Pull Quote: Everybody you encounter is an opportunity to learn and grow, and when we commit to growing together, we create ecosystems of mutual joy.

Everybody is a Node: Connecting and Growing

Starting with a Definition

Google defines the term node as “a point at which lines or pathways intersect.”It’s a connecting point. For the use of node in botany, Google offers a second definition: “the part of a plant stem from which one or more leaves emerge.” It’s a point for growth. Today, I’ll provide a third definition that combines the first two. A node is you, me, and everybody, all on our professional and personal journeys through life.

I currently work as an independent product designer, which perfectly combines my interests in culture, business, and the internet. One day, I hope to evolve my practice into a consulting business for Black-owned internet companies.

My path to my current position and future goal has been shaped by points of intersection with everyone I’ve encountered along the way.

These experiences helped me grow, helped my leaves flourish and my branches stretch further. My pathway collided with others in my field and adjacent areas, and from these interactions, I made connections with mentors, colleagues, and friends. 

The business term for this is networking. Something we’re all told to do to move forward in our careers. But making connections is more than just a box to tick on the to-do list of life — it’s the fundamental act that makes our lives worth living. 

For me, the journey to a fulfilling life began in an art museum. 

Finding New Direction

In college, I pursued a degree in Art History. I interned at, and was later employed by, the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I practically lived in that building during my employment, and I loved it. Art is a way to connect with people: when we interpret creative works, we interpret the human experience. Art helps us understand one another and understand ourselves. I thoroughly enjoy immersing myself in the art world consisting of brick-and-mortar museums and galleries. But as it turned out, art became a stepping stone towards my next passion – the internet.

My brain thrives on projects. I love to create and collaborate, and I’m an idea-engine, always itching to bring my concepts to life. Throughout college, I had aspirations to start a website about art, but struggled to find the best avenue to start.

After graduation when my schedule cleared up, a friend working in software engineering turned me toward WordPress.

It was for non-developers like me and provided the digital access I craved for my latest project. His advice permanently shifted my trajectory. Without this interaction, I never would’ve found the pathway to realizing my passions with WordPress. 

Using WordPress, I developed the arts website I had dreamt of. That site, In-Art was a place to talk about art online – include, interpret, interact. At that point, WordPress still felt like a hobby — albeit, the hobby that made me feel the most human. I devoted as much time to it as I could, and began seeking out WordPress meetups.

Little did I know at that very first WordPress Meetup, I’d meet the man who would later become my boss. Dan Olson gave a talk on “The Future of WordPress” at my first Philly WordPress meetup. In hindsight, the title feels like a pun from the universe since WordPress became my future. At this event, I also met Jason McClintock, my mentor and the lead designer at DigitalCube. In fact, he’s the one who suggested Dan hire me! 

Verticals

The beauty of networking is two-fold: verticals and horizontals. In the case of Dan and Jason, Jason serves as my vertical. Verticals have the same specialty, like product design, but are at different stages in their journeys, from interns to experts.  Your verticals serve as inspirations and guides when you break into the field, since they’ve been there, done that, and lived to tell you how you can do it too. 

Once you’re further along in your professional journey, you take over and become the mentor for other newbies. You bestow upon them all your wisdom, like, “This is the best platform to simplify your process” and “splurge for the large coffee on big project days, your sleepy brain will thank you.”

But your verticals are also your competition. Competition doesn’t have to be cutthroat, and should never sway you from interacting with them.

The lessons your verticals will teach you are invaluable, and the act of teaching mentees is fulfilling and enlightening.

However, logically, if you only interact with people who do what you do, you won’t be meeting the people who need what you do. Fellow UX designers don’t have a need for UX design, they have a need for UX design jobs. Who offers jobs like that? That’s where Horizontals come into play. 

Horizontals 

Horizontals are the people working side by side in the supply chain of a service. Take a website for example — designers collaborate with developers, marketing specialists, content creators, and business owners to create the strongest final product for their future customers.

Unless you’re a multi-talented wizard with no need for sleep and no limit for creativity, it takes every single team member working together to bring excellent large-scale projects into fruition.

For DigitalCube, Dan was one of my horizontals. Dan’s technical expertise combined well with my passion for networking and public speaking. Together, we created a discovery process for new clients, reworked our events marketing strategy, and improved technical support service. 

