Hi, I'm Joel
I design systems, both technical and human. CTO at Agility CMS, building AI-native content infrastructure for 21+ years without a dollar of VC. Football coach, theatre performer, small town Ontario dad. Here's my story. Want me at your event? Let's talk.
A Dad's Cut: Harry's Sophomore Season at Guelph
Filming every game on a Sony a6700, watching my son catch two touchdowns in a near-impossible comeback against undefeated Laurier, and figuring out what it means to be useful as a football dad.
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Trilliums on the Hog's Back
Fifteen kilometers on the Green A loop in Northumberland Forest. Three laps of the Hog's Back to prep my legs for Scotland. And the trilliums everywhere, just doing their thing.
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Worse Than Smoking? Claude Code Remote Control
Over the weekend I replaced doom scrolling with Claude Code remote control. This might be the new smoking for the age of AI.
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Sodden at Orono Crown Lands
A short rainy hike at a new spot, a small wardrobe lesson learned, and a very kind barista who pretended not to notice.
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Back from the Agility CMS Mexico Retreat
A week in Mexico with the Agility CMS team. Strategy resets with the exec team, leadership training with our Senior Managers, dine-arounds with the full crew, and an epic excursion to Tulum, sea turtles, and a cenote.
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What's In My Bag
Packing for a work retreat in Mexico. Everything I need to be productive, sleep well, stay healthy, and have a little fun, all in a carry-on.
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Sam Altman: When People Tell You Who They Are
Sam Altman published a personal treatise after someone threw Molotov cocktails at his house. His candidness about his own flaws and his vision for AI democratization deserve both respect and scrutiny.
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What It Means to Be Canadian Right Now
A couple of days in Ottawa reminded me of something I learned in grade 7 and have been thinking about ever since — Canada as a mosaic, not a melting pot. We are so wildly different from coast to coast, and somehow that's exactly the point.
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A Different Way to Travel
Trains are a much different way to travel than any other. It's more civilized, I feel. From commuting on VIA Rail to crossing Canada with my kids, train travel has given me some of my best memories.
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VO2 Max Over 42!
I've been working on getting my VO2 max over 42 for over a year, and today I finally cracked it. Here's what that number means, how Apple Watch tracks it, and why I care more about the trend than the actual score.
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