Ink & Iron is more than a name, it's a stance. It's the refusal to quit, the belief that words can cut as sharp as steel, and the demand that stories carry weight, grit, and truth. This isn't a publishing house chasing trends or soft edges. It's a forge for fiction, folklore, field guides, and essays that don't flinch, that lead from the front, and that leave a mark. Ink is for the story. Iron is for the will behind it. Put together, it's a challenge, create, endure, and lead by example.
Ambiguity Is a Joke, But the System's Laughing at Us
Strategic vagueness has become a shield for leaders who fear accountability.
Read ArticleAI Is Making People Dumber
When thinking is outsourced, confidence rises while competence quietly rots.
Read ArticleMusic Sessions from the Forge
The Irish Myth Series
Last of the Púca : Volume I
The valley keeps its own ledger. Every ribbon tied to thorn, every coin left at a well, every silence held too long is counted. The old people call it courtesy, the young call it superstition, but Aoife knows the balance is real. When surveyors arrive with bright tape and maps that rename the land, when crates are moved in the dark and men laugh too quickly at old warnings, the ridge begins to stir. Drawn into its keeping, Aoife finds herself carrying more than her own voice. The braid at her throat tightens, the ledger hums in her chest, and the parish's debts press against her skin. Each truth she speaks costs memory, each silence weighs heavier than the last. To endure, she must learn the rules her grandmother whispered: salt for the ford, iron for the sill, truth for the tithe. But the ridge is not the only one counting. A shadow walks with the Crow, a Collector waits in Dublin, and hunger stretches its hand toward the parish. As Samhain nears, Aoife must decide how much of herself she can pay to keep the balance and whether one woman's steadiness is enough when the land itself demands a keeper. The Last of the Púca is a lyrical tale of folklore and endurance, where myth presses against modern law, and silence speaks louder than any bargain.
Last of the Púca : Volume II
The valley keeps its own ledger. Every ribbon tied to thorn, every coin left at a well, every silence held too long is counted. The old people call it courtesy, the young call it superstition, but Aoife knows the balance is real. When surveyors arrive with bright tape and maps that rename the land, when crates are moved in the dark and men laugh too quickly at old warnings, the ridge begins to stir. Drawn into its keeping, Aoife finds herself carrying more than her own voice. The braid at her throat tightens, the ledger hums in her chest, and the parish's debts press against her skin. Each truth she speaks costs memory, each silence weighs heavier than the last. To endure, she must learn the rules her grandmother whispered: salt for the ford, iron for the sill, truth for the tithe. But the ridge is not the only one counting. A shadow walks with the Crow, a Collector waits in Dublin, and hunger stretches its hand toward the parish. As Samhain nears, Aoife must decide how much of herself she can pay to keep the balance and whether one woman's steadiness is enough when the land itself demands a keeper. The Last of the Púca is a lyrical tale of folklore and endurance, where myth presses against modern law, and silence speaks louder than any bargain.
THE FAOLADH GUILD
Adam Whelan's life shattered the moment he witnessed a death. The awakening was brutal. The transformation, inevitable. And the call from Ireland? Unavoidable. His father abandoned him eighteen years ago. Now Adam knows why. The Faoladh gene ancient, powerful, and deadly has awakened in his blood. He can become a wolf. But without training, he'll lose himself to the beast. In the fortress of Dún na Faoiligh, Adam must learn to control what he's become. To hunt the monsters that lurk between worlds. To guard the threshold between the mortal realm and the Otherworld. And to face the father who left him behind. But some legacies are paid for in blood. And Adam is about to discover that becoming a Guardian means sacrificing everything. Perfect for fans of urban fantasy with bite. Book 1 of The Faoladh Guild series.
HAIRY LITTLE BASTARDS: The Faoladh Guild, Book 2
Six months ago, Adam Whelan became the youngest Guild Master in three centuries. Six months of impossible choices. Six months of carrying weight that would crush anyone else. Now the barriers between worlds are failing. The Otherworld bleeds through with increasing boldness. And someone Adam trusts is preparing to betray him. The Morrigan's daughter warns: "Some debts can only be paid in blood." The Púca Lord threatens: "The tide is coming, and all the Guild Masters in the world won't hold it back." Seán O'Connell the only arbiter who can prevent war has a death mark on his back. And Adam Whelan must decide: Who lives? Who dies? And what's left of him when the burden finally becomes too heavy to carry? The reckoning is coming. Urban fantasy with Irish mythology, brutal choices, and a hero who refuses to quit even when quitting would be easier than what comes next.
