Author Archives: MrsAustinNexus

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About MrsAustinNexus

Kim’s career includes 18+ years of experience in the accounting, document management, workflow, and cloud technology space. She’s been named three times to Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting list, is a six-time CPA Practice Advisor 40 Under 40 honoree, and has been recognized by CRN as a Woman of the Channel for the past nine years. Kim currently serves on the ITA (Information Technology Alliance) Board of Directors and the UC Santa Barbara PACE Customer Experience Advisory Board. Kim’s passion is delivering amazing service to her clients and her partners. Kim lives in Palm Springs, CA with her husband Brian. She’s a certified Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach and is addicted to the gym and her Peloton (just hit 1,000 rides!). She’s usually easy to spot in a crowded room with a strong cup of coffee and her trademark shoes. Find her on Twitter & Instagram @MrsAustinNexus.

Stop & Smell the BBQ

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One of the things I’m always trying to explain to people about my frequent travels is that regardless of where I go on my business trips – every city looks the same: airport, cab, hotel room, conference center. Whether I’m in North Platte, NE or Waikiki, Honolulu, HI – I tend to have about the same amount of free time to “explore”…none.

Every once in a while though, I feel like I hit the jackpot. Over the past year or so, I’ve been privileged to connect with some extra-gracious locals, who have taken the time out of their lives, to ensure that my visit isn’t “just another day at the office”.

My colleague, Rachel, and I spent this week in Kansas City (“Home of BBQ and Jazz”) for the kick-off of the Boomer Technology Circle meetings. I’ve attended several other Boomer events here in KC, and have still managed to see about the same amount of the place: Westin Crown Center, taxi cab, Jack Stack BBQ. This week however, we fell into a tub of BBQ sauce, thanks to Scott Morrill from Boomer. Along with one of the other sponsors, we were whisked out of the Crown Center and off to famous Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ – where you can eat your dinner in a gas station. On the way back, we took the scenic route, and he provided us a tour of the various city landmarks including the new Plaza, the WWI Liberty Memorial monument, and Union Station.

Last Summer, while Brian & I were visiting a firm in the Detroit area, we were honored when an executive cleared his Friday evening at home (a rare occurrence if you know his travel schedule), to spend it showing us around. After a great dinner and a trip to see the Woodward Dream Cruise pre-show, we took a detour and were treated to an incredible tour of Cranbrook, which boasts a campus filled with architecture to take your breath away and keep you talking about it for years.

To be filed in the “once in a lifetime” folder, on a visit to Honolulu for the Hawaii Society of CPAs annual conference (trust me, it was still a work trip, filled with frustrations, 4:30am conference calls, and missed flights), my new customers showed me the Royal Hawaiian treatment. Swooping in for me in Waikiki, we quickly made our escape, explaining that they only go downtown if they have to. We proceeded to drive up a mountain just as it started to pour down rain. Determined to show me their favorite lookout spot, we made it to the top, made the mad-dash to the side of the cliff, and captured the most beautiful rainbow spanning the entire island of Oahu. Afterward, they showed me a great time filled with dinner, donuts, and moochi, as we sampled all of their favorite local spots.

It’s funny how these three experiences seem so simple – all they did was spend an evening with us. Yet the effort from these individuals to provide us business tourists with a little glimpse of something that we surely would have missed without a local there to guide us makes these seemingly small gestures so hugely meaningful.

The Glamour of Modern Air Travel

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Every time someone says to me “You’re so lucky! I wish I could travel for work as much as you do…”, I always seem to be able to convince them to retract their comment…I figured I might have enough material now for an actual post…I didn’t realize it would be so hard to choose my top 10!

