About
My name is Jess Stratton. I have no idea how YOU got here, but here’s how I got here.
Here’s the quick version: I currently am a Lotus Notes Developer/Administrator and consultant. I am also an avid movie-lover (purely for escapism), and an audio/technophile. My wedding was themed after the movie “The Princess Bride”. I am a gadget-lover. Think “secret agent mom”, in which I pull out random things out of my purse, and people say, “what is that cool thing?” I am a really big geek. I love role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, sci-fi, and I have a dog named Reboot. When I hear a cool fact in a movie or an interesting subject when I’m out somewhere, I’ll go home and research to learn more about it. Trust me, out of all the cool tech tips I tell you about, I also had a need for them myself as well.
That was the short version. Here’s the “extended dance remix”. So why the writing? Well, I graduated with a degree in Communication Studies from the University of Rhode Island. This is a good degree to have if you are a consultant and a technology coach. If I can’t talk to my clients so they understand what I’m saying and I’m not relating to them, everyone is wasting their time.
I am also on the Marketing Committee and Advisory Council for the non-profit organization SHO, which organizes local Meals on Wheels, provides senior services, and matches volunteers with opportunities. I also help run their small computer network and act as their technology advisor. I used to volunteer with Reboot. She is an AKC certified Good Citizen; we participated together in a program called Reading with Rover, in which children who can’t read well sit and read to dogs (who would never judge them!).
During downtime, I speak at industry conferences, and write print articles for technical journals. I used to host a weekly syndicated column titled the Internet for Beginners. I taught a group of third graders how to use the Internet safely. I’ve lectured on and advocated Internet safety, privacy and responsibility around the state and to a group of high school seniors (where I dated myself horribly by making a reference to Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach”, in which only the teacher had ever heard of).
I am a contributing author in the textbook Mike Meyers Presents: Computer Literacy - Your Ticket to IC3 Certification.
About six years ago, I started my own onsite computer repair company. Do you know something? As much as I loved the people, it’s a sad fact that one person cannot make money that way. I changed to the “teach a man to fish” approach and opened a new brick-and-mortar business called Solace, in which people came to my office and had an hour to spend learning anything they wanted to about their computer. I wanted to be the person to bring affordable computer training to everyone. This was three years ago.
In late 2007, my daughter (and absolute pride and joy) Zoë was born. Solace sat empty with a “by appointment only” sign in the storefront window that I had decorated beautifully. Ridden by guilt and throwing away rent money we needed to live on, I had appointments occasionally. However, I first had to make sure the sitter (bless grandma) was available, and then call back. When one is not billing full time, it’s hard to justify paying for full time care (remember, when you own your own business, you’re not making any money while you do marketing or bookkeeping). I still do Lotus Notes and Domino consulting. However, it’s even harder to switch from a global corporate life back to small-town business and then back to the online world, and all before lunch, when all you REALLY want to do is take your child to the park and just have fun together.
I struggled with a weekly schedule that was not consistent, too many jobs, I probably had more postpartum than I admitted to myself, and decided to close up Solace. I also gave up some other writing engagements I was doing. I decided I needed to not have to make quite so many decisions on my own anymore.
I use technology every day as a consultant, and as a mother. I am a mobile warrior in my own home. I cannot live without my Windows Mobile Treo. I have the greatest friends (that I consider family) in the Lotus Notes world that help make sure I know about great technology tips.
I love writing, and love making people’s lives easier by sharing my hard-earned research. I truly believe I was put here on Earth to give others inner peace - thus my original company name of Solace. Why not focus my audience, and continue to write what I know, and hopefully gain some sponsors along the way? If you’d like any particular topics, or just have a comment or question, drop me a line at jess at momelettes dot com.
That said, here’s my next endeavor in 2008; and one that is much more suited to a life that enables me to enjoy Zoë as much as I want (which is the way it should be) - Momelettes.
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