Beautiful Evil Little Things
Garda Seán Ó Murchú follows a string of vanishings that leave only a hush behind, witness accounts of a figure darker than shadow, and lights that dim for a breath before the world resumes. In Galway's galleries and along the quays, the investigation bends toward an old name whispered in folklore, a patron who gives brilliance and takes life, the Leannán Sí.
Out in the fields, a measured grid of stakes and mirrors at ringforts points to design, not trespass, while reports of the Slua Sí ride in on weather that does not feel like weather at all. As the case widens, Seán is pressed into a role with two masters, keeping the balance between State and the Aos Sí, and learning that silence can be evidence.
The Silverhand Saga
The Silver Hand of Tara VOLI
Finn O'Reilly wakes from a car crash to find his severed arm replaced by living silver. The replacement is no prosthetic but a shard of Nuada's ancient sword, fused to his body and carrying memories older than Ireland itself. Haunted by visions of his missing sister Orla and hunted by Fomorian sea-demons, Finn must learn to control a weapon that seems to have its own agenda. The goddess Brigid offers cryptic guidance while Ireland's landscape cracks under resurfacing magic, forcing Finn to accept that his accident was no accident at all. As prophecy closes around him like a fist, Finn realizes the silver hand doesn't just replace what he lost, it demands payment for what it gives.
The Silver Hand of Tara VOLII: The Bearer's Burden
With the silver hand's power growing beyond his control, Finn is dragged deeper into a war he never chose. The Fomorians escalate their attacks while Brigid reveals the true cost of wielding Nuada's weapon, every use binds him tighter to ancient oaths and forgotten debts. Finn's search for Orla leads him through Ireland's hidden places where old magic still holds sway and the line between ally and enemy blurs. Prophecy tightens its grip as Finn discovers that saving his sister might require sacrifices he's not willing to make. The burden of the silver hand isn't just its weight but the choices it forces him to face, and Ireland's survival may depend on whether Finn can accept what he's becoming before the past devours the present.
The Silver Hand of Tara Book II: The Bird Kings Promise
IRELAND'S NEWEST THORNBEARER THOUGHT WITNESSING FIVE HUNDRED SOULS WOULD BE THE HARDEST THING HE'D EVER DO. HE WAS WRONG. Seventeen-year-old Finn O'Reilly survived the Battle of Tara and accepted the silver arm that marks him as heir to an ancient prophecy. Now he carries five hundred souls in his consciousness, their debts and memories pressing against his own until he can barely tell where Finn ends and Nuada's legacy begins. The Thorn buried in his chest pulses with every heartbeat, binding him to Ireland's magic whether he likes it or not. But Finn's foster sister Orla is changing in ways that terrify him. Frost spreads from her fingertips when she touches growing things. Roses wilt and freeze in her hands. Winter whispers in her dreams, and the name everyone keeps repeating, the Cailleach, makes Orla's eyes flash with recognition she shouldn't have. When Finn and his companions journey north to Ulster, they're not just witnessing Ireland's forgotten dead. They're racing against time to understand what's happening to Orla before an ancient goddess claims her completely. Along the way, Finn discovers that his friend Barnibus is hiding more than giant blood; he's the reincarnation of Fionn mac Cumhaill, the legendary Bird King, and his seven impossible doors are beginning to open, whether he wants them to or not. MEMORY IS CURRENCY. DEBT IS DESTINY. AND WINTER IS COMING FOR THE SISTER FINN PROMISED TO PROTECT. In a world where gods bargain in blood and prophecy, where the land remembers every promise ever made, Finn must learn what it truly means to be a Thornbearer because witnessing the dead is one thing. Watching the people you love transform into something ancient and terrible is another. Perfect for readers who loved Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series but are ready for higher stakes, genuine consequences, and mythology that bites back.