  1. TSA. Need I say more? Oh, but I will! I think part of the Pre-Check interview should be a dry-run through an actual TSA lane just to make sure we don’t let the guy who can’t hang up the phone and still removes his shoes, liquids, coat, and iPad (which never should have come out even PRE-Pre-Check) and puts them in the bin he shouldn’t be using into the program.
  2. What Coffee? Is it a law that you cannot serve good coffee at airports? Even when I’m excited enough to find something non-Starbucks, I’m typically brought back to a harsh reality by their ability to ruin coffee. Am I the only one who thinks that there are few scenarios where getting a good java jolt could be more critical than prior to blast off?
  3. The Armrest Lifter: Do I mind? YES I mind! Armrests should not be optional – they should be required not only in coach, but also in the back seat of most family cars to avoid the inevitable sibling “he’s touching my side” bickering en route to school. I’ll gladly let you use BOTH of them just as long as my butt doesn’t have to touch yours. If I ran the aviation world, there would be an optional shock feature that you could activate when your seat-neighbor crossed that magic seat division line.
  4. INfrequent Flyers: This might sound harsh, and I realize not everyone boards 4 airplanes a week, but come on people…a little special awareness maybe? Oh, and that little note on your boarding pass that says “Zone 6” doesn’t give you permission to stand in the Premier Access boarding lane when they announce that Active Military Personnel may now board.
  5. This space intentionally left blank for Stacy Kildal’s contribution.
  6. Oblivious Parents: Apparently to some, flight attendants are also babysitters. I’m always in awe when I see the single mom with three children put her ear buds in and pass out while the children race each other through the plane to the bathroom & back. Or perhaps my personal favorite, the father who’s so intently focused on his BlackBerry that he doesn’t notice (or care) his tantruming toddler next to him is screaming, convulsing, and kicking the seat in front of him from LAX to Atlanta (I’ll give you 3 guesses as to whose seat that was).
  7. Loud-Talking Sales Guy on Bluetooth in First Class: True Story – I once witnessed a man go from touchdown to live international sales WebEx presentation for GM executives before pulling into the gate. Sadly, he followed me right into the Untied club where he completed his pitch in the chair next to me. The poor woman trying to watch As the World Turns across from him muttered to me “I know more about what that guys does than I do about my husband’s work!”.
  8. Deplaning: Watching grown men mow-down elderly women and young children to beat them out the door. I typically lean to the woman next to me and whisper “his mother must be so proud”.
  9. Plane-side Luggage Valet: Apparently “line up against THIS wall” doesn’t translate into stupid, or doesn’t apply to the 6’3” 257lb. guy in a cheap suit who decides right in front of the 30-year-old business woman is the perfect spot to stand.
  10. Moving Sidewalks: Stand on the right. Walk on the left. By all means, let your children lie on the middle sprawled out with their backpack and rolly-bags that clearly weigh more than they do. It’s not like anyone is in a hurry to catch a flight around here.

The Art of Good Complaining

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Being the daughter of an audio engineer, going to the movies was always a little different for our family. Besides the fact that we kids were forced to sit clear through the end of the credits to give my father the pleasure of spotting any friends or colleagues who had a hand in creating the masterful digital sound, we then would have to wait for him to track down a theater manager to let them know that something was wrong with the audio output in the theater itself. More often than not, Dad would make fast friends who appreciated him lending his expert ear to their establishment…and would thank him by giving him a movie voucher for next time. It became a running joke that Mr. Hogan hadn’t actually paid for a movie since 1987.

Maybe it’s genetic then, because I’ve always had a way with words when it comes to complaining nicely.  My usual opening like goes something like “I realize this isn’t your fault, so I apologize in advance that you’re the one taking my call, but…”. It’s amazing how often that disclaimer immediately helps win over the person I need on my side. I find this approach is far more successful than what I really want to say or do, which unfortunately yields extremely poor results.

Whether my techniques were acquired or inherited, I won’t complain about them. There are times when others have been mistreated, or just gotten nowhere with a complaint and I’ve called back to discuss and gotten exactly what we wanted. Of course, things don’t always go my way, and when I decide something is worth escalating, I do so with little to no expectations of the person receiving the feedback listening let alone caring. I do it more as a way to vent when I experience such bad customer service. Every once in a while though, I see glimmers of hope that remind me customer service and pride of small business ownership still live today.

On a recent trip, after my late-night gym trip, I opted to run out for a healthy post-workout snack from the neighborhood cafe (I lie, it was the local Chocolate/ Gelato/ Coffee shop – and it’s REALLY good!). I squeezed in a few extra minutes on the treadmill to make up for the delicious Italian wafer that comes with their house-made gelato. When I pulled up in front & ran in (oblivious to the “CLOSED” sign in the window), I was shocked to be stared down by two lethargic teenagers who told me “sorry, we’re closed”. Looking down at my watch, it was still 7 minutes before closing time, and I let them know. They again assured me that they were no longer open.

