1 00:00:18,694 --> 00:00:22,684 Eddie: Welcome to day three of season one finale week. 2 00:00:23,344 --> 00:00:26,584 It's episode 42 of the web joy podcast. 3 00:00:26,884 --> 00:00:28,084 I'm your host Eddie. 4 00:00:28,474 --> 00:00:32,404 And in this podcast, we interview guests about their origin story. 5 00:00:32,794 --> 00:00:37,354 And what makes them excited and joyful to be part of the tech community. 6 00:00:37,684 --> 00:00:39,424 I hope you enjoy today's episode. 7 00:00:39,844 --> 00:00:44,164 I didn't know what I was outside of my job with ally Thomas. 8 00:00:46,725 --> 00:00:50,055 Welcome to another episode of Web Joy. 9 00:00:50,055 --> 00:00:52,755 I'm excited to have Ale with us today. 10 00:00:53,165 --> 00:00:53,425 Ale 11 00:00:53,445 --> 00:00:56,925 Ale: say hi to the listeners and everything. 12 00:00:57,165 --> 00:00:58,275 Hi everyone. 13 00:00:58,305 --> 00:00:59,805 My name is Ale Thomas. 14 00:01:00,015 --> 00:01:02,385 I am originally from Mexico. 15 00:01:02,685 --> 00:01:08,115 I am now based in New York, and I am a software engineer and. 16 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,900 I do a lot of other things, but we'll get to that later. 17 00:01:12,630 --> 00:01:13,950 Thanks for having me, Eddie. 18 00:01:14,130 --> 00:01:14,610 Yes, 19 00:01:14,610 --> 00:01:15,270 Eddie: it's my pleasure. 20 00:01:15,270 --> 00:01:16,500 Thanks for coming on. 21 00:01:17,070 --> 00:01:17,910 Well, that's great. 22 00:01:17,970 --> 00:01:21,000 So yeah, kind of what's a short version of your story? 23 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:26,310 What was it that initially kind of got you inspired to start looking into tech? 24 00:01:26,955 --> 00:01:28,945 And what has that journey looked like 25 00:01:28,945 --> 00:01:29,455 Ale: so far? 26 00:01:29,605 --> 00:01:34,345 Well, like I said, I'm originally from Mexico where I went to school, and 27 00:01:34,615 --> 00:01:37,555 I've always been a very curious person. 28 00:01:37,675 --> 00:01:39,895 I've always considered myself good with tech. 29 00:01:40,075 --> 00:01:44,275 You know how when you're a kid and you have access to a computer or like video 30 00:01:44,275 --> 00:01:48,290 games, In my case, I had, I had access to computers and I just went crazy 31 00:01:48,290 --> 00:01:53,960 when I had my first encounter with a computer and it just went from there. 32 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:55,490 I knew that I really liked them. 33 00:01:55,490 --> 00:01:57,020 I really liked to tinker with them. 34 00:01:57,020 --> 00:01:59,210 I really liked to play and create things. 35 00:01:59,210 --> 00:02:02,690 Even when I had no internet, like when I had no access to the internet, 36 00:02:02,695 --> 00:02:07,400 I would make animations on pain and you know, make like frames to 37 00:02:07,430 --> 00:02:09,260 then animate them, A movie maker. 38 00:02:09,290 --> 00:02:10,550 So my main hobby. 39 00:02:10,895 --> 00:02:14,845 Staying on the computer all day, even when I had no internet. 40 00:02:14,885 --> 00:02:17,405 And that was the same when I started school. 41 00:02:17,525 --> 00:02:20,495 Uh, when I wa when I went to middle school and then high school and in 42 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:25,565 Mexico, I was very lucky that in high school we had courses, computer courses, 43 00:02:25,955 --> 00:02:31,565 and they weren't the, the usual word and Excel and, and things like that. 44 00:02:31,565 --> 00:02:33,005 We actually saw flash. 45 00:02:33,005 --> 00:02:34,745 We actually learned how to use flash. 46 00:02:35,075 --> 00:02:37,055 We had a course on Java. 47 00:02:37,275 --> 00:02:42,045 Which is when I officially had my first, you know, dig at at 48 00:02:42,325 --> 00:02:44,295 computers and programming on its own. 49 00:02:44,325 --> 00:02:47,775 But back then I didn't really think that it was a career that I could pursue. 50 00:02:48,045 --> 00:02:49,305 It was more like a hobby. 51 00:02:49,305 --> 00:02:53,055 It was more something that I thought was really fun and like challenging 52 00:02:53,060 --> 00:02:55,875 and that I thought it was just like something to do on the side. 53 00:02:55,875 --> 00:02:57,225 I didn't even know that you could. 54 00:02:57,500 --> 00:02:58,940 Pursue a career in tech. 55 00:02:58,940 --> 00:03:01,910 You know, I didn't even know softer development existed. 56 00:03:02,330 --> 00:03:06,980 And so when I went to college, it's funny because when I was in 57 00:03:06,980 --> 00:03:09,950 high school, I'm telling you, I've always been a very curious person. 58 00:03:09,980 --> 00:03:13,490 So I started learning English since I was a little kid. 59 00:03:13,830 --> 00:03:16,440 And by the time I was in middle school, I was ready to take 60 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:17,520 on a new language, right? 61 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:18,900 And I wanted to learn new languages. 62 00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:22,500 So I started learning French and then Portuguese and, and when I was in high 63 00:03:22,500 --> 00:03:26,610 school I was like, wow, this is my calling, you know, languages and I wanna 64 00:03:26,610 --> 00:03:32,970 study international business . And so I went to school for international business 65 00:03:32,975 --> 00:03:37,620 because I thought that knowing languages is going to be a huge advantage, right? 66 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,900 The first semester I'm in college, I noticed that I really don't like 67 00:03:41,900 --> 00:03:45,380 it, and it's all theory and it's all reading a lot and writing essays. 