Blog
Practical thinking on product design, facilitation, team culture, and growing a design career.
Career · May 15, 2025
Customizing every resume and cover letter was burning me out.I wanted to focus on applying for jobs I actually wanted—not tweaking bullet points for hours. Earlier this year, while job hunting for product design roles, I built a system that completely changed how I applied:…
Read: Burned Out by Resume Tweaks? Here’s the AI-Powered Tool I Built to Fix That
Career · April 28, 2025
Want to build a UX portfolio that actually gets you interviews?It starts with a strong case study. I created this outline for one of my mentorship clients, but it was too good not to share. If you’re a UX or product designer on the job hunt, this framework can help you tell…
Read: The UX Case Study Formula for Getting Hired
Business · March 5, 2025
Big news: I’ve launched a UX consultancy. It’s called North & Form, and I couldn’t be more excited to finally share it with the world. Built with my co-founder Gillian Salerno-Rebic, North & Form helps teams design experiences that actually work—for the people using them and…
Read: Introducing North & Form: A UX Consultancy
Career · January 28, 2025
In today’s competitive job market, crafting a resume that catches the eye of both hiring managers and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) is essential. Gone are the days when a beautifully designed resume alone could set you apart. In 2025, creating an ATS-friendly product…
Read: How to Optimize Your Product Design Resume for ATS + Free Template
Career · January 27, 2025
Looking to land interviews in a competitive job market? Discover 3 proven strategies to define goals, leverage your network, and secure personal introductions.
Read: 3 Strategies to Land Job Interviews in a Crowded Market
Career · December 15, 2024
This past quarter, I was honored to be named one of the Top 50 ADPList Mentors out of over 3,000 worldwide.🏆 It’s not about the badge (though the badge is cute).It’s about the people I’ve met, the conversations I’ve had, and the designers I’ve seen grow in real time. Why I…
Read: I Was Named a Top 50 ADPList Mentor—Here’s What That Means to Me
Career · November 15, 2024
Here’s something you won’t hear often:You can learn more from the job you don’t get than the one you do. Over the years, I’ve faced plenty of rejections. But looking back, those so-called failures pushed me to make the biggest leaps in my UX career. The Interview That Changed…
Read: What a “Failed” Job Interview Taught Me About My Career in UX
Books · July 1, 2024
Unlock the Power of Storytelling with “The Pop-Up Pitch” Maria’s rating: 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (note: I do not give away 5 stars lightly) If you’ve ever struggled to capture your audience’s attention or convey your message effectively, “The Pop-Up Pitch” by Dan Roam is the…
Read: 10 Steps to Effective Pitches
Business · June 25, 2024
What hiking the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim taught me about myself It’s over 100°F. I’ve just hiked 10 miles down 4,500 feet and still have 5 miles and 1,000 feet of descent to go. I’m cursing the people who told us we were “close” ages ago, and I’m trying not to think about the…
Read: How to Overcome Challenges and Embrace Adventure
Books · May 9, 2024
$100M Offers by Alex Hormozi: A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Irresistible Offers Maria’s rating: 4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Starting a business can be challenging, but Alex Hormozi’s book, $100M Offers, provides a clear and actionable guide to help you create compelling offers that…
Read: Create Irresistible Offers and Skyrocket Your Sales
Business · May 7, 2024
The thing that terrified me the most about starting my own business wasn’t that I knew nothing, it was that I was afraid to work by myself. As a team player, I thrive on collaboration and exchanging ideas. The thought of losing this camaraderie and facing solitude was…
Read: 5 Ways to Build Community as a Solo Entrepreneur
Artificial Intelligence · April 29, 2024
Understanding the Best Use Cases for ChatGPT and Similar AI Solutions Have you ever wondered about the most effective ways to use ChatGPT or other AI tools? This is a question that’s been on my mind for several months now. ChatGPT is undoubtedly a powerful solution, but…
Read: How to Integrate ChatGPT into Your Workflow
Artificial Intelligence · April 25, 2024
Unlock AI Potential for Your Business in Just 1 Hour Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries, offering businesses innovative ways to improve efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth. However, many teams, especially those without a technical…
Read: Unlock AI Potential for Your Business in 1 Hour
Facilitation · April 22, 2024