Completely irritated, I was tempted to post a poor review on Yelp, ruining their perfect 5-Star rating streak. Instead, I found an email on their website & quickly typed a message titled: “Too bad you aren’t open when you say you are”. I briefly explained the situation & off I went in search of a more sensible post-work out choice (like maybe a protein bar).

To my surprise, I awoke the next morning to a reply from the store’s owner. Not only did he apologize for the way I was treated, and assured me that company policy is to remain open during business hours, but – get this – thanked me for letting him know. He asked me to stop by if I was still in town, and said they wanted to give me something for my trouble. When I walked in on my way to morning appointment, I was pleased to meet his son, who again, thanked me profusely as he handed me a $20 gift card and made me an incredible espresso on the house.  He also told me that the employees would be handled. As I walked out, he called out “Come back again soon, Love”.

Granted, one lost out-of-town customer wouldn’t make or break a store like that, but it’s amazing that instead of losing business, I want to tell everyone how great this family-owned store is. Instead of being frustrated and never going back – I now know where I’ll be getting my coffee every time I’m in the neighborhood…a place where customer service is alive & kicking.

Join me next time for episode two featuring my adventures with Time Warner Cable…

grat·i·tude

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grat·i·tude
n.
the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful.

There’s something about this time of year that makes people step back and evaluate life. Perhaps it’s because we’re looking at another year drawing to a close, or maybe it’s just good old holiday spirit. For me, year end serves as a time of reflection as well as a pressure cooker, as I try to juggle everything at once: work, family, shopping, cards, baking, etc. etc. etc.! I constantly have to remind myself that these are good problems to have, yet I always catch myself racing through this final month of the year hoping I can wake up tomorrow and have it be over.

2013 was a year of milestones for me (and not just when it comes to frequent flyer miles). This year in particular, I’ve felt an overwhelming sense of thankfulness for where I am in life…so I thought I’d take the opportunity to share just a few of the reasons I’ll look back on 2013 as a year of gratitude.

For starters, I turned 30 this Summer. For some, this would be traumatic, but for me it was almost empowering. As a young female professional in a still male-dominated industry, I’ve always felt like I had to prove myself a little more than peers who had more experience.  Suddenly, I can actually see a generation coming up behind me and the opportunity to pay forward some of the wisdom and advice I’ve been given is exciting.

In September, I was privileged to make “Cover Girl” status along with two industry colleagues, as we were featured in CPA Practice Advisor’s cover story: The Changing Face of Accounting & Technology. Needless to say, it was a true honor to represent the accounting vendor community – especially in a story about something so near to my heart.

On the heels of that, I got the amazing opportunity to join the Strategic Accounts Team at Intuit, and have the chance to work in such a great organization with a wonderful team. From Marty who takes great care of all of us rookies, to Mr. Bergstein who is a constant motivator – and Jim, who ensures that even though I’m usually at least a minute late to internal meetings, I’m never the last one to dial in. I’m also thankful for a terrific leader, who reminds us everyday that his job is to help us meet our goals. Thanks, Ray!

I’m beyond grateful for all of the friends I get to meet along the way as I serve the accounting community I love so much. Thanks to all of you who inspire, advise, encourage, and motivate me – and even to those (Matt Kantelis) who give me (um) much needed constructive feedback to help me grow. When you’re a self-proclaimed workaholic, it makes all the difference in the world to love not just your job, but also the people with whom you work.

This year I watched as friends & family faced incredible struggles, which would give anyone an entirely new perspective. I’m incredibly thankful that my dear Grandma has arrived back home safe & sound and is walking here, there, & everywhere for the first time since Easter. And, in August, I posted Reality Check, the story of little Luke. While most 3-year-olds write letters to Santa asking for toys, Lukey prayed that for Christmas he could go home and be with his big brother…which is exactly what he got. Luke went home for the holidays last week, he’s 100% done with treatment, and is in remission after spending most of the past 5 months in the hospital. Leave it to a toddler to remind us all what really matters.

I don’t doubt that 2014 will bring a whole new set of adventures, challenges, victories and most likely a few defeats…one thing that I hope to carry forward however, is an ever-present state of gratitude. 

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. And all the best in the New Year!

Game On!

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One of the most heated battles being waged today in the accounting industry is over online accounting software – both for those already using it, and those users getting ready to make the switch.  New players are popping up, literally every month, claiming new features, more flexibility, and sporting fancy logos – and there’s about as much mudslinging and smear campaigning as an election November.