68 00:03:45,380 --> 00:03:48,500 And I'm like, where's the math and , where's the math 69 00:03:48,500 --> 00:03:49,880 and where's the computers? 70 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:50,510 And we had. 71 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,360 We had a class on Excel for business, so they taught you 72 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:55,680 macros and stuff like that. 73 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,410 A little bit more advanced for like a business major. 74 00:03:58,890 --> 00:04:04,440 And even then I took it upon me, you know, to go further and I would, 75 00:04:04,470 --> 00:04:08,250 you know, investigate how to, how to actually program using Excel. 76 00:04:08,580 --> 00:04:11,430 That's when I realized that, hey, maybe I want something 77 00:04:11,430 --> 00:04:12,540 that's more practical, right? 78 00:04:12,540 --> 00:04:16,800 I want, I want to actually do something and. 79 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:21,770 I decided to switch my majors, but in my small city, they only 80 00:04:21,770 --> 00:04:24,170 offered like two engineering majors. 81 00:04:24,170 --> 00:04:29,540 My school, for me, it meant investing more money into changing schools or 82 00:04:29,540 --> 00:04:31,370 like traveling to a different state. 83 00:04:31,370 --> 00:04:33,200 So I stayed in my original city and I. 84 00:04:33,745 --> 00:04:38,185 Chose one of those two engineering majors that we had, which was 85 00:04:38,275 --> 00:04:44,035 industrial A systems engineering, and we had a couple programming courses. 86 00:04:44,095 --> 00:04:45,205 So that was enough for me. 87 00:04:45,205 --> 00:04:49,375 I set like, okay, that's enough and I can probably learn more of it on my own. 88 00:04:49,735 --> 00:04:51,415 And I went to school for that. 89 00:04:51,415 --> 00:04:54,445 I finished and I graduated as an industrial and systems. 90 00:04:55,905 --> 00:05:00,960 and definitely my favorite classes were my programming classes and my 91 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:06,090 teachers were always very enthusiastic about my, my interests in it. 92 00:05:06,090 --> 00:05:10,020 You know, we still, we actually still talk and that's very nice. 93 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,320 But yeah, putting that aside, and I graduated at school and everything I 94 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:17,250 already knew, and with my research and my building on the side, I knew that 95 00:05:17,250 --> 00:05:18,660 I wanted to be a software engineer. 96 00:05:18,750 --> 00:05:20,020 You know, as soon as I came. 97 00:05:20,195 --> 00:05:20,645 School. 98 00:05:21,155 --> 00:05:22,415 And that's what happened. 99 00:05:22,415 --> 00:05:26,165 Um, a few months before I started graduated, I started looking for jobs 100 00:05:26,165 --> 00:05:28,565 that were only software engineering jobs. 101 00:05:28,565 --> 00:05:34,115 And that was very, you know, looking back it's like that was very confident of me. 102 00:05:34,115 --> 00:05:37,235 I was very confident like, oh yeah, I'm gonna get that job. 103 00:05:37,235 --> 00:05:40,985 And we, I got my first I software engineering. 104 00:05:41,835 --> 00:05:45,225 Programming with Java, and that's pretty much how I did it. 105 00:05:45,225 --> 00:05:49,455 It's not, I would just been always interested in it, and I think 106 00:05:49,455 --> 00:05:52,605 that if I had known that I could have pursued that career, that 107 00:05:52,605 --> 00:05:54,285 I definitely would've done it. 108 00:05:54,465 --> 00:05:58,815 But Saline High school, I didn't have much access to that, to that 109 00:05:58,820 --> 00:06:02,235 idea that I could be a software engineer or that that was a job. 110 00:06:02,385 --> 00:06:06,705 You know, I thought that it was just like something cool to do on the computer. 111 00:06:07,020 --> 00:06:07,710 Eddie: Yeah. 112 00:06:07,770 --> 00:06:08,910 No, that makes sense. 113 00:06:08,910 --> 00:06:14,850 I think it's funny, that's a recurring sentiment from a lot of people that, 114 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:18,690 or a number of people that I've talked to on the podcast where they had an 115 00:06:18,690 --> 00:06:22,290 interesting computers when they were younger, but they just didn't know if 116 00:06:22,295 --> 00:06:26,340 it was really a pathway that they could go, so they kind of assumed it wasn't, 117 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:28,110 and they started down a different path. 118 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:28,650 Mm-hmm. 119 00:06:28,950 --> 00:06:29,910 and eventually, yeah. 120 00:06:29,910 --> 00:06:33,810 Their interest and passion at some point along the journey is like, oh no, this is. 121 00:06:34,590 --> 00:06:34,980 Cool. 122 00:06:34,980 --> 00:06:35,580 I can do it. 123 00:06:35,580 --> 00:06:36,330 I'm gonna do it 124 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:38,850 . Ale: Yeah, that's exactly what happened with 125 00:06:39,090 --> 00:06:40,650 Eddie: me, . Well, that's exciting. 126 00:06:40,650 --> 00:06:44,280 I was wondering, as you were mentioning that you ended up getting 127 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:45,690 a degree in industrial engineering. 