The Silver Hand of Tara: The Cailleach's Hunger
After the battle at Tara, Orla thought she'd won. She survived possession by Danu, pulled her brother Finn back from the edge of prophecy, and carved out a fragile truce with the gods. But something went wrong. Her root magic (once wild and green) now spreads frost instead of life. Trees blacken under her touch. The land remembers winter, and it's calling her name. The Cailleach, Ireland's ancient Winter Goddess, hasn't just awakened. She's claimed Orla as her vessel. As winter spreads across Ireland with unnatural speed, Orla is dragged into an internal war she can't escape. Inside her mind, the Cailleach builds a frozen cathedral, demanding surrender, offering peace through perfect stillness. Outside, the country locks down: rivers freeze solid, children turn to ice, and the military scrambles to contain a disaster they don't understand. Finn refuses to lose his sister again. Armed with the Silver Hand and the memories of five hundred souls, he fights to anchor Orla to the messy, beautiful chaos of being human. But every node of ancient power she neutralizes costs her more of herself. She's becoming a walking record of Ireland's wounded land (stone, water, frost), and the girl she was is slipping away. To stop the endless winter, Orla must do the impossible: she can't expel the Cailleach. She has to swallow her. Consume millennia of glacial hunger, cage an ancient goddess inside her own soul, and become something new: something neither fully human nor fully divine. The third book in the Silver Hand Saga blends Irish mythology with visceral body horror, exploring what it costs to become a god when all you wanted was to stay yourself. Perfect for fans of Rick Riordan's darker moments and readers who like their fantasy soaked in frost, guilt, and impossible choices.
Coloring Books
Birds of Ireland: A Colouring Field Guide
An all-ages colouring journey through Ireland's birdlife, from robins and goldfinches to storm petrels and choughs. Designed for calm focus, curiosity, and a little everyday wonder.
Palatka
27 Pages of Colouring FUN! A combination of activities and animal life in & around Palatka, FL
Leadership Series
Invisible Bias
Generational tensions and cultural microaggressions are often invisible, but their impact is not. This book explores how stereotypes, outdated assumptions, and unconscious behaviors erode collaboration and inclusion, and offers strategies to dismantle those hidden barriers.
Mentor Without a Title
Leadership is behavior, not a job description. Presence, consistency, and courage matter more than rank, this field guide equips professionals at any level to influence culture, set standards, and build trust across generations.
Old School Professionalism
Professionalism is not optional, it is the foundation of trust and performance. From clarity in communication to visible ownership and accountability, these standards rebuild credibility in teams and organizations.
"Old school Professionalism is not a Boomer playbook. It is a modern guide to driving efficiency, strengthening accountability, and streamlining communication so teams can optimize outputs and build trust faster." Kenneth Lanewood, 25-year Global IT Professional
Self Help
Leaving the US
This book is a practical and honest guide for those considering building a life outside the United States. It covers planning, relocation, cultural adjustment, and the legal realities of emigration. It is not a fantasy or an escape plan, but a roadmap that helps readers make informed decisions about one of the biggest moves of their lives.
Don't F***ing Quit
A blunt field manual for when motivation dies and the excuses get loud. Built around hard principles kill excuses, walk through pain, show up tired, choose discipline over dopamine this book teaches you to keep moving when every part of you wants to fold.
Help! My Computer Is Smarter Than Me
Help! My Computer Is Smarter Than Me is a survival guide for anyone who has ever felt outsmarted by their own devices. Written with humor and plain language, it demystifies the everyday frustrations of technology whether it's printers refusing to print, Wi-Fi dropping at the worst moment, or files disappearing into digital black holes. Instead of jargon and lectures, the book gives readers simple patterns, checklists, and "digital street smarts" they can rely on when panic strikes. From email headaches and password nightmares to smart gadgets and cloud storage, it shows you how to stay calm, fix problems, and keep your tech working for you. It's not about turning you into an engineer it's about giving you the instuncts and confidence to survive the chaos. If you've ever wanted fewer meltdowns, less panic, and the sweet victory of making your devices behave, this is the book to buy.
AI for Newbies
AI for Newbies is a clear, no-bullshit guide that shows you how to use modern AI tools in real life without a tech background or a math degree. It opens by explaining what AI actually is, how systems like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and others work, and why they are powerful but far from magic. From there, the book walks you step by step through using AI for everyday work like writing, research, coding help, creative projects and small-business tasks, always with a focus on staying in control instead of letting the tools think for you. You learn how to write better prompts, build simple automations, and turn AI into a force multiplier for your time instead of another distraction. The author also digs into the messy side of AI such as privacy risks, deepfakes, bias, copyright and job anxiety, and shows you how to use these tools responsibly without getting scammed, misled or screwed. By the end, you finish with practical skills, a basic personal AI stack and enough confidence to experiment, adapt and keep up as the technology keeps changing.
