About

Personally Speaking

It’s the compilation of the little
things that make us truly unique.
Here are mine.

I'm a researcher of all things. To me, this is really about making informed decisions, big and small. Need to define a product strategy? Want a restaurant recommendation? Curious about which baby products to buy? I got you.  

I'm thankful for all of the encouragement, advice, and tough love I've received over the years. I pay it forward through being a coach, mentor, and educator in the UX community.

I'm a professional listener. My curiosity and intuition guide me toward peeling back the layers and unlocking a deeper understanding. This comes through as a people manager, researcher, and coach. 

I have an insatiable hunger for learning. You'll find me listening to audiobooks and podcasts while walking, driving, cooking, and cleaning. Current interests: leadership, business, and all things Brené Brown.

I'm a crafter of food. Like knitting to others, cooking is my source of mindfulness, learning, creativity, and social connection. By joining me around the dinner table, you've gifted me the 30+ minutes of uninterrupted me time prior to that. Thank you, in advance. 🙏

My brain drives me toward taming complexity, which allows me to function well in chaos. Can't find me? Check the whiteboard where I'm likely diagramming the hell out of ambiguous concepts - or in FigJam while working from home. I love to borrow and create frameworks.

I'm an adoptive dad. My parental superpowers are my unwavering patience, the impeccable delivery of a teachable moment, and the cultivation of a future foodie.

I too have a little monster chewing on my leg. His name is Rupert and he occasionally brings out the worst in me - the part that feels territorial, insecure, and FOMO. Luckily, I have my ways of calming him down. What's your monster's name? I know you have one too. (metaphor credit: Molly Graham)

I've been told that I have contagious positive energy. Fun fact: a research participant once read my aura during an interview - bright yellow ☀️ 

I have made a commitment to myself to fail forward as often as possible. The mere thought of failing used to make Rupert ravenous. I've also said bye-bye to my attachment to being right and to knowing (the answer, the outcome, the plan). 

I care deeply about people. I hold the space for others to experience all emotions. We celebrate, we air frustrations, we dream, and we cry. We are whole people at home and at work. How might I support you in showing up as your authentic self?

Career

Paul Derby is a professional certified Co-Active coach who supports the leadership development of UX Researchers - both as practitioners and people managers. Concurrently, Paul is a UX research leader at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), where he started and scaled a UX research team within the Education Initiative. Prior to CZI, Paul was a UX researcher at Facebook and Honeywell - and a design educator at the Academy of Art University and the University of Minnesota. Paul established his coaching practice in 2019.

To learn more about my professional journey, please visit my LinkedIn profile.

Coach Training + Certification

I have completed the Professional Co-Active Coach training and certification through the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI). This program is recognized as the most rigorous and respected coach training and certification in the industry, one of the first in the world accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF). In addition, I have completed Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching Training through CRR Global.