Outside the Comfort Zone

Human-centered design.  Every successful company does it.  How else would they be successful?  If they do not focus on the customer, the human, why would anyone buy a product or service?  Until participating in this class, that was the basic understanding I had about how to make a successful business run.  Understand what the customer wants, and deliver it better than anyone else can.  It seems simple enough, but the challenge lies with understanding the customer.  Understanding, not knowledge, about the customer is what differentiates a successful product or service.  It turns out that understanding is what is most difficult about a successful product or service.

One of the tools we learned that helps understand a person is the empathy map.  This concept was completely new to me, which is a shame considering that I have spent over ten years leading and interacting with people in very stressful environments.  My first iteration of the empathy map was on someone that is completely different in personality, disposition, and other characteristics.  I chose to map a co-worker during the summer internship.  My first impression was that the map, though easy to use in theory, was very difficult to actually employ.  What made it hard, for me, was that I felt like I kept projecting my impressions of the person rather than actually capture what they were truly like.  This made it uncomfortable because it made me realize how little I actually knew about this young lady and because I felt like I was not letting her true personality through.  I felt like I was doing a disservice by not capturing her nature.  I completed the assignment, discomfort aside, and then learned one of the benefits of the empathy map.  It gets the wheels turning.  I found that after the map had been turned in, I wondered about how this person would handle situations that arose.  I found myself asking what she would think about current events or a particular news story.  The empathy map made me think about some of her traits and characteristics in a way that I would have never considered.  The second iteration was the empathy map for the project, developing a persona.  This time, it was less uncomfortable because I understood that the empathy map works well long after it is completed.  It was easier to “put myself in someone’s shoes” and fill in the blanks with my best guess or projections (being sure to capture those as assumptions to be tested) because I knew that it would lead to a better understanding during the research process.  Really, it is that perspective that allows us to create the research in the first place.

Generative and ethnographic research tools and techniques were the other major revelation for me.  I am quite familiar with gathering data and doing research in the traditional sense.  I’ve taken and provided more surveys than I can remember.  What I do remember is that they all seem to be straight forward and easy to understand what the survey creator wanted to know.  The major problem with that, is that the survey respondents can misrepresent their actual needs, pain points, or requirements for various reasons.  The research techniques taught in this class get to the root of the customer and allows the marketer to begin to understand how the customer views life, in general.  Again, this process was difficult for me in the beginning.  When drawing the “close to me” items, I struggled with what was meant by the phrase “things I can’t live without”.  I could have put water and air, but aside from being difficult to draw, I didn’t think that was the purpose of the assignment.  However, after explaining the things that I chose to draw, I realized how useful it could be in gaining insights.  The other major challenge with this research, is applying it to the real world.  In some cases, during the research process, I felt uncomfortable.  First, it was difficult to explain why I was asking some of the questions without revealing the purpose (I didn’t want to get skewed results by the respondent knowing my objective).  Second, I sometimes felt intrusive in doing the research.  During one of the shop alongs, I am fairly certain that the respondent meant to purchase something but didn’t because I was present.  While they had no issues with me accompanying them to the store, I felt like I was prying.  I also started to question how useful the research methods were.  The data seemed so scattered and convoluted.  Then the lightbulb came on.  As I interviewed and worked with more respondents, I started to see patterns and trends.  It was an almost instant, and certainly dramatic shift, in how much I was learning about the individuals.  While I still felt a bit intrusive, it was slightly easier knowing that the information was going to be used to solve a problem for those people.  As the team compiled the data, we learned more and more about our persona and truly gained an understanding of what motivates them and where they encounter difficulty.