I’m a people person, and part of what I admire so much about people is how uniquely skilled we are in different ways. Life would be incredibly dull if we all had the same goals, same passions, same drives that make life worth living. Everybody you encounter is an opportunity to learn and grow, and when we commit to growing together, we create ecosystems of mutual joy. There’s an antiquated idea that to be successful, you must work solo. You should be a lone wolf, step on whatever toes necessary to get your foot through the best doors. I wholeheartedly reject that. 

Everyone deserves a piece of the pie, and everyone deserves a spot at the table. The horizontals I surround myself with are believers in the power of side-by-side success, in working together to achieve excellence together. This commitment to communal efforts helped me take the leap to finding success and happiness. 

How I Leaped & Where I Landed 

I dabbled as a digital marking assistant for a few months, but it was a UX bootcamp that really ignited my professional passions. The bootcamp built upon my foundation of WordPress. Before it was even over, I began freelancing by creating elementor websites for others. I started helping entrepreneurs put forth websites that launched their projects and captured their essences through effective, engaging design. 

I spend each day actively seeking new clients, growing my portfolio and my abilities with each new project. The clients I work with inspire me and align with my values, an added freedom that comes with entrepreneurship. I’m also preparing business school applications for some point in the future to learn more about finance and management, with the goals of growing a consulting service that will support Black-owned businesses on the web. 

Contracting is very fulfilling, and it keeps me connected to the spaces that sparked my passion in the first place.

I continue to attend WordPress meetups and WordCamps, volunteering in any way I can, eager to support the community that motivates me.

I relish these meetups: sources of learning and growing where I could nerd out about all the WordPress topics I love with a bunch of fellow nerds. Plus, the free swag at WordCamps never hurts. In 2020, I crafted my first WordPress talk, leaning on my love of public speaking. These efforts forged even more connections between myself and the WordPress community. Now, I’m happy to lead the Philly WordPress Meetup Group, recruiting interesting speakers for our events to help forge more connections for our members. 

Shoutouts to some WordPress SUPER-nodes who changed the trajectory of my journey:

Moral of My Story

Life is a string of transitions, a catapult of change. Whether you’re a recent graduate with no clear path to finding your peace and realizing your passions, or you’re settled into your career with no clear signs of stalling, life will keep throwing new obstacles and opportunities at you. If you tackle them alone, you’ll enjoy the highs alone, with no one to celebrate your successes. You’ll endure the lows alone too, with no one to offer a helping hand and pull you from your pit of self doubt. You will miss out on critical lessons that set you back in both your professional and personal journeys.

Each day, I immerse myself in growth-centered communities so we can learn and succeed together. I am who I am because of who I’ve met, from college friends, to coworkers, to clients. Here’s the story so far: I’ve found my place, my peace, and my passions. This is a tale I couldn’t tell without the communities, mentors, and friends I’ve encountered along the way.

Rachel’s Work Environment

We asked Rachel for a view into her development life and this is what she sent!

Rachel Winchester
HP W2082a 20-inch LED Backlit Monitor Lenovo Yoga Guitars! Philadelphia! AboveTEK Phone Stand

HP W2082a 20-inch LED Backlit Monitor

My monitor used as a second, rather than a mirror.  I only wish it were touchscreen also.

Link

Lenovo Yoga

I love my laptop because it's touch screen, and it can convert into a tablet. To me, Touch screen navigation is a better experience than using a mouse. But my monitor isn't touch screen lol.

Link

Guitars!

Philadelphia!

AboveTEK Phone Stand

HeroPress would like to thank Draw Attention for their donation of the plugin to make this interactive image!

Header image CCO licensed photo by Laura Byrne from the WordPress Photo Directory.

4 Comments

  1. I love the concept of vertical and horizontal nodes in networking. Now I’m thinking of making lists of those people who I’d consider to be primary nodes in my own trajectory and determining who are vertical and who are horizontal. Anyway, thanks for an insightful essay. Much to think about here.

  2. Thank you for sharing your story and perspective, Rachel! I really enjoyed your analogy with the nodes, as well your love of community. 🙂

    As an aside, Philly Museum is absolutely amazing! A good friend of mine worked there for many years, and about 4 years ago I would be there almost every day, especially wandering the rebuilt halls and temples. I’m almost positive we met via that friend once on your break (they no longer worked there). Nodes!! 😀

  3. Wow, what an intriguing post! The concept that “Everybody is a Node” is such a refreshing and thought-provoking perspective. Starting with a clear definition sets the stage for a deeper exploration of this idea.

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