Suggestions
Beth Downey
Owner, Permelia Media: Wordpress Web Design & Development
Beth Downey is a skilled web development professional adept at both front- and back-end tasks, specializing in WordPress websites. She brings to the table a wealth of experience in user experience/interface (UX/UI) design, supported by a strong background in graphic design. Beth has a solid educational foundation in fine art, having pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree from Mississippi State University.
Over the course of her career, Beth has held key roles in several organizations, including a stint as Senior Web Developer at Noom Inc. She also managed her own venture, Permelia Media, where she operated as Owner, Web Developer, Graphic Designer, and Illustrator. Her expertise extends to positions such as Front End Web Developer at Parthenon Publishing, Front End Developer at sprclldr, Creative Director at Beth Downey Graphic Design, and Art Director/Graphic Designer at Iliad Inc.
Highlights
There are two pieces of advice I have heeded as a business owner:
- set goals
- get comfortable being uncomfortable
Here is an intersection of the two. I ride a bike for my mental and physical health. I set a 100 mile, 5000 feet goal for myself for June. When I began the month, the temps were not near 100 degrees. Toward the end of the month, temperatures and humidity have been brutal. But my goal remained. Yesterday, in Mississippi, (I'm visiting family) the dew point was 78 and the temperature was 91 when I went and rode the final 4.2 miles to reach my goal. That might have been the longest 4.2 miles I've ever ridden. But I reminded myself to "get comfortable being uncomfortable" because the only way to push through is mind over matter - and a lot of water. I did not reach my 5K feet goal; unfortunately where I am in Mississippi is flat terrain.
July is here, and so are brutal temperatures. The only way to acclimate to riding in heat is to ride in heat. The only way to get better at hills is to ride up hills. So I continue to work toward my goals while getting comfortable being uncomfortable. Meanwhile, back at the laptop, I have a few tasks that are challenging me - and once again, being uncomfortable being uncomfortable comes into play - and each time I conquer these scary feelings of "what if I can't?" I gain confidence that I can handle what comes next.
I had to take my best boy, Gus, to the pet ER yesterday. Pro tip: don't leave a rotisserie chicken in the trash where your pup can get to it.
I filed my claim today with his insurance carrier, Figo. As I was going through the steps to file the paperwork, this screen popped up. It brought tears to my eyes.
Good UX/CX (user experience/customer experience) is injecting humanity into a stressful situation.