There was one topic that was not as useful in others during this project for me.  This is a relative comparison because I certainly see the value in the topic, but this is one area that I have experience with.  As an engineer, maintenance pilot, and car enthusiast, I have built and seen many prototypes.  Sometimes, when working on a car or customizing something, prototypes were made out of paper, then cardboard, then wood, before ever cutting or welding metal.  I have worked with computer aided design software to create and test digital prototypes of components that would be installed on a car or aircraft.  I still think the topic is important for the class and the project.  Not everyone understands the true value of a prototype.  Feeling and holding the product can quickly identify a problem with weight, functionality, or design.  The most important point regarding prototypes is to not “fall in love” with one.

My favorite part of the class is that most of it was taught with the learn by doing method.  This method provides firsthand experience with a process and provides enough practice to be more comfortable using them.  It also enhances the ability to remember concepts.  Most importantly, it caused us to try the methods before we had others do the same.  I am a firm believer in the phrase “don’t ever ask someone else to do something that you would not do yourself”.  By doing the close to me exercise, I had enough experience to help respondents with the process without imparting my own information in the results.  It has all been an effective, rewarding experience.

Cigarettes and Ethics

There was a time, not so long ago, that it was perfectly acceptable to have a cigarette ad on television, the radio, and all forms of media available for public consumption.  Why wouldn’t it be?  Tobacco companies were firms establish to create a product and provide it for public consumption.  I have seen the tobacco industry reluctantly decrease the advertisements from anything that can openly be viewed by children.  NASCAR drivers no longer race for the Winston Cup and Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man are relics of an ad campaign that now stand for the atrocities that Big Tobacco committed against society.

I am not here to judge tobacco companies though.  I turned out to be a non-smoker in spite of being exposed to all of the vicious ads that were meant to subconsciously compel me to chain-smoke a pack a day.  The tobacco industry provides a cautionary tale of one of the ethical dangers that marketers face in trying to gain insight.

Before getting into whether or not it is acceptable to market cigarettes to children, we need to discuss ethics in general.  The dictionary defines ethics as a set of moral principles that define a person’s or group’s behavior.  Simple, right?  Well, it turns out that there are many sets of principles that people gain from their culture, upbringing, and a myriad of other factors that generate infinite combinations of moral principles not to mention how the definition of moral becomes a factor.  The bottom line is that ethics can be very hard to define.  To ease the tension, organizations create a baseline level of ethics, such as the seven Army values.  The point of this is to bring everyone to the same set of moral principles regardless of what set they joined with.  Problem solved!

Not quite.  Even with a set of baseline moral principles, they are all still open to interpretation.  Interpretation will vary based on culture, environment, and many other factors and is an additional point of stickiness in promoting ethical behavior.  Let’s take the cadet honor code at West Point.  I personally believe that it is one of the most comprehensive codes and it is enforced fiercely by the students at West Point.  The cadet honor code is: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those that do.” Simple, effective, and with a vicious bite.  Suspected violators are “tried” in front of a board of their peers and if found guilty, are dismissed.  Despite all this, the honor code cannot always influence behavior.  For one thing, it is limited to lying, cheating, stealing, and toleration.  Therefore, it can be interpreted that anything outside those activities is perfectly fine.  This code also relies heavily on the support of those that choose to follow it.  In this case, the cadets.  For this ethical principle and enforcement to work, the cadets themselves have to believe in it and define what a violation actually is.  Furthermore, the penalty for violating the code must be so severe, that there is no mistake in approaching the line.

Methods of gathering information about customer preferences have received criticism for being too invasive, especially to the privacy conscious.  On the other hand, such information, often about a problem a customer did not realize needed resolution, is extremely useful to the marketers and the customer.  So where is the line?  Back to cigarettes.  There was a time when it was okay to market cigarettes.  As the methods of marketing tobacco became more and more effective, and as the harmful effects of tobacco became more apparent, it became more more “unethical” to participate in marketing of those products.

I believe that wherever the ethical line is for any given individual, the ambiguity of how companies gain information about customers (and what the information is used for) makes it too difficult to navigate.  It is possible for some of these actions to be seen as completely harmless now only to evolve into a social plague.  The good news is that marketers still have the opportunity to shape public perception about these techniques and the uses of the information.  Taking an active approach now can create a favorable impression of the methods, but more importantly continue to monitor the perception and take steps towards staying on the ethical side (assuming that is the priority).