128 00:06:45,690 --> 00:06:49,200 I was in my mind wondering like, oh, I wonder like how long it took you 129 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,020 to get into programing, but that's awesome that you actually just, mm-hmm. 130 00:06:52,260 --> 00:06:54,270 looked straight for those programming jobs. 131 00:06:54,570 --> 00:06:57,420 Do you feel like it took you a little while to find that 132 00:06:57,420 --> 00:06:58,920 first programming job or. 133 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:01,250 Was it kind of just standard? 134 00:07:01,430 --> 00:07:03,650 You kind of found it as you were graduating slash a 135 00:07:03,650 --> 00:07:05,810 little bit after it happened 136 00:07:05,810 --> 00:07:06,830 Ale: super fast. 137 00:07:06,830 --> 00:07:11,690 I think I got very lucky and I wish it were like that , like now that I'm lucky 138 00:07:11,690 --> 00:07:16,400 again, why isn't it like that ? But because I, I graduated December of 139 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,690 2020, but I did, the thing is that I did have professional experience, right? 140 00:07:20,690 --> 00:07:26,910 I had worked full-time jobs since I was out of high school, so, 17, 18 years 141 00:07:26,910 --> 00:07:32,880 old and I was already having full-time jobs and that definitely helped a lot. 142 00:07:33,570 --> 00:07:38,010 Before I graduated, I had an internship that was completely 143 00:07:38,015 --> 00:07:39,150 industrial engineer, right? 144 00:07:39,150 --> 00:07:40,170 It was manufacturing. 145 00:07:40,170 --> 00:07:44,850 I was at a, at a factory and everything and, and it was very heavily industrial 146 00:07:44,850 --> 00:07:49,680 engineering, but I was actually with a team of o it was four people 147 00:07:50,100 --> 00:07:51,831 and my three other teammates and. 148 00:07:52,710 --> 00:07:56,730 We, we designed this project to help the project that we were doing 149 00:07:56,730 --> 00:08:02,580 in for a school, but we decided to put some programming in and they 150 00:08:02,580 --> 00:08:06,630 really liked that project and then extended our contract for like a year. 151 00:08:06,660 --> 00:08:07,950 So that was official, like I. 152 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:10,590 . I used that as like, that's my first job. 153 00:08:10,650 --> 00:08:11,360 So . Yeah. 154 00:08:11,365 --> 00:08:14,430 So already in my resume I had a little bit experience, like professional 155 00:08:14,430 --> 00:08:19,470 experience doing software engineering and when I, when I was about to graduate, 156 00:08:19,475 --> 00:08:23,340 so I graduated December, 2020 and I started looking for jobs, LinkedIn, 157 00:08:23,550 --> 00:08:25,770 I only le used LinkedIn by the way. 158 00:08:26,190 --> 00:08:31,350 I just applied to a lot of positions and in January, , a company called 159 00:08:31,350 --> 00:08:35,160 me back and it was actually the first company that called me back. 160 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:37,020 None of them even like rejected me. 161 00:08:37,020 --> 00:08:40,470 You know, the, unfortunately, you know, the automatic reply, I didn't 162 00:08:40,470 --> 00:08:44,490 even get those from other companies, but this company did get back to me. 163 00:08:44,850 --> 00:08:48,840 They, um, we had the interviews and it was a done deal, like 164 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:52,890 February, I was already starting, so it happened very, very quickly. 165 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:54,395 . Eddie: That's awesome. 166 00:08:54,455 --> 00:08:56,105 Well congratulations on that. 167 00:08:56,465 --> 00:09:01,475 Thank you, . So, you know, you kind of have been in the tech industry 168 00:09:01,535 --> 00:09:03,305 since you started programming. 169 00:09:03,545 --> 00:09:03,935 Yeah. 170 00:09:04,085 --> 00:09:09,155 And this year there was kind of an unexpected transition for you, and that 171 00:09:09,155 --> 00:09:11,495 can be challenging for a lot of people. 172 00:09:11,825 --> 00:09:15,755 But it really seems like you kind of leaned into it, right? 173 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:17,345 You moved on from your last company. 174 00:09:17,345 --> 00:09:17,435 Mm-hmm. 175 00:09:17,835 --> 00:09:21,455 , and you're currently taking a break while you kind of figure out what your next. 176 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:26,460 Is I think a lot of people run into these seasons of life, and when they 177 00:09:26,460 --> 00:09:30,840 do, they kind of feel like they're alone and they're not always sure what to do. 178 00:09:31,260 --> 00:09:36,300 So I guess, what have you found particularly challenging and what have 179 00:09:36,300 --> 00:09:40,680 you found surprisingly beneficial during this time as you're kind of transitioning 180 00:09:40,710 --> 00:09:42,900 and figuring out where your next role? 181 00:09:43,710 --> 00:09:48,540 Ale: It's funny because like I told you, everything happened really fast for me. 182 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:54,510 I've always had that going, like, I don't know why , or, you know, 183 00:09:54,510 --> 00:09:58,020 I, I've always been very sure of what's coming next for me. 184 00:09:58,530 --> 00:09:59,700 Ever since I started. 