My Top Secret to Planning Effective Meetings Meetings can either be a productive powerhouse or a time-draining disaster. The key to ensuring your meetings fall into the former category lies in meticulous planning and goal setting. Here’s my top secret to planning successful…
Read: Optimizing Your Meetings: Secrets to Success
Facilitation · April 18, 2024
Yesterday, I had the honor of speaking about workshop planning at the Facilitation Fundamentals training hosted by Funsize! Although I now have formal education and credentials in facilitation, my early days of running workshops were a lot of trial and error (emphasis on…
Read: Project Spotlight: Facilitation Fundamentals Training
Business · March 12, 2024
When I came across the article “The Big Design Freak-Out: A Generation of Design Leaders Grapple with Their Future,” it felt like the author had crawled inside my head and summarized my career. This feeling wasn’t entirely unfounded; as one of the “thousands of design foot…
Read: The State of UX Design
Business · February 20, 2024
Unlocking Your Unique Facilitation Style: Moving Beyond Your Comfort Zone Today, I had the privilege of attending an enlightening session hosted by the AJ&Smart team. The session focused on discovering and refining your unique facilitation style. The experience was reflective…
Read: From Comfort Zone to Growth
Facilitation · February 12, 2024
Early in my career, I invested a lot of effort into reaching group consensus, believing it was the best route to successful decisions. However, I soon realized this approach often led to wasted time and energy…
Read: How Boost Team Buy-In
Artificial Intelligence · February 8, 2024
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming businesses across the globe, but knowing where to invest can be challenging. In a recent podcast by consulting experts Gartner, they discuss developing an “AI ambition” strategy and introduce their useful tool: the AI Opportunity…
Read: Use the AI Opportunity Radar to Unlock Potential
Facilitation · January 31, 2024
Experiencing Design Sprint Training with Jake Knapp Over the past two days, I had the unique opportunity to attend a Design Sprint training session led by none other than Jake Knapp, the creator of the Design Sprint framework. As someone deeply entrenched in the world of…
Read: The Surprising Flexibility of Design Sprints
Facilitation · December 13, 2023
We’ve all experienced those frustrating workshops or meetings where it feels like nothing gets accomplished. One key reason these sessions often fall flat is the lack of a clear commitment by the end. Without a solid commitment or decision, everyone leaves with different…
Read: How to Turn Meetings into Action
Business · December 5, 2023
Are you a night owl struggling to get things done in the morning? You’re not alone. I’ve always considered myself a late riser who needs coffee and a good breakfast before tackling anything of substance. The mere thought of doing anything productive before noon felt like a…
Read: The Unexpected Benefits of Morning Work for Night Owls
Facilitation · November 13, 2023
Have you ever felt skeptical about using sticky notes for brainstorming or meetings? If you’ve never tried it, it might seem like a quirky, time-wasting method. I used to be a sticky note skeptic myself. I questioned why I wouldn’t just vocalize my ideas or dive straight into…
Read: Transform Team Collaboration with Sticky Notes
Projects · November 1, 2023
Working with a lively group of MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) engineers is always a rewarding experience. It’s fascinating to see how the challenges teams face and the strategies to overcome them can be similar across different fields. This recent workshop with a…
Read: Boost Team Success: Effective Collaboration Workshop Insights
Books · October 3, 2023
A New Chapter in My Professional Life For the first time in my professional career, I’m not receiving a flat salary regardless of how many hours I work. As a consultant and business owner, my income is now directly linked to the amount of time I put in. This change has led me…
Read: Balancing Creativity and Productivity
Business · September 20, 2023
Unleashing Creativity: How “Refuse to Choose!” Inspired My Design Strategy Business During a two-month sabbatical prior to launching my own business, I read a transformative book called Refuse to Choose! by Barbara Sher. This book, subtitled “Use all of your interests,…
Read: How This Book Inspired My Design Strategy Business
Business · September 12, 2023
After a relaxing and rejuvenating summer sabbatical, I am thrilled to announce the launch of my own design strategy business! My mission is to help product teams do more effective, meaningful work and enjoy the process. With a decade of experience designing and delivering…
Read: Starting a Design Strategy Business
