The Scribe’s Origin Story: Part 2

One of my favorite things about being self-employed is getting to work with people from earlier in my career.

Over the last 8 months, I've reconnected with so many former coworkers. Some through projects (including a particularly fab throwback with Kary Perez), some over coffee or dinner, and others at weddings. Every time, I'm reminded how lucky I've been to work alongside smart, opinionated, and genuine people. I’ve also remembered how much I love a good 1:1, a conversation that truly helps me understand how someone thinks.

This is essentially my entire job. Research is structured curiosity about people. I never wanted to study users from a distance. I wanted to sit with them as people, ask follow-up questions, and notice what they didn't say. Turns out that same instinct is why I keep ending up back in the same rooms with the same people, years later.

Silver Scribe exists because of that instinct. Lisa Westra and I did great research together years ago, and we realized we really liked working together. So when the timing was right, we built something that allowed us to keep doing it. My book with Christopher ". started the same way: we worked together over a decade ago, stayed friends, and are now partnering again.

I don't think this is a coincidence. I think it's the through-line of my whole career. Every role has looked different on paper, but underneath it, I've always been chasing the same thing: good people, good questions, and the kind of work you can only do together. Cheesy? Maybe, but it's also true.