185 00:09:59,765 --> 00:10:04,715 Working when I was, I'm telling you, 17, 18 years old, I went job to job. 186 00:10:04,775 --> 00:10:05,165 Okay. 187 00:10:05,165 --> 00:10:08,135 And I liked playing around with things and, and finding out what 188 00:10:08,140 --> 00:10:09,455 I liked, what I didn't like. 189 00:10:09,875 --> 00:10:14,075 And even as soon as I graduated, you know, a lot of people go through those stages 190 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:18,035 or like crisis where you're graduated and you're, and you say, what now? 191 00:10:18,035 --> 00:10:20,225 Or like, what am I gonna do now? 192 00:10:20,225 --> 00:10:21,425 Or, you know, what's my. 193 00:10:22,175 --> 00:10:27,095 and as soon as I graduated, I had a job, so I didn't go through that stage in which 194 00:10:27,215 --> 00:10:31,295 I don't know who I am or like what I like, or I was certain that I wanted to be a 195 00:10:31,675 --> 00:10:35,525 software engineer, and I was certain that that was a path that I wanted to take. 196 00:10:35,585 --> 00:10:39,005 And as soon as I started my job, I, I just had objectives like. 197 00:10:39,435 --> 00:10:40,035 Around it. 198 00:10:40,035 --> 00:10:45,855 You know, I, I never, I never found myself lost, and then that suddenly 199 00:10:45,855 --> 00:10:48,255 happened with the last job that I had. 200 00:10:48,585 --> 00:10:52,215 I had this job that didn't turn out to be what I wanted it to 201 00:10:52,215 --> 00:10:55,005 be, and it was shocking for me. 202 00:10:55,005 --> 00:10:56,385 I had never come across that. 203 00:10:56,415 --> 00:11:01,665 I had never, it never happened to me that I'm there and I don't want it. 204 00:11:01,665 --> 00:11:04,155 You know, I was, I was unhappy and I noticed that I was 205 00:11:04,155 --> 00:11:06,075 unhappy and it made me feel bad. 206 00:11:06,075 --> 00:11:07,095 It made me feel. 207 00:11:07,860 --> 00:11:11,175 like guilty, and it made me feel like maybe this is a sign that 208 00:11:11,175 --> 00:11:15,045 I am failing or maybe this is a sign that I'm not good at it. 209 00:11:15,165 --> 00:11:21,435 It was very hard for me to get into that mindset of being like, you know what? 210 00:11:21,435 --> 00:11:24,465 This just isn't for me, but it doesn't mean that I'm bad at it. 211 00:11:24,465 --> 00:11:26,325 And it was really hard. 212 00:11:26,330 --> 00:11:27,975 I had never quit a job. 213 00:11:28,215 --> 00:11:29,475 I mean like that, like. 214 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,360 Just out of the blue, you know, it was always like, because I had a ne 215 00:11:33,390 --> 00:11:36,690 the next thing coming or because I already knew what my next objective 216 00:11:36,690 --> 00:11:42,090 was and, and for the last position that I left, it got very bad for me. 217 00:11:42,095 --> 00:11:46,320 It was very challenging and I needed a lot of help in like, because I 218 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:48,720 wanted to kind of prove myself. 219 00:11:48,780 --> 00:11:50,670 I wanted to say, you know what, no, I can do it. 220 00:11:50,675 --> 00:11:55,110 And I, and I have to at least last a year, you know, , for me it was 221 00:11:55,115 --> 00:11:57,480 like, it was a very huge sign of. 222 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:02,180 Failure to have to leave a job so suddenly, and, and it 223 00:12:02,180 --> 00:12:03,650 was very challenging for me. 224 00:12:03,830 --> 00:12:09,560 And I just, you know, I always had the next thing in mind and it made me feel, 225 00:12:10,230 --> 00:12:14,570 I, I think a lot of, of introspection, you know, uh, that I had never done. 226 00:12:14,630 --> 00:12:16,610 I had always been like, okay, I want this. 227 00:12:16,615 --> 00:12:17,480 I'm gonna do this. 228 00:12:17,485 --> 00:12:18,505 And then I'm gonna get it. 229 00:12:18,505 --> 00:12:21,655 And I've always been very structured and a lot of plans and a lot of 230 00:12:21,655 --> 00:12:23,545 premeditation before I do something. 231 00:12:23,995 --> 00:12:26,095 But for this, it was starting to affect me. 232 00:12:26,095 --> 00:12:29,575 It was starting to affect me even physically as in like with all these 233 00:12:29,575 --> 00:12:32,875 thoughts, like, wow, everybody's going to be so disappointed. 234 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,845 Or everybody's going to be like, why are you doing this? 235 00:12:36,175 --> 00:12:38,275 It got physical, like, I couldn't sleep. 236 00:12:38,575 --> 00:12:39,715 I would cry. 237 00:12:40,010 --> 00:12:41,000 Um, my stomach. 238 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,220 You know how when you're nervous or like when you're feeling bad, 239 00:12:43,220 --> 00:12:44,840 when your stomach resents it? 240 00:12:44,900 --> 00:12:49,820 I was, I was going through all, all sort of, all sort of emotions and I 241 00:12:49,820 --> 00:12:52,610 just realized, you know what, this is not good for me and, and I need to 242 00:12:52,610 --> 00:12:55,520 take a step back and, and that's okay. 243 00:12:55,760 --> 00:13:01,280 It's been very challenging because I had never been through this, but I also never 244 00:13:01,285 --> 00:13:03,890 stopped working like I've been working. 245 00:13:04,010 --> 00:13:05,690 I, I'm telling you for seven. 246 00:13:06,695 --> 00:13:08,160 and never stopping. 247 00:13:08,190 --> 00:13:12,090 So I was doing a job and then at the same time I was like, 248 00:13:12,090 --> 00:13:13,200 okay, now I'm interested in this. 249 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:15,630 And then I would apply and then I would get that other job and, 250 00:13:15,630 --> 00:13:18,390 okay, buy old job, high new job. 251 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,400 There was no break in between. 