problem.
I have learnt to take breaks, maybe Pomodoro had a point?
A commitment as to how and where you will seek help in a timely way
I have already struggled to ask for help. Mentioned previously, I have had a historical problem with arrogance. Mix that in with my new-found anxiety and we find a heady-cocktail of “stubbornity”. The two times I’ve reached out after struggling individually I I’ve been met with not only solutions, but a complete non-judgemental community. I have enjoyed answering fellow students questions. I should interpret that fellow cohorts feel the same but my anxieties have me intuit I’m alone.
A description of what you expect from the Facilitation team
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Answer my “dumbest” questions. I promise that if I’m asking I’ve already used every tool in the kit to find the solution.
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Don’t let me lie. One day soon I’ll receive a question’s answer and reply “nice, I think I’ve got it”. This will be a lie. Question that response.
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Respect the bladder. I have four kidneys and only two reflux valves. I will need to take many badly-timed pee breaks and previous “educators” have questioned this right before.
Any scheduling information such as block-out times when you are committed to other things. For example, you might have whānau commitments like school drop-offs. It's important to plan these in.
I have therapy weekly.
It’s on a Tuesday but that can be changed.
Otherwise, I’m free.
Why do you ask?
Wanna go on a date or something?
FYI I’ll say yes.
Thank you, D.A., you’re so sweet, I’ll see you Monday morning.