It is important to understand what is considered ethical, and a good measuring stick is public perception.  Armed with that information, companies and marketers can take the steps identified in the other examples to ensure ethical behavior.  As the definition of being ethical changes, so can the company’s efforts.  Over time, this will earn customers’ trust and will allow them to share more information willingly.  Using the information, to the customer’s benefit (or perceived benefit) will keep the company in their good graces.

We must not overlook the profitability of using insights without worrying about ethics.  While there is likely ample opportunity to be profitable, the risk associated with having an ethical misstep could cause a company, especially one without substantial resources, to disappear.  At the very least, it can destroy the company’s or the industry’s image.  Just ask Joe Camel and the Marlboro man.

Whirlybird Wonder

I have been a helicopter pilot for over ten years and I am still amazed by the capabilities of these aircraft and the roles they play in modern civilization.  Take a look around while walking on campus or downtown and you will likely see at least one helicopter serving a purpose that will improve someone's day.  For example, you may see a news chopper watching traffic or a sightseeing tour over the city.  Significantly more important, are the helicopters that are assisting police with a bird's eye view or transporting a critically injured patient to a trauma center in the heart of a congested, building riddled city.  With so much versatility, it may seem surprising that helicopters comprise a very small segment of aviation.  In fact, the costs associated with helicopters make them a very large pill to swallow for all except those with a specific need.  Cost, noise, and component life-cycle all work to reduce the appeal of owning or operating helicopters.  The Advanced Rotorcraft Driveline initiative, by Bell Helicopters, aims to reduce some of those costs.

The driveline of a helicopter must withstand tremendous forces and loads, at incredible speeds, to move the wings (rotor blades) fast enough to generate lift.  In addition to generating lift, the driveline must allow for provisions to move the blades independently to allow for directional control.  This adds up to a costly, noisy, fault prone system that is overcome with large budgets, hearing protection, and constant component replacement.  The Advanced Rotorcraft Driveline (ARD), is a study conducted by Bell to dramatically improve the materials and components to reduce the negative characteristics associated with making a chopper go.  Improvements in materials, gear geometry, and optimization of cooling/lubrication systems all lead to a better system.

Lower cost.  Reduction in costs can be a competitive advantage for Bell Helicopters as new technology will allow for higher margins or a lower price for customers.  With a cost reduction of up to 35%, the volume of aircraft ordered and sold will likely increase due to a more attractive price point.  Cost reductions will propagate through the aircraft life cycle (many aircraft are decades old and still flying) and provide a reduction in lifetime costs

Quieter.  Many helicopter applications would benefit from lower noise.  Gears moving at those speeds tend to create a very high pitched whine.  The ARD estimates that up to 18 dB.  Though this may seem like a very small decrease, especially in the presence of a turbine engine with main and tail rotors churning through the air, this can be a dramatic reduction if in a certain frequency range.  There are some pilots that suffer high frequency hearing loss (they can hear most sounds just fine, but have lost the ability to perceive certain frequencies due to prolonged exposure).

Fault detection.  Most importantly, the ARD hopes to realize a 90% fault detection capability.  Sensors located throughout the drive system will be able to provide information about temperatures, stresses, and loads.  The information is used to monitor the system and detect faults within the system and predict impending failure.  The system will also be capable of monitoring lubricants for debris (engine wear causes metallic particles to be dispersed through the oil) and moisture, to warn maintenance of a component or lubricant change.  This drastically increases passenger and pilot safety and is far more accurate than simple visual inspection and replacement.  Furthermore, the data gathered can be used to continually compare component life cycle prediction with actual wear.