252 00:13:20,730 --> 00:13:25,080 And for the first time in forever, I, I started waking up 253 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:26,700 and I was like, okay, now what? 254 00:13:27,510 --> 00:13:31,500 you know, like I, I didn't have a, a concrete purpose in my mind, 255 00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:36,555 which at the end of the day I think has been, Really beneficial for me. 256 00:13:36,585 --> 00:13:41,805 I had never stopped to, everything I've ever known has been stressed, and I 257 00:13:41,805 --> 00:13:45,945 actually thought that was a good thing to have to be stressed and to be like, 258 00:13:46,455 --> 00:13:50,325 oh yeah, thinking about the next step and, and just planning and my goals and 259 00:13:50,330 --> 00:13:52,245 achieving this and achieving that, and. 260 00:13:52,620 --> 00:13:57,030 I never stopped to, to just enjoy the present. 261 00:13:57,030 --> 00:14:01,860 And I think I'm finally being able to do that, but it's not been easy like 262 00:14:01,890 --> 00:14:04,020 a day I'm like, wow, I love this. 263 00:14:04,020 --> 00:14:07,230 And I'm at the beach and I'm enjoying my time, and I'm enjoying my family 264 00:14:07,230 --> 00:14:09,990 and my friends, and I feel great. 265 00:14:09,990 --> 00:14:12,060 And then the next day I'm like, I feel guilty. 266 00:14:12,060 --> 00:14:14,190 You know, the next day I'm like, why did I do that? 267 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:18,780 Why didn't I, I applied to jobs or . Why didn't I, I don't 268 00:14:18,785 --> 00:14:20,370 know, go through a course. 269 00:14:21,335 --> 00:14:25,985 X technology and, and it's been like that, it's like, it's like a rollercoaster, but. 270 00:14:26,790 --> 00:14:30,570 I'm enjoying it so much and it's made me put everything into perspective 271 00:14:30,570 --> 00:14:35,820 and it's made me realize that I was prioritizing my job way too much. 272 00:14:36,030 --> 00:14:40,590 Like for me, having a job was my personality really? 273 00:14:40,590 --> 00:14:43,770 Like, uh, so without a job, what am I right? 274 00:14:43,770 --> 00:14:47,970 And, and I'm finally discovering that, which is very, very nice. 275 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:52,410 And I think it's a, it's been a beautiful journey because I didn't 276 00:14:52,410 --> 00:14:54,570 know what I was outside of my job. 277 00:14:54,810 --> 00:14:55,950 I didn't know. 278 00:14:56,230 --> 00:14:58,360 When I was outside of school, when out outside. 279 00:14:59,100 --> 00:15:03,570 Just a job and I'm finally getting to define that after so many 280 00:15:03,810 --> 00:15:08,010 Eddie: years, , it's really good to have that break and to be able 281 00:15:08,010 --> 00:15:09,510 to kind of let your mind reset. 282 00:15:09,690 --> 00:15:09,960 Mm-hmm. 283 00:15:10,530 --> 00:15:16,620 , I very similarly to you, really Most of my working life, like, it's just been 284 00:15:16,620 --> 00:15:21,290 okay, one job to the next and you know, you'd line up the next job and Yeah. 285 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:26,070 A year ago or so, I, you know, was at a company and. 286 00:15:26,500 --> 00:15:28,150 Things weren't good, right? 287 00:15:28,150 --> 00:15:28,720 Like mm-hmm. 288 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:30,100 very similarly. 289 00:15:30,130 --> 00:15:32,560 So I had actually started kind of interviewing at some places. 290 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,200 Felt pretty confident in like one or two of the interviews going on. 291 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,950 And so I went ahead and I was like, I left the company. 292 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:45,460 Uh, those interviews didn't work out, so I was unemployed last summer, 293 00:15:45,790 --> 00:15:48,250 um, while doing the job search. 294 00:15:48,250 --> 00:15:51,970 And it, it can be so stressful, right? 295 00:15:51,970 --> 00:15:52,030 Yeah. 296 00:15:52,030 --> 00:15:53,710 To be in that area and then. 297 00:15:54,255 --> 00:15:59,205 To know that like things weren't going the way you wanted at the previous company. 298 00:15:59,265 --> 00:15:59,595 Right. 299 00:15:59,595 --> 00:16:02,625 And things weren't connecting with people. 300 00:16:02,685 --> 00:16:03,255 It just, yeah. 301 00:16:03,285 --> 00:16:04,215 Things weren't fitting. 302 00:16:04,215 --> 00:16:07,515 And like you said, there's that stress afterwards. 303 00:16:07,515 --> 00:16:09,645 It's like, was it me there? 304 00:16:09,645 --> 00:16:10,755 Was it the company? 305 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:10,925 Mm-hmm. 306 00:16:11,005 --> 00:16:11,045 there. 307 00:16:11,145 --> 00:16:14,115 Like there's all these questions and doubts that float around your. 308 00:16:14,925 --> 00:16:18,855 Where even after you make that choice, like you have these conflicting 309 00:16:18,915 --> 00:16:24,285 emotions of positive because you've made, you know, this brave step 310 00:16:24,285 --> 00:16:25,845 and you're looking to the future. 311 00:16:25,850 --> 00:16:26,055 Yeah. 312 00:16:26,295 --> 00:16:29,955 And like regret, like, did I make the worst decision of my life and maybe it 313 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:32,535 was all me and like I suck, you know, 314 00:16:33,485 --> 00:16:33,975 Yeah. 315 00:16:34,485 --> 00:16:38,265 So it's definitely, it's unfortunate when those things happen, but I 316 00:16:38,265 --> 00:16:40,005 think it happens to a lot of people. 