Science Vibes

"I don’t think waking up in the middle of the night to work is good for you,” my wife said. A few months before that, I had quit my postdoc and thrown myself into medical writing, working absurd hours. I was gripped by anxiety that would strike in the middle of the night. Unable to sleep, I would get up and work. After my wife had endured a week of waking up to a ragged and grumpy husband, she shared the above thought with me. “I think you’re working too much,” she continued She was right. As a researcher, I’d been a #workaholic, driven by a need to prove myself. I craved external validation. Early in my career, I had enjoyed research, but it eventually consumed me, leading me to neglect other areas of my life. In academia, workaholism is often rewarded. Which drove me to work more. When I finally burned out as a #postdoc, after 10 years in research, I told myself I was done with the need to work endlessly to regulate my emotions. But a few months into my new #scicomm career, I realized: “No matter where I go, there I am.” For me, workaholism stemmed from a fear of failure. I worked incessantly to avoid it — whether it was a failed experiment or client dissatisfaction with my writing. It’s a tough way to live, and over the years, I’ve found a bit more work-everything else balance. Here’s how: 🔍 Reexamining my views on failure: I took my work so personally that we were one and the same. Only recently have I been able to separate the two. My great fear about delivering writing that a client isn’t happy with is okay, but it doesn’t have to be about me. Rather, I can frame it as being about the content. “This missed the mark, Elie,” a client might say. Workaholic Elie might turn inward and think, “Arghh, what did I do wrong?!?” More Balanced Elie tries to think, “Hmm, I wonder what happened with this piece?” And ask questions to try to correct it. 🏄♂️ Enriching other meaningful areas: At the height of my workaholism, I convinced myself I didn’t need anything outside of work. Research was my life. But over time, I made room for family, surfing, friends, rest, boxing, and reading. These activities recharged me, both mentally and physically, providing a balance that work alone couldn’t offer. ✋ Setting and keeping boundaries: I fiercely protect personal time—whether it’s for family, socializing, or exercise. If work threatens to encroach, I adjust deadlines or reprioritize tasks. And when anxiety strikes at night, instead of working, I write down what’s on my mind, read something I enjoy, and, eventually, get back to sleep. I don’t think I’ll ever not be a workaholic, but putting some strategies in place to keep it in check keeps me from burning out and gives me the tools to actually be more efficient, strategic, and motivated in my work. If you’re a workaholic, too, tell me how you avoid burnout below 👇 👇 👇

During my 10 years doing research, I acquired a few great skills: 😓 Work ethic and dedication 📢 Effective #scicomm, written and oral 💪 Solving complex problems 👨🔬 Managing multiple experiments and projects However, there were also a LOT of things I never learned during my Ph.D. and postdoc. When I transitioned to a new role as a medical writer (and later as a science content writer), I discovered that success wasn’t about: ▪ How many experiments I could run in a day, ▪ Or the amount of data I produced, ▪ Or how many publications I put out, ▪ Or my stubborn academic attitude. It was about collaboration, communication, and growth. I had to learn new skills for a new environment. Skills like: 👯 Truly being part of a team where everyone’s input mattered, and the goal was shared success. 🙉 Listening and absorbing diverse perspectives.  🧘♂️ Viewing failure not as a setback but as a step forward—a chance to learn and grow. This transformation was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. In the 8 years since I quit doing research, learning these skills has been a constant struggle. Often, it's 2 steps forward and 1 back. This isn’t a post where I say, "I've mastered teamwork, listening, and learning from failure, and here's how." But awareness is the first step to improvement. Once I identified the skills I needed to develop, I dedicated time and energy to experimenting and practicing. Here’s how I’ve been working on it lately: 📖 Reading: I recently read Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg. It’s full of actionable advice on connecting through conversation. Spoiler alert: Listening and asking the right questions are key. It helped me rethink how I approach client and partner interactions and focus on listening to what's being said. And how it's being said. ⚗ Getting Uncomfortable: Working for myself, I've sometimes found myself becoming complacent and avoiding daunting tasks. Lately, I've been consciously challenging that inner voice that says, "Don't do that; it will be too hard," and trying to do the opposite. Stepping out of my comfort zone has fueled my creativity and made my work much more exciting! 🙌 Coaching: The fear of failure has often kept me from learning new things and acquiring new skills. I've started working with a business coach who has helped me figure out what's behind that fear and how to address it in a healthy and balanced way.    Acquiring these new skills is a daily challenge, but it's a challenge well worth it! If you're considering a leap outside of academia, know that it’s not about abandoning what you’ve learned — it’s about expanding it and challenging yourself. What new skills did you have to learn when you left academia? And how did you learn them?