If the ARD is able to live up to expectations, it will mean an improvement in ease of use, lower purchase and maintenance cost, and a better product to meet the critical needs of the current helicopter fleet.  When a fire is burning out of control, or a patient is critically injured at a remote location, these improvements raise the likelihood that a helicopter is there to respond.

Wild Blue Yonder

Ever since I can remember, I wanted to fly.  The sleek airplanes, the sound of their engines, and the ability to defy gravity have always appealed to me.  Leonardo da Vinci said "For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have ben and there you will long to return".  Watch any pilot as she walks around and you will notice that her eyes dart upward any time an aircraft is within earshot, or will slowly wander skyward on a cool sunny day.

I have been very fortunate in my career path.  It led me to a point where I was paid to fly one of the most sophisticated aircraft on earth.  A general description of my helicopter can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AH-64.  Since leaving the military, I have continued flight training through the FAA.  General Aviation is the term that encompasses all light and medium aircraft operations that are not part of a major airline or cargo carrier.  It is the primary venue for people to complete flight training and become pilots.  With all the benefits, it is hard to believe that General Aviation is in grave danger of disappearing.  

Federal regulations have hindered the economy of powering GA.  GA engines are typically air cooled, magneto fired, and carbureted to minimize complication with coolant leaks, electrical failure, and fuel injection.  Unfortunately, this reliability comes at the cost of performance, efficiency, and longevity.  Energy needs have changed faster than the FAA and GA can react.  The most popular current fuel for small airplanes is known as 100 low lead (100LL).  Environmental and health considerations have led the automotive industry to move away from leaded fuel decades ago but fuel standards set in the 50s forces GA to rely on a suboptimal fuel.  Advances in technology have made the original design requirements obsolete.  Fuel injection, redundant electronic control systems, and ignition timing promise to be more reliable in all conditions while lowering costs associated with engine maintenance, fuel, and overhaul costs.

Cessna Aircraft recently introduced an airplane (Cessna 182 JT-A) powered by a turbo diesel engine that runs on unleaded Jet A (more refined diesel, industry standard for airlines).  One topic I wanted to explore was how Cessna's offering will change the way GA operates.  Using design thinking, I want to explore how the community will react to this new power plant and whether or not it can become a new industry standard.  This is just one option in this subject.  There are also gasoline power options, advances in propeller design, etc.  What I like about this is that Cessna has been one of the icons of flight training and a major firm in GA operations.  The airplane owner and pilots association has done early research on this.  There is a very good video review of the new Cessna at the following link: http://www.aopa.org/AOPA-Live.aspx?watch=BzNm1wNTrs2R3ROg4QVpERDWUa8DgkRG

Research for this subject would be geared toward finding out whether or not the community is ready for this change.  Cessna may be introducing a product before the market is ready to adopt.  I want to do research on customer (pilots, flight schools, FAA representatives) preferences now and in the future to predict the 182 JT-A's success.

Another threat to general aviation is the dwindling population of new and young pilots.  As costs continue to grow, it becomes more and more difficult to attract young aspiring pilots to start training.  If this trend continues, the flight training in this country will become much more difficult to obtain and the proficiency of pilots will decline.  I am interested in finding out if cost is the only factor that is causing this decline and explore the idea that it might be viewed as a dying "profession".  Advances in avionics, infrastructure, and synthetic training may make pilots obsolete and cost may not be the only factor contributing.  If the issue is not addressed, there is a good chance that there will not be enough pilots to satisfy demand.  An article highlights this point: http://www.generalaviationnews.com/2013/08/boeing-forecasts-increased-global-demand-for-pilots-amts/

Research on this subject would focus on what drives young people to be interested in aviation and more importantly, what prevents young people from considering it.  Design thinking might reveal a hidden cause that GA proponents may be overlooking.  Current efforts may not be addressing the issue at all.

