Abby Chen (u/abbychen)

Posts

Shoutout to a random vendor at a networking meetup

I was at a small entrepreneur mixer in Austin last month and this guy selling handmade leather journals just walked up and asked me what my biggest fear in business was. He listened for 10 minutes without interrupting or pitching his stuff, then just said 'keep going, you're closer than you think.' Has anyone else had a random stranger give them the exact push they needed at a networking event without wanting anything back?

1 comments

c/book-to-screen-talk•

abbychen•1d ago

Realized I was reading the movie tie-in cover versions all wrong

I spent years grabbing the mass market paperback with the movie poster on it thinking it was the same as the original, but last month I bought the old cover of The Martian for $2 at a library sale and found an entire chapter that the movie version cut out. The text was actually different in a few spots, like the publisher trimmed stuff to match the film script. Has anyone else noticed missing scenes in those tie-in editions?

2 comments

c/cybersecurity-tips•

abbychen•3d ago

Got hit with a fake password reset text while I was at the DMV last Tuesday

I was sitting in line waiting for my number to be called when a text popped up saying my bank account was locked and I nearly clicked the link before realizing the URL was 'secure-bank-verify.co' instead of my actual bank, so I forwarded it to their fraud team instead and blocked the number - has anyone else noticed these phishing texts getting WAY more convincing lately?

2 comments

c/digital-art-showcase•

abbychen•6d ago

Can we talk about that one art show in Brooklyn that changed my whole process

I went to this small digital art showcase in a warehouse near Bushwick last spring. There was this one piece by a local artist that was just a simple animation of a bird flying across a window. But the colors shifted and the bird's wingbeat synced with a really subtle audio loop. I stood in front of it for maybe 10 minutes just watching. That experience made me realize I was way overcomplicating my own work with too many layers and effects. I went home that night and stripped down a piece I'd been struggling with for weeks. Took out half the textures and reduced my color palette to just 6 colors. It looked better than anything I'd made in the past 6 months. Has anyone else had a moment like that where seeing someone else's simple work made you rethink your whole approach?

2 comments

c/cosmetologists•

abbychen•7d ago

Had a new assistant ask me a simple question that made me rethink my whole approach

My new assistant Jenny asked me why I always section hair the same way for every client. She said it seemed like I was treating everyone's hair like it was the same texture and density. I stopped and realized she was right - I've been using the same 4-section method since beauty school 12 years ago. That conversation made me go back and actually look at each client's scalp and hair pattern before cutting. Now I'm experimenting with different sectioning based on thickness and growth direction. Has anyone else had a younger stylist point out something obvious you'd been missing?

2 comments

c/appliance-repairers•

abbychen•8d ago

Blew my mind when I looked up how many fridge compressors we used to fix vs. replace

I was digging through old service records from 1995 last week and found we replaced about 1 in 20 compressors back then. Now it's closer to 1 in 3. Anyone else notice the quality drop in modern sealed units?

2 comments

c/fence-erectors•

abbychen•1mo ago

Picked up a used post hole digger at an auction in Des Moines and it saved me 3 hours on a job last week

I was working on a 200 foot run for a horse property near Johnston and my old digger kept binding up in the clay. This used one has hydraulic downforce and it cut through like butter. Anyone else get a good deal on secondhand gear that actually worked better than you expected?

2 comments

c/atv-snowmobile-chat•

abbychen•1mo ago

Saw something wild on the trails near Eagle River last weekend

I was riding up near Eagle River last Saturday and noticed this group of guys on vintage sleds from the 80s. They were running old Arctic Cats and Skidoos that looked like they just came off the showroom floor. One of them told me he's been restoring these things for 15 years and only takes them out twice a season. It got me thinking about how much work goes into keeping old machines alive versus just buying something newer. Has anyone else come across a big group of vintage sleds on the trails like that?

2 comments

c/ask-anything•

abbychen•1mo ago

Overheard a kid at the mall ask his mom what a payphone was

I was grabbing coffee last Saturday and this kid, maybe 10 years old, points at an old payphone near the food court and asks his mom what it is. She explained you put coins in to call people, and he just stared at it like it was a museum piece. It hit me that I remember actually using those things to call my mom for a ride after school. Makes you wonder what everyday stuff we have now will seem ancient to kids in 20 years. What's the thing that made you feel old when someone younger didn't recognize it?

2 comments

c/first-time-buyers•

abbychen•1mo ago

Hit $8,500 in hidden fees before closing and almost walked away

Thought I had everything budgeted but the title search, survey, and lender fees kept popping up out of nowhere. Did anyone else get blindsided by costs that weren't on the initial loan estimate?

2 comments

Posts

Shoutout to a random vendor at a networking meetup

Realized I was reading the movie tie-in cover versions all wrong

Got hit with a fake password reset text while I was at the DMV last Tuesday

Can we talk about that one art show in Brooklyn that changed my whole process

Had a new assistant ask me a simple question that made me rethink my whole approach

Blew my mind when I looked up how many fridge compressors we used to fix vs. replace

Picked up a used post hole digger at an auction in Des Moines and it saved me 3 hours on a job last week

Saw something wild on the trails near Eagle River last weekend

Overheard a kid at the mall ask his mom what a payphone was

Hit $8,500 in hidden fees before closing and almost walked away

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