Writing
Make Work Suck Less
The manager you wish you had, helping you do good work without sacrificing your humanity.
Career TransitionsJob hunting in 2026: a survival guide for a brutal market
If you're job hunting right now and it feels challenging, validation: the market is genuinely rough. Here's a strategic plan for navigating it.
2026-04-06·14 min read
Dear PeterDear Peter: how do I ask for a raise without sounding greedy?
You've been underpaid for a while and you know it. But every time you think about bringing it up, you freeze. Here's exactly how to have that conversation — and why you're not greedy for wanting it.
2026-03-30·6 min read
Workplace WellbeingDealing with burnout at work (and figuring out if that's what you've got)
Burnout isn't just being tired—it's exhaustion that rest alone won't fix. Take the self-assessment, find out what's driving it, and make a plan.
2026-03-23·9 min read
Career TransitionsCareer coach vs. therapist - which one do I actually need?
They're not the same thing. A therapist looks backward and inward. A coach looks forward and outward. Here's how to find out which one you need.
2026-03-16·8 min read
Career TransitionsHow to switch careers without starting over
Thinking about a career change? You don't need to blow up your life to do it. Here's the playbook—from someone who's helped a lot of folks do it.
2026-03-09·9 min read
Management SkillsThe first-time manager survival guide
Nobody trained you for this. You were great at your job, and now you're managing your peers. Here's what I'd say to me when I became a manager.
2026-03-02·9 min read
Management SkillsHow to deal with a bad manager (without losing your job or your mind)
Your boss is the problem. You know it, your coworkers know it, and yet nothing changes. Here's a practical framework for surviving — and eventually escaping — bad management.
2026-02-26·8 min read
Career TransitionsWhat does a career coach actually do?
It's not therapy. It's not your friend over drinks. And it's definitely not someone who tells you to "follow your passion." Here's what career coaching actually looks like — and how to know if it's wh
2026-02-16·8 min read
Management SkillsLet AI be the robot. Meetings are for people.
AI can take your meeting notes. It shouldn't take your human connection. Here's how to use AI to free up meetings for what actually matters.
2026-01-19·4 min read
Workplace WellbeingPermission to be "Good Enough"
What if "good enough" isn't settling—it's a strategy. Here's your permission to stop chasing "excellence" and start doing work that matters.
2026-01-12·7 min read
Management SkillsDear Peter: My boss is a "Nice Guy," so why am I miserable?
A reader struggles with a kind but ineffective boss who avoids conflict and feedback, creating anxiety and stagnation despite good intentions.
2026-01-05·4 min read
Workplace WellbeingAlways-On Culture - How artificial urgency makes work suck
Not everything is urgent—most of it isn't, actually. Here's how always-on culture manufactures fake urgency and practical ways to push back.
2025-06-25·7 min read
Workplace WellbeingPresence of mind: a present for your mind
I'm required by law to share a pun if I see one.
2025-05-12·13 min read
Workplace WellbeingWhy I work to make work suck less
I was going to be a Spanish teacher. I ended up in tech, learned about management, and now help folks do good work without losing themselves.
2025-05-08·6 min read
Management SkillsBeyond lip service: what real mentorship looks like
Mentorship in the workplace is often treated like an afterthought despite being highly valuable, yet rarely receives proper structure or investment from organizations.
2025-05-07·6 min read
Career TransitionsDear Peter: how can I switch to a non-profit from a ..profit?
Non-profit? More like very pro-fit!
2025-05-05·4 min read
Management SkillsDear Peter: why'd they make me a manager?
WHO LET THIS HAPPEN?
2025-04-28·5 min read
Career TransitionsDear Peter: "hell hath no fury like a PM's scorn"
A project manager with eight years of experience who excels at their role but dreads the work seeks guidance on transitioning to fulfilling employment without sacrificing financial stability.
2025-04-14·6 min read
Career TransitionsDear Peter: I just graduated and need a job. What do?
Do the do, my dude!
2025-03-31·5 min read
Workplace WellbeingDear Peter: will AI take my job?
No, but maybe it wrote this post!
2025-03-17·7 min read
Career TransitionsDear Peter: I'm feeling stuck. Do I need an MBA?
MBA: maybe! But also...
2025-03-03·5 min read
Career TransitionsDear Peter: I've been raising kids for six years. Do I even have a resume anymore?
There's more in common between the play room and the meeting room than you think!
2025-02-17·4 min read
Career TransitionsMatchmaker, matchmaker: how to spot a good manager before you accept the job
1:1s shouldn't feel like a rollercoaster ride. And not just principles and abstractions – what do I specifically look for?
2024-06-19·4 min read
Fun TakesYes, I make silly YouTube videos. Now I'm sharing them.
I make silly YouTube videos! The channel went through a series of titles: Teachey Pete, PJD, a Giraffe with a Camera. But it was all me showing a goofy, less professional side of me.
2024-02-12·2 min read
Fun TakesLOTR: Dark Lord Sauron, MBA
Can confirm: having the Eye of Sauron upon you as the Dark Lord himself tears apart your marketing material is.. terrifying.
2024-01-25·9 min read
Fun TakesA Festivus Approach to New Years
First grade, January. Construction paper, tape, and too many crayons. Dennis the Menace on the brain. A dream: be the funniest kid in class. "What's your new year's resolution, Peter?" "To beat the el
2024-01-03·9 min read
Fun TakesLOTR: Gandalf and the Golden Girls
Is it finally time for Gandalf to give up saving the world, and sit down for a game of bridge?
2023-09-28·10 min read
Fun TakesLOTR: Boromir's search for a better-fit fellowship
"Maybe Twilio will let me take the ring to save Gondor.."
2023-09-21·7 min read
Fun TakesLOTR: Frodo's Resume Refresh
Case studies in career arcs, brought to you by a fellowship of highly motivated individuals
2023-09-12·4 min read
Career TransitionsWhy presence of mind beats technical skills
Why presence of mind is the biggest factor in hiring
2023-08-1·7 min read