Finally, I want to explore a topic that is not a threat, but a compliment to general aviation.  When you board a jetliner, you may have glanced in the cockpit to see advanced electronic displays that provide invaluable information to a pilot.  By comparison, general aviation cockpits are sparse and utilitarian.  The tablet industry has created a unique opportunity for GA pilots to upgrade their avionics to near state of the art at a manageable cost.  For example, a Garmin GNS 530 avionics package can cost over $12,000, installed.  Pilots on a budget can purchase a Foreflight subscription (Foreflight is a flight planning app) for $75 a year plus a "plug in" Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) for less than $1000.

For this subject, I want to explore how the adoption of tablets by GA pilots has affected traditional avionics manufacturers and installers and how continued advancements will move more towards tablets.  There are some firms, like Garmin, that offer complimentary products, while others view the new trend as a threat.  Researching the customer insights in this ecosystem will reveal whether or not this is a true substitute or if companies can serve a new market without competing against themselves (cannibalizing).

My Favorite Things

Things I can't live without:

1.  My truck.  For many people, their vehicle or mode of transportation is simply that.  It is a way to get from point A to point B with a certain level of comfort.  Sometimes there are some other considerations like fuel economy, level of luxury, or simple functionality.  I spend almost every day using my truck.  For me, it is a snapshot or a small glimpse into my lifestyle.  Being a larger vehicle, it is physically similar to me.  It provides a commanding view of the road and has the ability to carry large amounts of cargo.  It is a four wheel drive truck that provides the opportunity to go places that do not necessarily have paved roads like isolated camping spots.  I think there is a level of freedom associated with that ability, even if 90% of my driving is on-highway driving.

2.  My phone.  Most people cannot go more than 15 minutes without using a smartphone.  I am no different.  It represents a convergence of functions that allow me to complete tasks that used to be quite difficult or time consuming.  In a very real sense, it connects me to current events, news, and my family.  I use it for email, and finding information.  Occasionally, I even make an actual phone call with it.  While this is all useful, the reason it is so important is that it allows me tiny snippets of family time during my day.  I could do without the information and digital leash.  In fact, sometimes I try to avoid having it.  I cannot do without the occasional picture of my daughter playing with the dog or of something my wife saw at work.  My phone provides the opportunity to get those pictures.

3.  My Stetson.  The Stetson Cavalry Hat is a tradition that has been in the US Army since the 1800s.  Robert Duval's character in Apocalypse Now and Greg Kinnear's character in We Were Soldiers wear the iconic hat.  For me, it is a representation of my service in the US Army as a combat helicopter pilot.  Plus…it looks really cool!

Things I care about:

1.  My motorcycle.  I bought my Harley Davidson motorcycle in 2005 when I was young and single.  I love riding it around the Central Texas twisties on cool days.  Since gaining a family, this has transitioned more to a hobby than a true passion as I have seen the dangers associated with a motorcycle and have so much more to lose now.  Nonetheless, it is still great to get out on a cool day and ride.

2.  My bed.  I have spent years, literally, sleeping in tents on a cot.  Now that I am out of the military, I take some things very seriously.  A comfortable bed is one of those things.  I spent more than most would on my bed because I figured that I owe it to myself to get as far away from a cot as possible.

3.  My TV.  I spend a considerable amount of time watching TV.  Much like my bed, I made an investment in my entertainment because I have had to go without for so long.  I watch my TV to get the morning and evening news, watch a few crime dramas and comedies, and sports on the weekends.  One of the things I most enjoy about the large, crisp display, is watching documentaries on aviation, nature, and space.

I get a majority of my news from watching the morning and evening local and national news stations. I read the Wall Street Journal online every morning before class to stay current on events that impact the business world.  Occasionally, I'll hear a news story on the radio or in class that prompts me to look online for the article.

