Q & A With Laurence Bradford
by Laurence Bradford Last updated Apr. 29, 2019
Short intro by Kyle:
Laurence has accomplished so much in only a few years.
She's got a hugely popular blog called Learntocodewith.me and a podcast where she helps millions of developers.
Get to know more about her journey and her advice.
Tell Us ‘Your Story’ from When You Were a Teenager Up to Now
The rundown:
- Grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Didn’t have the best time in high school; you could say I was definitely “rebellious” and didn’t try that hard at academics
- Went to a very small college in Boston and grew out of that rebellious stage. While I enjoyed learning now, I was not technical at all and even had to take a remedial computer course. The only technology I cared about was my iPhone. I remember thinking it was crazy that anyone would spend more than $200 on a laptop!
- My father was and still is very technical -- he studied physics and then Computer Science and still works in tech. But it never ever rubbed off on me. Remember, I was very rebellious as a teen! I went against what my parents did/said.
- I did very well in college academically (unlike high school)
- Studied abroad in China in 2011 which changed my life totally
- Went back to Asia after college to teach English in Thailand
- Travelled around Asia more and got a job in an economic development think tank
- Hated it and started to question what was next
- Discovered coding and taught myself how to build websites
- Moved back to USA
- Continued learning to code and got first side gig job
- Freelanced for a while
- Started LTCWM!
- Moved back to Boston
- Freelanced more and worked on LTCWM
- Got full-time tech job in NYC; relocated
- Quit that FT job after just over 2 years
- Now I work on LTCWM full-time! Woo.
If You Could Go Back 10 Years, What Would You Do Differently?
I always say I wouldn’t do anything different otherwise I wouldn’t be here -- ha.
That said… I wish I got into tech sooner. Wish I studied something other than history in college…maybe computer science, information systems…something with real-world value and demand in the job market.
I also wish in college I didn’t put so much of my self-worth into the grades I got at school. I cared so much -- too much -- about that. And in reality it doesn’t matter once you leave. Instead of being obsessive about getting straight A’s, I should have been networking with people in Boston.
Going to events, meetups. Getting out into the real world! Not tied to a library studying. And when I wasn’t studying, I was with friends (which is great!) but that was my whole life. Grades and friends. I had no other interests, nor was I building my career in any other way.
What is the Biggest Contributor to Your Success?
I wish I could say my belief in myself, but that isn’t always the case.
There are lots of times I don’t believe at all that I’m capable of doing what I’m trying to do. I used to say that a lot, though!
The reality is, I guess, that I have a good work ethic. I always did. In high school it was misguided. In college I worked very hard to get good grades. I’m not really naturally smart, so I had to work my butt off.
And that’s still the way it is today -- I show up, I do the work. You do that for 5+ years and you better believe you’ll be a lot further ahead than where you are right now!
The other thing I’ve been doing more recently is trying to “own the moment”.
So, instead of daydreaming about what the future can and will look like (which I still do, just not as much), I focus on where I am today. And how I can be my best self here, now, with the situation and season of life I am currently in.
Every day I work I try my best to remind myself of this -- and think about what I can do to actually impact other people’s lives here and now.
Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years and What Are You Doing?
Going off the above comment… I actually really don’t think that far ahead about professional/business life. I can’t answer that.
I can answer the next 6 months. I think much more about my personal life in the far future. I love what I do so much. But it’s just what I do. It’s not who I am :)
But in an attempt to answer… 5 years from now I’d like to be in a place where I have children or am close to having them.
Obviously that may not happen -- it’s not something you can plan for like you can plan a vacation! But because of that personal goal, I would like to be in a place where I can work very part-time on LTCWM.
Meaning saving up money now and building systems where things can run on autopilot while I take a bit of a break.
What Non-Tech Skills Would You Recommend Developers Have?
Communication.
I don’t care who you are or what you do -- communication is the essence of everything. Interpersonal relationships. Work relationships. Being likable. Getting hired during an interview.
I’ve witnessed very good senior developers lose their jobs because, essentially, they were extremely poor communicators. (Or had other personality-related issues that made them unpleasant to work with.)
What Advice Do You Have for Freelancers?
I think the biggest thing I see is people not feeling like they’re ready when in fact they are!
Remember, you have to start somewhere. And the first step is always the hardest.
When you do something more times, you’ll naturally get better at it.
And if you mess up -- think of it as a learning opportunity.
Get started -- you have to take a step to make progress. Every time you take on a new project, it’ll become easier and easier.
Your 5 Tips for Someone New to Web Development:
Tip 1 - Practice every single day
Join something like #100daysofcode if you want accountability.
Tip 2 - Get to know others in the tech industry
You can do this online or offline. Use meetups, forums, etc.
Tip 3 - Step away from the course!
Courses and tutorials are great, yes. But you also need to put into practice what you’re learning.
Tip 4 - Build things that you care about.
You’re more likely to keep making progress with projects you actually have an interest in.
Tip 5 - Keep going when things get tough.
They will! But push through. On the other side of discomfort is victory.
Bonus tip! Get the Ultimate Tech Career Toolbox!
Duh :) 33 different tech and coding products inside to help you get going in tech!
What is Something That Most People Don’t Know About You?
I’ve visited 35 countries (mostly in my early 20s after college) and I still try to visit one new country every year.
Your Podcast Is Awesome. Any Advice for Those Thinking About Podcasting?
Oh boy! Podcasting is not easy. I think it depends on your goals, but my advice is always to start small.
So, for instance, start by posting short videos on IG or YouTube (free platforms).
Personally, I’m so happy that I took my time and waited to jump into podcasting! I had the LTCWM blog two years before I started the podcast. It gave me time to get my bearings. I also got a bit of a following on social media. So, when I launched the show, I already had an audience I could share it with.
I don’t think you necessarily need experience or an audience to do it, but just know that it is a steep learning curve! (For me it was, at least!) It can be pretty hard to get traction in podcasting, and it’s so much work to do a single episode that it can feel pretty defeating when you don’t get many listeners.
What Would You Like to be Remembered For?
Helping others!
Conclusion by Kyle:
I hope this short Q & A article helped you with your web development journey.
Be sure to check out Lauarence's blog and podcast.