Over the past several years, working for companies that allowed me to “play well in the sandbox with everyone”, I’ve been able to make friends, form strategic alliances, and have come to respect so many of the individuals and companies in this arena. I’ve had a front row seat on the sidelines and have watched it all play out as this duel has heated up…until the other day when I got a call.

I’m proud to announce that I’ve been drafted! Effective this week, I’m suiting up to play for one of the largest accounting software companies in the world, Intuit. As a brand new QuickBooks Online is unveiled, so too is our brand new Dream Team, including my new colleagues, Ray Barlow and David Bergstein. Together, we’ll take on the challenge of helping CPAs bring their clients into the Cloud, and deliver the promise that you can never outgrow the new QBO.

 As if putting on an Intuit jersey isn’t satisfying enough by itself, the promise of teaming with industry legends like Darren Root, Doug Sleeter, reconnecting with some of my favorite partners like Bill.com, Avalara, and SmartVault, and working with newly formed connections like Richard Roppa and Stacy Kildal might just be the icing on the cake. The cherry on top is the opportunity to work even closer with one of the most influential people on my career, Scott Cytron.

This will definitely be a marathon and not a sprint, so I’m packing my stilettos, but lacing up my Nikes for the long haul. We’re not afraid to roll up our sleeves, and know that this will be an exciting journey. The key is that we’ll be here to help firms, accountants, and our customers through it each step of the way.

Ready, Set, GO!

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Living a Legacy

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Why is it that we all too often wait until we miss something before we truly realize how amazing it was? Maybe it’s just human nature to only comprehend greatness once it’s no longer available…but what a shame. There are far too few people who really make a difference in our lives (whether it be personally or professionally) every day – and they should know the impact they make long before they are treasured memories.

My Grandmother, Betty Hogan, is by far the most amazing woman I’ve ever known. She lives 3,000 miles from Southern California where my brothers and I were born and raised…yet she never let the miles stand in the way of being a remarkable Grandma. As children, she kept up with our activities through Mom and Dad, and occasionally asked for a short phone visit where she’d ask us about school, sports, and all the various activities in which we were involved.

Being a Grandma of adult grandkids could have made any normal long-distance Grandma fade into the background, or made her crazy by trying to keep up with us all. But not this Grandma – she stepped up her game and the phone visits with her own children turned to calls with us Grandkids, Skype sessions, and even Facebook interactions – still actively participating and making an impact on my personal and even my professional life. I often laugh when I hang up with her realizing she’s typically told me something I didn’t even know about one of my siblings. She’s on the ball.

My Grandfather put it best a few years back when he tried to explain the difference between himself and Grandma – “You see, your Grandmother cares about each and every breath you take…while I’m quite satisfied just knowing you are all still breathing”. Of course that doesn’t stop Grandma from dragging him away from his Tigers game to the computer to check out my newest blog post, or article, or photos. She’ll often even call me to tell me she read him my latest feature even if she doesn’t quite understand all the details.

I’ve used her in numerous examples of Cloud technology adoption – saying that if Grandma can do it, nobody has any excuses. We even had a great conversation one day where I explained to her that she already uses Cloud solutions as she pays her bills online, uses Yahoo! Mail, and is an avid Facebook user.

More than any other quality, it’s her selfless interest in our happiness that always causes me to stand in awe of my Grandma. She’s been in rehabilitation the better part of this year after an infection led to an ongoing problem with her hip, yet you would never know it from talking to her. She’s every bit as eager to hear about us as she’s ever been, and she finds joy in our success regardless of her circumstances. Her thoughtfulness and concern for what we’re going through (even if it pales in comparison to what she might be dealing with) is always obvious. I can’t imagine anyone could ever have a bad thing to say about her, and that, if you ask me, is the exact type of legacy we all should strive to leave. I’m so grateful that I know what an amazing blessing I have in her, and can only hope that when I grow up, I can be half the woman she is.
Grandma

Six LinkedIn Photos to Avoid

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We see them every day – the announcements in our news feed on LinkedIn saying that somebody “has a new profile photo” – and we’re all supposed to “Like” said new photo. Let’s get real though, as you scan through connections, and especially those suggested connections of “people you may know”, there are some pretty downright interesting profile photos! Today I’ve taken the liberty of highlighting my six least favorite LinkedIn photos.