317 00:16:40,345 --> 00:16:43,685 , and I hope anyone listening, whether you're going through it right now, whether 318 00:16:43,685 --> 00:16:47,885 you've gone through it and it's like your deep, dark secret that you hold inside 319 00:16:47,885 --> 00:16:52,055 and you don't tell anyone or whether you know, it happens over the next couple of 320 00:16:52,055 --> 00:16:54,005 years, like, remember this conversation. 321 00:16:54,005 --> 00:16:58,265 Remember that it has happened to us, that, you know, this is just part 322 00:16:58,295 --> 00:17:01,805 of going through life and trying to find the right companies to work at. 323 00:17:01,805 --> 00:17:04,295 And sometimes there aren't matches and mm-hmm , these things 324 00:17:04,355 --> 00:17:05,795 don't work and that's okay. 325 00:17:05,855 --> 00:17:09,395 And that doesn't reflect on you, you know, as a person. 326 00:17:09,765 --> 00:17:10,725 Yeah, exactly. 327 00:17:10,730 --> 00:17:10,815 I 328 00:17:10,815 --> 00:17:13,605 Ale: think, I think it's super important and, and we're quick sometimes to 329 00:17:13,610 --> 00:17:17,595 be like, wow, they pay me very well and like it's even like maybe a 330 00:17:17,595 --> 00:17:19,935 prestigious company, so I gotta take it. 331 00:17:20,055 --> 00:17:25,545 But then , yo, I think we have to be a little, I mean, way more careful with 332 00:17:25,845 --> 00:17:31,305 where we inve, like we're investing so many hours of our days into work, right. 333 00:17:32,860 --> 00:17:33,420 I don't know. 334 00:17:33,420 --> 00:17:36,930 I just realized that I, yeah, the money is great. 335 00:17:36,990 --> 00:17:41,280 It's great to have like those benefits and everything, but if 336 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:46,170 it's draining you or if it's making you feel bad, then it's a no-go 337 00:17:46,860 --> 00:17:48,470 Eddie: Yeah, absolutely. 338 00:17:49,185 --> 00:17:52,305 So, you know, one of the main things we talk about in each 339 00:17:52,335 --> 00:17:54,705 episode is what brings us joy. 340 00:17:54,825 --> 00:17:59,175 And so, you know, you mentioned earlier you do a lot of different things, right? 341 00:17:59,180 --> 00:17:59,565 Yes. 342 00:17:59,570 --> 00:18:00,465 You're a software engineer. 343 00:18:00,465 --> 00:18:00,675 Yes. 344 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,645 You do all these things, but I know that there's some stuff 345 00:18:03,645 --> 00:18:05,625 that is kind of a hobby for you. 346 00:18:05,775 --> 00:18:06,165 So yeah. 347 00:18:06,170 --> 00:18:08,985 What's something that brings you joy that you'd like to talk about 348 00:18:08,985 --> 00:18:09,315 Ale: today? 349 00:18:09,855 --> 00:18:14,295 Um, well one of the things that I started doing last year, actually, it's been a, 350 00:18:14,295 --> 00:18:17,065 it's been a whole year now, is c s s. 351 00:18:17,510 --> 00:18:23,240 So it's, it's like animations using only c s s and it's just so fun. 352 00:18:23,270 --> 00:18:26,570 The moment I discovered that I could do it, it was just, 353 00:18:26,570 --> 00:18:27,920 I was just addicted to it. 354 00:18:28,100 --> 00:18:31,100 Even, even when I'm sad, you know, it's funny because I can be sad 355 00:18:31,100 --> 00:18:35,330 or like glue me and not like just feeling glue and my boyfriend's 356 00:18:35,330 --> 00:18:37,550 like, why don't you do some CS hard? 357 00:18:37,910 --> 00:18:39,500 So like he knows that. 358 00:18:39,830 --> 00:18:41,240 He knows that I really enjoy. 359 00:18:41,270 --> 00:18:41,750 For me it's. 360 00:18:42,510 --> 00:18:46,290 It's like putting a puzzle together because it's not the same. 361 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:48,600 So I've al I've always liked drawing too. 362 00:18:48,660 --> 00:18:52,830 I'm not, I'm not very good at drawing, but I even had like my Instagram account where 363 00:18:52,835 --> 00:18:55,620 I posted like little drawings that I made. 364 00:18:56,070 --> 00:19:01,020 But just being able to actually do it with code is another 365 00:19:01,020 --> 00:19:02,430 type of challenge and it's. 366 00:19:02,610 --> 00:19:08,160 So cool to, to see it come together and trying to think of how to do it. 367 00:19:08,310 --> 00:19:09,660 And that's what I love the most. 368 00:19:09,660 --> 00:19:13,860 Like you can just, you know, think of a, a panda in your mind and 369 00:19:13,865 --> 00:19:15,720 you're gonna be like, how do I do it? 370 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,140 And then, and then you just bring it to live using only 371 00:19:19,145 --> 00:19:20,640 code, which is fascinating. 372 00:19:20,645 --> 00:19:21,000 And, and. 373 00:19:21,915 --> 00:19:25,395 It does make me feel amazing and I think, I think it puts, it lets 374 00:19:25,395 --> 00:19:29,475 me be creative and it lets me be, you know, logical as well. 375 00:19:29,715 --> 00:19:31,635 So that's why I really love it. 376 00:19:31,745 --> 00:19:32,415 Cuz it, it feels 377 00:19:32,905 --> 00:19:33,185 Eddie: challenging. 378 00:19:33,345 --> 00:19:34,215 That's so interesting. 379 00:19:34,305 --> 00:19:37,365 I personally have never, I've seen a ton of people mm-hmm. 380 00:19:37,605 --> 00:19:39,825 do c s s art and I've never done it. 381 00:19:40,450 --> 00:19:42,700 For some reason there's a disconnect in my brain. 382 00:19:42,700 --> 00:19:47,800 I'm like, , I don't get how you'll go from this image of like, Hey, I wanna do 383 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:52,900 a panda to like, yeah, actually creating all these circles and shapes and stuff. 384 00:19:53,670 --> 00:19:55,170 That make up a panda, you know, 385 00:19:55,710 --> 00:19:55,950 . Ale: Yeah. 386 00:19:55,950 --> 00:20:00,090 And it can even take you hours, but it's just, it's just worth it. 387 00:20:00,090 --> 00:20:00,660 I don't know. 388 00:20:00,660 --> 00:20:02,400 It it, it's like absorbing. 