Here are three simple tips to understand why your name on your resume can send such a powerful message on it's own.

1. Your Name
• It may seem silly, but your name should be the largest thing on your resume. Truly it is the most important because they can forget everything else about you but if they forget your name, then you will never win. And you never want the recruiter to have to look for your phone number or email address. If you want the job, they have to contact you and use your name so make it as easy for them to find as possible.
2. Middle Name
• Should you put your full name on your resume? A good test for this is to do a Google search or a Facebook search. How many other people share your name? If it is a common name, or a name that returns negative connotation results, make yourself unique by including your full given name. You know that recruiters will search you on social media so know what is out there about you, whether you are the one that put it out there or not.
3. Called by Name
• A pro tip is to use your nickname on your resume. Still use something professional, but if you prefer a shortened version like John or Rich to Jonathan or Richard, then share that in your profiled resume. You can include both your full and shortened name if you want with parenthesis. For example: James (Jack) Frost. Write down what you want your desk name tag to say on your first day when you get hired!

It's summer! And that means mowing the lawn in a routine weekend activity. I actually enjoy spending the time outside making my backyard pretty, but like any homeowner, there is a constant struggle against....
Oh, the dreaded dandelion. It holds such fond memories as a child of blowing wishes with friends but now to the one striving for a well manicured lawn, it is just a weed. What can we learn from the dandelion?

1. Appeal to the kid in you
• Everyone likes to have a good time whether it's playing Frisbee, laughing at a joke, or solving a problem together. So if your silly behavior is detrimental to your surroundings (i.e. not helping the work get done) then make sure you're making those that are working hard enjoy their work that much more.
2. Move fast
• Dandelions grow fast. One day they're green buds, quickly opening to yellow flowers, and the next day they're seeds blowing in the wind all over your lawn. If you screw up in the work environment, don't dawdle; move quickly onto the next lawn and the next project. Beat the gardener (or manager)!
3. Find opportunity in everything
• Dandelions aren't poisonous. Actually, dandelions leaves can be eaten and there are recipes to brew dandelion tea or dandelion wine. So a flower becomes a weed can become a vegetable! Be optomistic and turn challenges into opportunities. :-)

Documentation is one of the most essential parts of a good team and yet can also be the most time consuming. You have many opinions, tons of formatting issues, and the endless editing and upkeep of the document. It is a pain when you have better things you could be working on. I am a decent writer, but I do consider myself one of the fastest editors. Why? Because I some tricks up my sleeve. And I'm willing to share them with you!

Intermediate User:

1. Copy, Past, Undo, Redo
• We'll start with the classics. Almost all users are familiar with Ctrl+Z for undo, Ctrl+C for copy selected text/area, and Ctrl+V for paste. The ones you may not be as familiar with are Ctrl+X which is cut (so copies and removes), and Ctrl+Y for redo.
2. Ctrl + Tab and Windows key + tab
• Switching between PowerPoint, Excel, and Word a lot? These two are key for jumping between windows. Ctrl + Tab is a simple way that displays the program icon. Widows key + tab does the same thing but in a 3-D way showing a preview of each window. Both effective, one is just a bit fancier and the keys are right next to each other.
3. Windows key + L
• This is the shortcut to lock your computer. I don't know about your office, but if you walk away and leave your computer unattended, it may get hacked. And by hacked I mean playful IM messages or emails sent by "you" by a inconspicuous user. Always safe than sorry unless you like to be the butt of a joke... or worse.

Advanced User:

1. Ctrl + arrow
• While in a word document, don't you reread and find spelling errors, grammar fixes, and other changes that are in the middle of a paragraph? This one lets you jump around the document without using the mouse. Ctrl + arrow left or right jumps to the next word. I love this keyboard shortcut. It allows you to insert a word into a sentence quickly!
2. Ctrl + Shift + arrow
• My personal favorite, this extension to the above has completely changed the way I type. I hardly ever use the mouse with these shortcuts - so much so that even with my touch screen it's less efficient. It allows you to jump between words while selecting the words. Fantastic for replacing a word or phrase, cut and pasting a section to another location, and 
3. Windows key + arrow
• This one is the keyboard equivalent of the Windows 7 drag to an edge and and snap to size feature. It is great for viewing two windows side by side for multitasking or rekeying. What takes this shortcut to the next level though is that it works when windows are off your screen. So if that top bar is in a place you can't grab with your mouse, you can rescue it to your main screen.
4. Ctrl + ;
• This one is a winner for those PMs that struggle in Excel (or Google Sheets), this one will enter in today's date. Want to quickly denote a task as completed today? Ctrl + ; will quickly enter 05/31/2016.

I feel so inspired by this picture! It reminds me of this lavender mini donut from a food truck I bumped into in Belmar, Denver, CO. It was delicious and fluffy!! I explore a lot of different foods when I travel, and so why not explore at home too!

I hate to visit chain restaurants (i.e. Chili's or Panera Bread); not because they aren't good food and great service but I can get it anywhere. And if I'm someplace for a limited time, yoIu've got to learn more about the local flavors. You've got to see what "spicy" means to the town. Here are a few things I always try that are my favorite.

1. Pizza
• Duh. I mean, are they a city with pride in Chicago deep dish or New York thin crust type? Personally I like the thin crust fresh balled mozzarella ones, but you can never turn down pizza. Even when traveling with my gluten-free colleagues there are great options out there. Yum!
2. Wine
• I've traveled to some designated wine country spots (a favorite being Dry Creek in Sonoma, CA) but wine vines grow almost anywhere. I found dessert wines prevalent in a mid-west town. You can learn a lot just by walking the aisle and seeing what is available from local growers as to whether the climate is better for white or red. Interesting!
3. Sushi
• You can tell a difference if you are in an ocean bordered state, haha. This is more about supply chain than anything else. It also shows the diversity of the town whether Indian, Malaysian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and more lumped together as a generic Asian Fusion cuisine restaurant or not. Or it could be a "foodie" town with noticeable regional categories when you search on Yelp. Fun!

The Richest Man in Babylon
George S. Clason

This was a super fast read and in my opinion, is pretty much a masked list of financial saving rules to live by. It wasn't much of a story and not my favorite book. Maybe because I'd consider myself fairly conservative as a spender before this book, but if you're new to being on your own and aren't sure about what retirement planning means at age 22, then maybe you'll enjoy this.

1. Pay yourself
• The book's main message is that you can't get rich if you never pay yourself. Too many people go on a spending spree when they have a surplus. What that means is it's gone when it's gone. Instead, you need to pay your future self. You do that by contributing to an IRA, 401k, or other long term goal. Only then, after you've set some aside, should you splurge on that new TV.
2. Don't overspend
• It is so easy to spend without looking at the remaining balance these days. Without writing checks or counting cash, the electronic payment world of credit cards, PayPal, and bitcoin is actually quite scary. Layaway is the worst idea ever (IMHO) as you shouldn't take out a loan in any size ($1 or $100,000) that you don't know when you will pay it back. You have to know when you will be back at zero instead of negative! You can't go positive without first passing zero.
3. Use compound interest
• Whether it's the risky stock market, points on credit cards, or interest at the bank, you shouldn't be afraid to move around to get the best 0.01% bump. It all adds up! As the book says, "make your money work for you" and have it make money too.