The Wedding Photo

No, I’m not talking white dress & veil (although, I’ve see those too). I’m referring to the often fuzzy, usually dated-looking shot of a man in a tux (typically cropped extremely close on one side to remove the bride from the image). Not a good look.

The Glamour Shot

I admit, makeup is a WONDERFUL thing, but let’s keep in mind – LinkedIn is supposed to be a professional tool, not an advertisement for a boudoir photographer, Este Lauder, or Aqua Net. Keep that in mind when selecting wardrobe and makeup/ hairstyle as well as the amount of retouching & airbrushing used in post-production.

The High School Year Book Photo

There should be a field on LinkedIn where you have to insert the date an image was taken…once it hits, say, 10 years old, it should self-destruct. My advice: try to choose a photo that still looks like you. It will help you when you meet people in person if they know what to look for based on a realistic photo.

The Mug Shot

This isn’t your driver’s license or passport photo, people – SMILE! Let’s see some pearly whites! You don’t want to scare off your network or look like you have a tape measure on the wall behind you. Remember, this is often your first impression – make it a good, warm, welcoming one.

The Puppy Dog

Pets are cute. Babies are cute. Cartoons are cute. Would you include any of them on your resume though? Keep in mind that there are appropriate places to use more personal photos (Facebook, Google+, even Twitter). In my opinion, LinkedIn should be all about the professional impression you want to make on your current or future employer, and more importantly, on your professional network.

The No-Show

At least on Twitter you’re an egg. On LinkedIn you’re Jane or John Doe – ambiguous outline human figure afraid to show your face. I’m not sure which is more of a turn-off to me: someone with no photo, or someone with under 50 connections. It’s definitely a close call.

Well, folks – thanks for joining me on this ever-opinionated version of View From My Shoes. Now, excuse me – I’ve got to get back to my amazing photographer, Tina Anjozian regarding some additional touch-ups to my head shot.

The Face of Change

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This past Labor Day I was one of those people who got swept up in the excitement of watching a woman accomplish a 35-year dream in the making by completing a 110-mile swim across the Atlantic Ocean. As if I wasn’t already inspired enough (the athlete in me is always a sucker for a great beating the odds story), as the exhausted 64-year-old stood on the beach in Key West and declared “This may look like a solitary sport, but it’s a team”, I instantly grew an amazing amount of respect for Diana Nyad.

While it pales in comparison to swimming from Cuba to Florida, I am nonetheless honored and humbled to have had the privilege of joining two amazing women, Shayna Chapman and Michelle Golden, for the September CPA Practice Advisor magazine cover story: The Changing Face of Accounting & Technology. As the story (originally designed to look at the sole idea of three prominent female industry professionals – a CPA, a Consultant, and a Technology vendor – all striving to better the profession – which is something that 10 or 15 years ago would have been hard to find) began taking shape, it was amazing to see what we learned about each other, and about the evolution of dynamics between practitioners, consultants, and software companies. In the end, it was the theme of collaboration among CPAs, consultants and technology players that was highlighted as we see the rapid change in the interactions between these three distinct types of players. By working together for the greater good (serving small, mid-sized, and large businesses), we’re better able to grow as an industry and move the notorious slow-to-change accounting world forward.

Since the issue launched I’ve been approached by some of the most respected individuals in our industry, and while I’m completely flattered, It’s only right to point out that this story, and this cover would never have happened if it weren’t for the change makers who have lead the way for the past 10, 15, even 20 years. Rick Richardson has been preaching change and embracing technology since I was in Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. Mark Koziel has been pushing the profession forward from within the AICPA in ways that very few of us will ever see. Doug Sleeter has devoted his career to serving the QuickBooks ProAdvisor community – and has recognized the need to embrace change within his own network too. And nobody more than Randy Johnston can be credited for leading accounting practitioners, consultants, and vendors forward and creating the driving force by which technology companies work for accountants instead of against them. So while we may be faces of change – we represent an entire team.

So while Shayna, Michelle and I soak up our 15 of minutes of fame, here’s to those who have been the face of change in our world for the past decade. Thanks for going before us and creating the path.  Thanks for giving us hope that a future generation will be blogging about the difference we made as the next generation of game changers grace the CPAPA cover 10 years from now. I wonder what shoes they’ll wear at their cover shoot?