HTML for Newbies
The web is not magic. It is built from simple files, written by ordinary people who decided to learn how things work. HTML for Newbies is a clear, steady guide for anyone who wants to stop using the web and start building it. No prior experience is assumed. No jargon is waved about for show. This book begins at absolute zero and walks the reader, step by step, into real, working knowledge. You will learn what HTML actually is, how every webpage is structured, and why clean, semantic markup matters. You will write real code from the first chapter, open it in a browser, break it, fix it, and understand why it works. Each chapter builds carefully on the last, turning curiosity into competence through hands-on practice and practical mini-projects. This is not a book of shortcuts or tricks. It is a book about foundations. You will learn how webpages are organised, how text, images, links, forms, and media truly function, and how structure, accessibility, and clarity separate amateur pages from professional ones. By the end, you will have built and published a complete multi-page website using nothing more than a text editor and a browser.
Ink & Iron, Articles
Browse our collection of articles on technology, leadership, culture, and more. Click any article to read.
Ambiguity Is a Joke, But the System's Laughing at Us
From Equifax's "sophisticated actors" to vague AI ethics theatre, leaders across tech and policy deploy strategic vagueness to dodge accountability. This essay exposes how ambiguity has become a deliberate shield used to mask failure and hoard power.
Read ArticleAI is making people dumber: The Good, the Bad, the Quietly Catastrophic
Generative AI promises instant answers but erodes the cognitive effort at the heart of learning. Drawing on psychological research and education data, this piece argues that outsourcing thinking to chatbots creates overconfidence, dependency, and intellectual fragility, and calls for a reevaluation of how we teach and work with AI.
Read ArticleIgnorance by Design: How U.S. Tech Policy Became a Political Punchline
From gag-order clauses hidden in infrastructure bills to vapid age-verification laws and contradictory drone regulation, U.S. lawmakers are crafting tech legislation for optics rather than oversight. This essay dissects the stunning techno-illiteracy and political theatre shaping AI, privacy, and data policy.
Read ArticleReturn to office: a power grab masquerading as policy
Mandating butts-in-seats isn't about collaboration, it's about control. With evidence from big tech layoffs and Irish housing data, this essay argues RTO is a cultural counterattack from executives clinging to relevance.
Read ArticleThe New Gatekeepers
Big Tech once celebrated meritocracy, but AI-driven restructuring now locks out the average engineer. Layoffs, inflated credential requirements, role creep, and opaque metrics have created an industry built on exclusion.
Read ArticleIn tech, when things get tight, culture dies first
When pressure rose, companies prioritised stock performance, normalised burnout, rolled back remote work for control, and quietly cut DEI. Trust is the new currency, and nostalgia is expensive.
Read ArticleAWS Outage, October 2025
A clear examination of the recent AWS disruption in US East 1, what failed, what it interrupted, and the practical architectural lessons to apply before the next event.
Read ArticleChoosing the Right AI
GPT, Claude, Gemini, and LLaMA compared with strengths, daily uses, work applications, and sensible guidance for automation.
Read ArticleThe Beginner's Guide to Using AI
How to use GPT, Claude, Gemini, and LLaMA with calm structure, real commands, and respect for privacy.
Read ArticleEthical Writing with AI
Prevent hallucinations, use MEAL structure, avoid em dash crutches, clean spacing, and finish with a one hundred percent line edit.
Read ArticleDigital Agents and the Future of the Middle Class
A clear look of how automated work is changing careers, stability, and identity across the next sixty years.
Read ArticleAutomations That Spare the Worker from Paper Cuts
Small frictions steal attention. This essay lays out steady, tactical loops for meetings, menus, budgets, documents, and schedules plus concrete examples and commands.
Read ArticleLeadership and Management: The Two Pillars of Work
Leadership inspires; management sustains. Both are vital, but only one builds belief. This essay explores how vision, courage, and conscience define real leadership while management preserves structure and steadiness. Together, they form the rhythm of progress.
Read ArticleThe Indispensable Worker
Specialization, certifications, and digital fluency build a moat around your career. This essay lays out a practical path to compound credibility through high-value skills, proof of mastery, and experience that companies cannot afford to lose.
Read ArticleThe Brutal Truth You Keep Ignoring
Layoffs aren't cruelty, they're calculation. This essay strips the sentimentality from corporate logic and shows how to build real security: specialise, invest in your network, and stop outsourcing your survival to your employer.
Read ArticleAWS re:Invent 2025: Agents, Silicon, and the End of Hype
re:Invent 2025 wasn't about promises, it was about posture. This field report walks through agentic AI, Nova models, custom silicon, and why the next decade of cloud belongs to teams that can ship with AI, not just talk about it.