389 00:20:02,550 --> 00:20:07,290 You start with, you start maybe 11:00 AM and then with nothing, right? 390 00:20:07,290 --> 00:20:11,460 And then it's 9:00 PM and you've only made like a smiley face, 391 00:20:11,460 --> 00:20:12,780 but you're like so proud of it. 392 00:20:12,780 --> 00:20:15,060 Like . It's so worth it. 393 00:20:16,170 --> 00:20:17,040 . And 394 00:20:17,130 --> 00:20:18,900 Eddie: it feels, it feels very reward. 395 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:20,940 That's awesome. 396 00:20:21,180 --> 00:20:25,770 Well, so how did you kind of discover that c s s art was a thing? 397 00:20:25,860 --> 00:20:28,890 Like did you just see it online or how did that kind of come across your 398 00:20:28,890 --> 00:20:29,280 Ale: radar? 399 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:34,530 So my last job where I was, where I worked with Java, like I said, I come 400 00:20:34,530 --> 00:20:36,270 from an industrial engineering background. 401 00:20:36,275 --> 00:20:38,910 So I didn't have a lot of like computer science fundamentals. 402 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,920 Um, when I jumped into my job and I remember that my teammates, they were. 403 00:20:44,580 --> 00:20:48,840 Come grads, so they always like knew all the terminology and I 404 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:50,130 was just like, okay, I don't know. 405 00:20:50,130 --> 00:20:54,720 A lot of things . And so I started kind of educating myself on, on the things 406 00:20:54,725 --> 00:20:59,130 that I didn't know to kind of catch up and well, yeah, just be better at my job. 407 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:03,930 And I started playing around also with front end technologies. 408 00:21:04,265 --> 00:21:09,275 I was also like, I was trying to get into React at my position cuz my, 409 00:21:09,275 --> 00:21:13,175 my manager gave me that opportunity, you know, to play around with things. 410 00:21:13,535 --> 00:21:17,825 But I wanted to kind of really get the, like the foundations of 411 00:21:17,830 --> 00:21:19,205 everything that I didn't know. 412 00:21:19,445 --> 00:21:21,275 And so I started actually on free code camp. 413 00:21:21,790 --> 00:21:25,960 Like the first chords that they give out that it's like responsive web design. 414 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:31,750 And the first lesson, I think one of the first lessons on c s s, they make 415 00:21:31,755 --> 00:21:36,550 you do a hard, or like I, I think it's a hard and then a panda with c s s. 416 00:21:36,550 --> 00:21:42,745 And so I was like, This is a thing, , and it was like my first day actually 417 00:21:42,745 --> 00:21:47,065 of looking at css, like properly on, on that course, on free code Camp 418 00:21:47,365 --> 00:21:52,105 and I started just playing around and I made a peek or two actually. 419 00:21:52,255 --> 00:21:53,035 Um, I post it's. 420 00:21:53,380 --> 00:21:57,400 Back on my Twitter, like I posted it a long time ago, but that's how 421 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:02,680 I started and I found Code Pen and I saw everything that people were making 422 00:22:02,740 --> 00:22:05,290 and I was like, this is incredible. 423 00:22:05,290 --> 00:22:09,580 So I just, I think it, it, it just made me very curious to see how far I 424 00:22:09,585 --> 00:22:13,210 could go and in creating things with his c s s and that's how it all started 425 00:22:13,870 --> 00:22:14,710 Eddie: That's awesome. 426 00:22:14,710 --> 00:22:17,140 You've done so many fun little. 427 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:19,180 CodePen animations. 428 00:22:19,180 --> 00:22:22,510 I really particularly like the Pikachu animation with the little 429 00:22:22,510 --> 00:22:26,470 Valentine's card, like the envelope opens up and like the card pops out. 430 00:22:26,790 --> 00:22:27,110 ? Yeah. 431 00:22:27,580 --> 00:22:28,210 . Thank you. 432 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:32,590 Do you have one or two of yours that are kind of your favorites? 433 00:22:32,955 --> 00:22:33,135 I 434 00:22:33,135 --> 00:22:36,345 Ale: have a side duck that I really love, the ones that are animated 435 00:22:36,345 --> 00:22:37,845 and I like to play with colors. 436 00:22:37,845 --> 00:22:42,645 Like I really like pastel colors and like soft, soft stuff like that. 437 00:22:42,645 --> 00:22:45,105 And I don't know, it's just pleasing to my eyes. 438 00:22:45,105 --> 00:22:45,465 Right. 439 00:22:45,705 --> 00:22:49,905 But I really like a side duck that just moves its hands, like its hands like this. 440 00:22:50,175 --> 00:22:55,455 And that was very hard to animate because I did like a mirroring thing so 441 00:22:55,455 --> 00:22:57,255 that I wouldn't have to repeat the arm. 442 00:22:57,255 --> 00:22:57,735 Wow. 443 00:22:57,765 --> 00:22:59,235 It, that was very challenging. 444 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:00,675 So it took me a lot of time. 445 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,860 To figure out like cuz believe it or not, , you need math. 446 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:10,080 Okay, , you need math for CSS Arts, which is, it's a good hobby to have. 447 00:23:10,290 --> 00:23:16,290 And so it took me some time to like kind of get the math right, and, and, 448 00:23:16,710 --> 00:23:18,590 and get it, get it moving properly. 