Welcome.
Most people know me as a producer of animated explainer videos. In fact, we are credited with pioneering the genre in 2007 with our “in Plain English” series of explainers.
Today I continue to produce videos and help others develop the skill of explanation. This includes my book The Art of Explanation, online courses at the Explainer Academy, and explainer video coaching.
I live on Orcas Island, which is a small island in the Salish Sea between Seattle and Vancouver, BC. We recently built a home and I now consider myself an aspiring plantsman and landscaper. I created online courses at Build Livable to help fellow homeowners navigate the construction process.
My newsletter, Ready for Rain, is the best way to follow along.

Ready for Rain is a newsletter that's personal
On most Tuesdays, I share a story from my life on Orcas Island and a recommendation for something I love. I'm interested in how to design work and home for lifestyle, livability, and fluffy dogs. Learn more.
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Recent Blog Posts
Dear Friend, Let’s Talk about Mastodon
I set out to write a letter to non-technical friends explaining Mastodon. Then I thought: What if others want to use it? What if I encouraged that?...
Turning 50
This article was published as an issue of my newsletter Ready for Rain A couple of weeks ago, Sachi returned from the post office with a grin on her...
Beds, Benches, and Lessons Learned
This article was published as an issue of my newsletter Ready for Rain Under our house, we have a pile of lumber, decking, siding, and plywood that...
Podcast Interviews and Speaking
I love being a guest on podcasts and appearing as a speaker at conferences.
Most of my appearances focus on the skill of explanation and lessons from The Art of Explanation.
My most recent podcast interviews were in support of my book Big Enough which is about entrepreneurship, unconventional approaches to business, and related subjects.
Learn more about my podcast appearances or contact me.