Mondays in lab, got Marie Curie like... #science #lablife

"People are happier when they have fewer options." That's what a “mentor” told me when I shared that I was quitting my postdoc to pursue a science communication career outside the lab. He went on to say that if I was unhappy in my current position as a postdoc, the solution was to work harder. "Don't you want to do what I do?” he asked. I didn’t. Becoming a professor was something I had worked toward for 10 years, but I’d grown deeply discouraged by it. I left that meeting feeling like a failure. Like I had made the wrong decision and that my life would be all downhill from there. But then, I found #scicomm! And I found strength in finding this new option. Here’s what led me down this fresh path: 📞Informational Interviews: I searched LinkedIn for anyone with the title “science writer” or “medical writer.” I’d connect and talk with them. The information those great people provided showed me a fulfilling potential career path. ✍ Writing More: Encouraged by my interviews, I explored writing beyond academic papers, starting with a microbiology blog, Small Things Considered, and news articles for Scripps Research. 🖼 Reframing my Previous Experience: I identified transferable skills from my lab work, such as literature review, critical thinking, and data analysis, that were valuable in SciComm. This reframing of my skills helped me leverage my scientific background to pursue a new career and gave me confidence that I could actually do it! Together, these three things gave me that little spark of confidence to go with my gut and take a “tiny hop” of faith into something new. Once I did and saw that the world didn’t end, it gave me the confidence to take more tiny hops (into new kinds of writing). Then medium jumps (into launching my own business, Werd Lab ). Then big leaps (into launching another business, Science Vibes). All because I searched for, investigated, and pursued other options. Don’t let people tell you that you’re making a mistake because you’re not following the same path or making the same decisions they made in their life. Build your own path. Educate yourself with outside opinions beyond the echo chamber of your lab. Make your own choice.

It's 2:39 am. You're awake. Are you wondering whether you: A. Turned your Bunsen burner off 🔥  B. Forget to close the incubator door🚪 C. Plated on the wrong antibiotic 🤔 D. All of the above 🌍 #science #lablife