I am a person that is dependent on routine.  I tend to change my daily schedule very little.  I wake each morning, watch the news, get ready for school and head to class, trying to beat traffic.  I usually pack a lunch and head home after class.  The evening is the best part of my day.  I get to spend time with my wife and our new baby.  We usually go for a walk, then I go to work out at the local gym.  We finish the evening with dinner and putting the baby to bed.  Most of my activity is based on convenience.  The news I watch is in my living room with little effort required on my part.  The worst part of my day is the hour and a half that I spend in traffic each day.

White Line Fever

Janet, a military officer in her late twenties, recently returned from a deployment to Afghanistan and was planning a trip to unwind and retrieve her primary mode of transportation four states away.  Her vision for the trip was to spend some time with several friends after being away for a year.  There was to be some catching up and a healthy bit of "letting their hair down".  Like other women in her situation, Janet would be considered upper middle class with additional income following a deployment.  She is young enough to get a little bit rowdy, but mature enough to draw the line long before anyone notices.

As someone that has planned complex military operations, involving unclear situations and short timelines, Janet thought planning the trip would be easy.  Little did she know, she was in for a surprise.

The diagram below shows how she went about planning the trip and the challenges she faced:

Janet is engaged to another military officer; one that is stationed at another military base in Georgia.  In preparation for her deployment, she placed all of her items in storage and sold her primary means of transportation.  It was getting old and she could use her fiance's car while he finished his deployment to take the time to shop for a good car deal.  With all the preparations made, she boarded a plane and started her trip to the mountains of Afghanistan.

She spent a little under a year in a very stressful and austere environment.  She had little access to things that we might take for granted like a certain kind of shampoo, or even a stable internet connection.  Though thankful for the experience, Janet was glad that her year was over and that it was time to come home.

After the usual activities necessary for a Soldier to reintegrate and get used to being back in the United States, Janet had to figure out how to get herself from point A to point B.  For her, this meant picking up her fiance's car from Georgia.  The trip would take at least four days to complete and the only time that she would have that much time available was during her post-deployment vacation of ten days.  She decided to combine the two trips and use the time to visit with friends and retrieve the car.

She started her planning.  The overall architecture of her trip was already set.  She had to get from Fort Hood, Texas to Fort Benning, Georgia to get the car.  She would then have to drive the car from there, 17 hours, back to her starting point.  The rest should have been easy.

Janet had several friends that lived along or very near the route she was taking back to Texas.  She had two friends in Georgia, three in Alabama, and two that were in Texas and were willing to take the trip with her.  She sent out a Facebook blast looking for volunteers.  Many welcomed her back and wished her luck, but had to decline for various reasons.  Her friends in Texas would have worked, but she had already seen them and wanted to take some of the vacation to see folks she hadn't seen in over a year.  It turned out that only one friend was able to make the trip.  Laurie would be able to ride from Alabama to Texas and fly back.  It was a one hour detour that was well worth it!

Janet decided that she would treat Laurie for her troubles and that they would make the most of the drive along I-10 by spending the night in one of the cities on a "girls' night".  Janet was met with her first obstacle.  She thought that it would be easy to choose what city to spend the night in.  She wanted one with great nightlife that was close to the highway and safe for two women.  She wanted it to be a large city to maximize the options.  This left her with Mobile, New Orleans, and Houston.  Should be easy to pick, right?  It turns out that it is hard to plan events in a city around a very specific travel time.  She figured that it would be easy to find something to do on a Saturday night, but there was nothing that was specific enough for the exact date she was going to be there.  Not being familiar with the cities also obscured the information that was available.  There was not as much information about safety as she would have liked.  She finally settled on New Orleans because it was about half way and had the most information available on the internet sites she visited.

With the city decided, Janet went about finding hotel accommodations.  After a year living in a tent, she wanted to splurge and spend the night in a high-end hotel.  She again went to the internet to quickly and easily book her lodging.  This time she was overloaded with a deluge of information.  Most of it was not even relevant to what she was looking for.  Her internet searches returned paid advertisements in areas outside of what she was looking for.  Others provided deals that were invalid during the one night she would be in town.  In some cases, multiple links led her back to the first website that wasn't helpful.  This part proved to be the biggest disappointment for Janet because she figured it would be easy to book a nice hotel in a location she wanted and it was one of the most important parts of her trip.  It was the part that was supposed to relax her.  This step was only frustrating her.