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Reality Check

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Lukey

Today’s blog post has nothing to do with shoes, or workflow, or accounting software. But any mother, aunt, or anyone who has been touched in some way by cancer or Leukemia will know exactly why today’s View From My Shoes is dedicated to this adorable little fireball, Luke.

When I woke up yesterday morning, I could have listed a dozen things I was frustrated, stressed, anxious, worried, or even angry about – then I logged into Facebook. What’s the old saying? “Perspective is a wonderful thing”…

A few days ago, my high school friend, Michelle’s biggest stress was juggling her little sister’s upcoming wedding this weekend with the duties of wife & mommy to her husband & two little guys, Jeremiah and Little Lukey. Last Sunday night, when 2 ½ -year-old Luke’s fever just wouldn’t break after several days, she rushed him to urgent care in hopes of getting her family back to A+ shape by this weekend’s wedding day. The heartbreaking news that this family received less than 24 hours later: little Luke was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) yesterday afternoon, and begins 6-months of intensive Chemo treatment tomorrow.

I haven’t seen my friend since before she was married and had two beautiful boys, but thanks to Facebook, we’ve stayed in touch as our lives carried us in different directions over the years. I’ve watched both of her boys grow up through Facebook photos & videos, and I’ve said from the start that there’s just something special about this little guy. His sparkle is infectious & you can’t look at his smile and not instantly be in a good mood. My heart is just aching for this family, and especially for my friend, who I know would trade places with her little boy in a heartbeat if she could.

Thankfully, the Crecelius family is surrounded with an amazing support system of family and friends – within 12 hours of setting up the page dedicated to Luke’s Journey Though Leukemia, more than 1,000 people were already following his story. As we all go about life busy as ever, I hope that we can take a moment to remember little Luke and all the other kiddos out there fighting battles like this. I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of Luke showing all of us exactly what he’s made of – and that AML decided to mess with the wrong kid.

Luke

Unplugged on Oahu

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Sounds like a dream come true? Think again! Anyone who longs for a business trip to Hawaii (or any exotic destination for that matter) obviously hasn’t ever been on one of my island work adventures. Colleagues, family, and friends often tell me they’re envious of my travels. Unfortunately, at least in my experience, traveling off the mainland for work is no more enjoyable – but often a lot more frustrating – than any other business trip. Now before you call BS on me, let me just give you a glimpse into my little world a few weeks back as I traded in my stilettos for flip flops on my desperate search for power.

After a great-but-exhausting 5-days in Las Vegas for the first part of the week (if you missed my recap, see Hey, Baby – Let’s Go to Vegas!), my commute to Waikiki was extraordinarily crazy. Between the 4 ½-hour drive from Vegas, the 15-minute “layover” at home in OC, and my 1 ½-hour rush-hour drive to LAX, I arrived at the airport a cozy 30 minutes before my 6-hour flight to the beautiful island of Oahu. So, when I finally arrived at my hotel around 11pm local time (3 hours behind PDT), I was beyond wiped.

I managed to be pretty productive on the flight and cranked out proposals, contracts, and even a blog post. But as we approached the island, my battery read my mind and decided it was bedtime. When I got to my room, I quickly plugged in to release the emails I had drafted, but after the day I had just been through, I threw in the towel and decided to tackle the rest in the morning.

To my horror, I awoke not to the sound of waves outside my window, but to the sight of a low battery warning on my iPhone (which was charging from my laptop). I immediately realized that something was wrong, and my laptop wasn’t on. With my poor Ultra Book clocking as many frequent flyer miles as me, I’d been dealing with a temperamental power cord for weeks. Up until that point I had just managed to use the old “wiggle & twist” & “stick a wad of paper in there” tricks to keep things functioning. Not that day though. I was officially dead in the water.

I got creative, managing to use my iPad & iPhone for my morning calls & web meetings…of course, not thinking through the drain on their batteries while doing so. When I finally got a free window, I decided to trek out to the mall to see if I could hunt down a replacement charger. Several hours later, with a dead iPhone, dead iPad, and visit to three different stores, I returned to my hotel room victorious (Mahalo to Jared at Best Buy in Honolulu, my geek in a faded blue shirt, who saved my day & helped me ensure that the cord was the problem).

As I told this story to various people the past few weeks, the common reaction was an overly-sarcastic toned “Oh you poor thing, stuck in Hawaii with no laptop”. To which I can only reply that until you’ve been in my shoes, you’ll never know how bad it feels to be powerless trying to work on an Island.