449 00:23:18,595 --> 00:23:20,400 So that one I really like. 450 00:23:20,580 --> 00:23:21,840 I really like how it came out. 451 00:23:21,970 --> 00:23:24,590 And what's another one that's my favorite? 452 00:23:24,595 --> 00:23:26,160 Oh, I really like doing pixel art. 453 00:23:26,550 --> 00:23:29,580 So I really like all of the ones that I made with pixels. 454 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:30,600 I like one. 455 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:33,810 Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service. 456 00:23:33,810 --> 00:23:33,930 Awesome. 457 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:35,070 I did that one. 458 00:23:35,070 --> 00:23:37,950 That one is really bad because it wasn't one of the first ones I made, 459 00:23:38,370 --> 00:23:40,560 but that's why I really like it. 460 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:42,390 But it's like not responsive at all. 461 00:23:43,020 --> 00:23:46,200 , it's like, it's like on the corner and then it's, it's really 462 00:23:46,205 --> 00:23:48,285 bad, like, Very unresponsive. 463 00:23:48,285 --> 00:23:52,185 But, um, I like it because it was like the third thing I did 464 00:23:52,185 --> 00:23:54,195 and it took me so many hours. 465 00:23:54,195 --> 00:23:55,725 I also did it like the hard way. 466 00:23:55,725 --> 00:23:59,805 You know, when you , when you go and you just repeat everything 467 00:23:59,810 --> 00:24:00,975 over and over and over. 468 00:24:01,065 --> 00:24:03,945 I then learned how to, how to make things better. 469 00:24:04,005 --> 00:24:07,275 But I think that's, that's why it was one of my favorites because. 470 00:24:08,430 --> 00:24:09,900 , uh, when I was just getting started 471 00:24:10,770 --> 00:24:11,400 . Eddie: Awesome. 472 00:24:11,430 --> 00:24:12,180 That's great. 473 00:24:12,390 --> 00:24:15,600 In the show notes, we'll go ahead and link to, you know, the c s s 474 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:19,020 Arts we've mentioned, as well as just your code pen in general for 475 00:24:19,020 --> 00:24:23,040 anyone who wants to check out and see visually what we've been talking 476 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:24,810 about, go over and check those out. 477 00:24:24,810 --> 00:24:28,440 Get inspired, maybe try some c s css, art of Your Own 478 00:24:28,770 --> 00:24:30,750 . Ale: Please do and show it to me. 479 00:24:31,325 --> 00:24:31,500 Eddie: that's. 480 00:24:32,725 --> 00:24:34,685 Ally, thank you so much for joining us today. 481 00:24:34,685 --> 00:24:38,345 It's just been a pleasure chatting, getting to hear about your journey, 482 00:24:38,675 --> 00:24:42,155 you know, the ups and the downs, and just kind of chatting about something 483 00:24:42,155 --> 00:24:44,015 that brings you joy with c s s art. 484 00:24:44,105 --> 00:24:48,275 And I know seeing these little cartoons and stuff brings me a lot 485 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:49,925 of joy and I'm sure others as well. 486 00:24:49,925 --> 00:24:51,395 So thank you for sharing them with us. 487 00:24:51,870 --> 00:24:52,500 Ale: Thank you. 488 00:24:52,500 --> 00:24:56,310 Thank you so much, Eddie, and thank you for having me, and I really appreciate 489 00:24:56,310 --> 00:25:02,250 what you're doing because it's all about the being transparent, right? 490 00:25:02,250 --> 00:25:03,450 I think that's very important. 491 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,480 It's not all beautiful for us. 492 00:25:06,660 --> 00:25:09,330 Everybody goes through their ups and downs and, and I think 493 00:25:09,330 --> 00:25:11,440 that's very important that people realize that they're not alone. 494 00:25:11,970 --> 00:25:18,300 So there's always light at the end of the tunnel , even when it gets very dark. 495 00:25:18,330 --> 00:25:21,120 But yeah, I think that's very important and thank you so much 496 00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:23,130 for having this space to show that. 497 00:25:23,370 --> 00:25:23,940 Eddie: Absolutely. 498 00:25:23,940 --> 00:25:24,720 It's my pleasure. 499 00:25:27,460 --> 00:25:30,280 Thank you for joining us for episode 42. 500 00:25:30,670 --> 00:25:34,390 I didn't know what I was outside of my job with ally Thomas. 501 00:25:34,750 --> 00:25:37,750 You can find links to everything we talked about in this episode. 502 00:25:38,110 --> 00:25:42,610 As well as a link to Allie's website and social media counts in the show notes. 503 00:25:43,300 --> 00:25:46,600 If you enjoyed this episode, why not help others discover it as well? 504 00:25:46,900 --> 00:25:50,740 Give us a shadow on your favorite social media platform and tag a friend or 505 00:25:50,740 --> 00:25:52,810 coworker that you think would enjoy it. 506 00:25:53,380 --> 00:25:58,120 Don't forget to follow us wherever you hanging out online, or you can subscribe 507 00:25:58,150 --> 00:25:59,830 to our newsletter to stay up to date. 508 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,710 Thank you for joining us for season one. 509 00:26:03,070 --> 00:26:06,460 If you have three minutes, please take our short listener survey. 510 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:09,850 You can find a link in the show notes and it'll be invaluable. 511 00:26:09,850 --> 00:26:13,060 While we plan out season two, we have a lots of surprises in store. 512 00:26:13,540 --> 00:26:16,120 Thank you for listening and have a great day. 513 00:26:16,607 --> 00:26:17,027 Ale: Bye