5 to 9

At work, Colleen Tartow is the Field CTO and Head of Strategy at Vast Data, but when her laptop closes for the day, she picks up a pen. Yes, this tech maven’s artistic outlet is modern calligraphy—and it’s more than just a pastime. Hear how calligraphy has influenced her personal and professional lives in interesting ways and why she absolutely does not want to craft invites for your wedding. Whether you’ve got your own feathered quill or not, you’ll still appreciate Colleen’s artistic flourish in this inspiring episode.
 

Highlights:

One: Calligraphy as a Tech Escape: Calligraphy provides Colleen with a much-needed creative and therapeutic outlet after work.

Two: Practical Calligraphy Tips: Like most good hobbies, calligraphy is all about the gear: pens, custom-mixed inks, and paper.

Three: Real Talk on Focus: If you feel fidgety during meetings, calligraphy might help be the answer.

Four: Personal Expressions: Colleen incorporates humor and personality into her calligraphy, like her ornate "take the motherf**king leap" piece. A reminder that art can be both beautiful and hilariously real.


Jump into the conversation:

05:03 Decided to take calligraphy courses during pandemic downtime.
12:11 Quality printer paper with a smooth texture is recommended.
17:21 Colleen prefers traditional, flourished calligraphy and has developed her own style.
22:07 How to overcome an overactive imagination: chill and take one step forward.

What is 5 to 9?

By day, engineering leaders craft innovative solutions with elegant strings of code. But when the work day ends, who do these keyboard warriors and the people who manage them become? Five to Nine - gives an exclusive glimpse into the lives of software engineers and the minds who guide them, brought to you by Jellyfish CEO Andrew Lau. Peer behind the scenes as we delve into the diverse realms these tech virtuosos inhabit after the clock strikes five. From vinyl DJs who keep it old school to virtuoso cellists and from connoisseurs of meticulously brewed coffee to daring cultivators of forbidden tomatoes – each guest unveils a hidden facet of themselves. But what's more intriguing is the connection between these avocations and their roles as product and engineering leaders. The question remains: Who are you when the laptop closes? Discover the captivating obsessions that shape these remarkable individuals and illuminate a different dimension of leadership.