Brian Matthews

I graduated college with long blue hair, thrift store clothes, and two degrees in art and English. Yeah. Not exactly what the corporate job fairs were looking for. When I started looking for work, things changed fast. The blue hair went. The baggy clothes went back to the thrift store. I cleaned up enough to get hired. But I kept the shoes. Red Converse Chuck Taylors. Every job, every meeting, every board presentation. That part wasn't up for debate. The day I met my wife, I was wearing them. When we got married, I was wearing them. I've worn red ones every day since. Not because it's a thing. Because it's a reminder. You don't have to trade who you are just to fit the room.

Still the same shoes.

I've spent more than 20 years in tech leadership and 27 years teaching photography at Bismarck State College. Most people hear that and think those two things don't go together. They actually go together well. Both are about helping people see what's already there. Both require trust. Both fall apart the minute someone starts performing instead of actually paying attention. That's what this site is about. Leading teams without losing yourself. What photography taught me about people. What I'd do differently with 20 years of hindsight. No filler or promotion. Just what I actually think.