Finding activities was also more difficult than Janet predicted.  Again, the information was not relevant for what she was looking for.  Janet was not as concerned with activities as she was about the hotel.  She settled on a concert in a small venue that was close to the hotel mostly because of the proximity.  With this, she was glad to be done with her planning.

Janet and Laurie hit the road a little over two weeks later.  The trip was great and the they were able to spend some time relaxing and catching up.  The planning turned out to be the most stressful part of the trip.

The MBA that wasn't

Ashley looked and acted like all of the other MBA interns in town for the summer.  Professional, intelligent, and confident is how she came across.  She was rather unassuming until my first glimpse to her personality.  It was from an offhand comment she made about Guns N' Roses being before her time that clued me in.  She was actually ten years my junior and much different than my first impression suggested.

Her youth and spirit are at the forefront of her persona.  She recently finished her undergraduate studies and is at a point in her life where she finally feels that she can change the world for the better.  The responsibility to put a roof over her head tempers some of that ambition, leaving only a spark.  As such, she has a full time career and is very successful in terms of performance and potential.  She works hard to overcome a natural tendency to shy away from people and situations.  She is not completely closed off.  Rather, she resembles a secret Star Wars fan hiding the excitement and wonder of her true goals from those she works with.

She uses her environment to her advantage, blending in when she wants, and standing out when she is comfortable.  Her desk is a mosaic of her true personality.  Uncluttered with a few figurines and sayings on cards reveal her thoughts and goals.  Her friends are also extensions of her own thoughts, unique and what some would consider eccentric.  They characterize aspects of her hidden personality that she would express if she weren't as shy as she is.  She is always looking for ways to express personality traits without doing so explicitly.  Modest jewelry and accessories allow small glimpses to those that know what to look for.  Her music plays a big role in how she interacts with others and is one area that she is comfortable being herself in conversation.

In public, she is quiet and unnoticeable.  She likes the ability to interact with whom she chooses and would rather not be ambushed into conversation with a stranger.  Her dress is somewhat understated, with slight hints of expression like a colorful scarf or a t-shirt with a bold message under a mostly zipped up hoodie.  Again, she tries to control how much of her true self the world sees.

She isn't guarded in the traditional sense.  In fact, she is pleasant, polite, and unassuming in her interactions with others.  Coworkers and supervisors are thrilled with her performance.  She is mature for her age and able to handle complex tasks with confidence.  As happy as they are, they probably encourage her to be more outgoing at work.  Her friends see the true depth of her personality and are rewarded  with all the insight and ideas she has when she is free to express them.  Her friendship is hard earned and reserved only for the deserving few to whom she is fiercely loyal.

At the heart of her social circle is her family.  Her family has the most influence in her life and probably worked hard from modest means to get her set up for success.  Her drive and ambition in the workplace stem from a strong work ethic inherited from her parents.  Unfortunately, this also keeps her from pursuing her passion because she feels that she can't "waste" their sacrifice.

She fears the loss of her conviction, above all.  With so many cynics around her, she worries that she will become like so many that have given up on their goals.  She gets frustrated by others that do not share her passion for making positive change and will move something from the trash bin to the appropriate recycle bin if someone carelessly discards an item.  She will never openly confront anyone about her opinions, but hopes that her example influences others.

Her primary goal in life is to make a positive change in the world.  Something that she can tell her children that she did to help remove a burden from future generations.  She would be working for a non-profit organization if it weren't for her perceived need to be successful and save enough money to finally pursue her goals.  Time is really her biggest obstacle because she eventually wants a family and knows that providing for children can be expensive.  In this case, the book did not match the cover.