How do you start a #scicomm business? After a recent panel (thanks Biotech Networks!) on career transitions and transferable skills for scientists, I had many people ask me this. It can be exciting and daunting, even if you're already in a SciComm role, but especially if you’re transitioning directly out of the lab as an academic or industry scientist. Here are some tips I've learned for those considering taking the leap into #entrepreneurship: 🔍 Define Your Motivation: Why do you want to start your biz? The freedom to choose your clients, projects, and schedule was a huge driver for me. Knowing what you want from your new endeavor can help you organize your work and operations. 💰 Build a Financial Safety Net: The financial risk is real. And for me, it was a serious source of anxiety. I aimed to save enough to cover my expenses for at least six months. I know it's easier said than done. I had two kids when I launched my science writing biz, and we had significant monthly expenses. It is hard and takes careful planning. But this cushion can help reduce stress during the first few months and slower periods in that first year. 🎯 Find a Niche within a Niche: Specialization is critical. Whether it’s life science podcasting, SEO for biotech, regulatory affairs, or another focus, having a niche helps you stand out and attract the right clients. If you're coming from a scientific background, then you've developed fluency in a specific scientific language and the wants and needs of scientists in that niche. Leverage that fluency to your potential clients! 🤝 Network Relentlessly: LinkedIn was and still is a dear friend—build and reach out to your network regularly. Initially, cold outreach and my pre-existing contacts helped me get my first clients. Don’t forget in-person events, either. Relationships built face-to-face often lead to long-term opportunities. 🎯 Get a Business Coach: There were so many aspects of starting and running a business that I knew were important but didn't know how to execute practically. Don’t hesitate to seek help. When I started Werd Lab , I hired a business coach who helped me figure out how to manage operations and market myself. When I started Science Vibes, I worked (and still work!) with Ken Li 🎾, who helped me strategically plan and complete tasks. 🏷️ Market Yourself: Establish a strong personal brand, create a website, and gather testimonials as you go. Also, get (and use) feedback from clients! 💡 Sustain and Grow: Once your biz is running, focus on growth. Diversify services, consider hiring help or subcontracting, and stay adaptable to industry changes. But always come back to why you launched your own biz in the first place. If scaling up turns your job into something you hate, then it's not worth it! Starting a company isn’t easy, but it’s so gratifying to build something from nothing. If you’re thinking about making the leap, remember to embrace the challenges and enjoy the journey!

Tell me you’re doing lab work without telling me you’re doing lab work. We’ll start... 🗣 Listening to Girl Talk - Feed the Animals: Want to hear Ace of Base mashed up with Kanye West? This high-energy album can get you amped while doing bench work. Here’s some more amazing #laboratory music to help kickstart your week: ⚪ The Beatles - The White Album: A timeless classic that sets the right vibe for any task! 📻 Radiohead - In Rainbows: Layers of haunting electronica and rock make it perfect for deep focus. 🥁 Ratatat - Classics: A dope blend of electronic beats, rock guitar riffs, and synthesizers for fun, non-intrusive background music. 💣 Outkast - Stankonia: Need energy? Well, here ya go! What’s your go-to music for lab work? Share your favorites below! 🎶

I don't know who created this but it sure is brilliant and cracked me up. The world economy explained with just two cows. 😅 My favorite one is "Venture Capitalism"... Lol

Your daily reminder: Try to fail at something today ...and be proud of it! Juliette Han, PhD #growthmindset #failforward #successthroughfailure #personaldevelopment #professionalgrowth #careeradvice #EntrepreneurialMindset

My final year as a postdoc was not fun... ⏰ Long hours in the lab 🗜 Constant self-imposed pressure to produce data and publish papers 😫 Anxiety about the future I wanted to quit. But this depressing thought — that I had put so much effort into earning a Ph.D., publishing papers, and securing fellowships — kept me going, doing something I had come to hate. I didn't want to throw it all away by leaving the bench. It felt like I was wasting years of work. Accepting that I had fallen out of love with something I once cherished was tough. When I finally stepped away from the bench and into a new career in #scicomm, that didn't just melt away. I was still bitter. I discouraged young scientists from pursuing graduate degrees, and I was angry that I had ever chosen that path. But over (a lot of) time, those feelings faded. As I immersed myself in science writing and found purpose in my new role, the anger slowly but surely disappeared. With that shift, I gained a more balanced perspective and could finally appreciate that scientific research is filled with creativity and excitement — elements that deserve to be celebrated. Now, my mission is to inject fun and joy into life science fields in an attempt to reach scientists who might feel hopeless or stuck in their work or facing a career crisis. The goal of my latest endeavor, Science Vibes, is to make researchers and science lovers smile, taking the serious and buttoned-up aspects of some science and turning them on their heads. Starting this journey wasn’t easy, but it’s been incredibly rewarding. For those who feel stuck in their current position or bitter about past career choices, remember that you are not defined by a single decision or role. Sometimes, the best step forward is exploring new and unexpected paths, even if it initially feels like a step back.