Read ArticleWhat Customers Really Think of Automated Agents
Automation looks great on dashboards and terrible in the queue. This essay steps inside the customer's experience of chatbots, IVR, and "AI agents," and asks a simple question: whose time are you really saving?
Read ArticleThe Economic Impossibility of Student Loan Payments: A 2026 Reality Check
As wage garnishment begins, millions face a harsh truth: the math doesn't work. Income minus essential expenses leaves no room for student loans.
Read ArticleThe Meta Catalyst
When Meta finally admitted its metaverse bet had failed, its 11,000-person layoff did more than cut costs. It gave the whole industry permission to abandon the fiction of stable tech careers.
Read ArticleSalaries Without Futures
Median salaries in the US, Canada, the UK, and Ireland now sit inside housing and cost structures that make real saving extremely difficult for typical households, especially younger or single earners trying to buy a first home.
Read ArticleOperational Social Intelligence
In cloud and SRE work, technical depth gets you in the door. Operational social intelligence is what still belongs entirely to you in an industry that automates everything else.
Read ArticleTwo Worlds, One Wiring
Psychology says you do not get a separate brain for love and for work. The same wiring that shapes your romantic relationships quietly scripts how you show up with colleagues, managers, and teams.
Read ArticleAre We Really Heading Toward World War III?
World War III is not a coin toss, and it is not "either tomorrow or never." The serious work on this uses numbers: how many wars are active, how many people are dying in them, how much money states are spending on weapons, and what nuclear forces look like.
Read ArticleThe Death of the Nuclear Family
The traditional one-paycheck household did not die because people stopped believing in it. It died because governments and markets quietly stripped a single wage of its power.
Read ArticleA New List of Grievances
The colonists did not revolt on vibes. They revolted with a numbered list. Today the United States can draft its own, using ownership records, court rulings, and budget math instead of pamphlets and rumors.
Read ArticleThe Emperor's New Acronym
The same principles that won wars for centuries, now packaged with acronyms and sold back to us.
Read ArticleThe Truth About Tariffs: Who Really Pays the Price
There's a fundamental misconception being pushed in American political discourse right now. When political leaders claim "you don't pay the tariffs," they're either deliberately misleading the public or demonstrating a profound misunderstanding of basic economics.
Read ArticleThe Sacred Art of Ink: Understanding the Psychology and True Meaning Behind Tattoos
The moment the needle first pierces skin, something profound happens that transcends the mere application of pigment beneath the dermis. A journey into why tattoos make us feel so good and what they truly mean to those who wear them with intention.
Read ArticleWay passed a call to arms — Ink & Iron
The colonists listed their grievances. Modern Americans can too, using ownership data, trust surveys, court records, and fiscal math instead of muskets.
Read ArticleThe Geometry of Deception: When Power Refuses the Straight Line
How governments and corporations use circular communication patterns to obscure truth, examining the mathematical principles of honest dialogue, the psychological mechanisms of institutional deception, and why the shortest distance between two points remains the only path to accountability.
Read ArticleThe Communication Paradox: Why Silence Isn't Protection
Why reducing communication in engineering organizations creates the exact problems it claims to solve, examining the false protection of information restriction and the real costs of managerial abdication disguised as employee advocacy.
Read ArticleThe Vanishing Line: When Consequences Leave the Room
A culture can survive hardship, but it cannot survive pretending standards are optional.
Read ArticleWhy Large Corporations Say They Want Leaders, but Hire for Manageability
"Not a right fit", "We feel that..." I know. you have read it before, so check out the article
Read ArticleLife has a Monthly Charge
Subscriptions used to be what you did for a magazine you barely read, a gym you rarely visited, or maybe cable if you were feeling fancy. Now, subscriptions are the water we swim in, the air we're ...
Read ArticleLiving Wages in Global Cities: The $70K Illusion
Management and director-level positions in major global cities are increasingly advertised at $70,000-$80,000 annually, yet this compensation fails to provide a sustainable living standard for families.
Read ArticleGhosting: The Coward's Exit and the Damage It Leaves Behind
Silence is not a neutral choice. When deployed as a method of ending a relationship, a conversation, or a professional obligation, it is a calculated act of erasure that carries real psychological weight for everyone it touches.
Read ArticleYou Cannot Ride Two Horses With One Ass: The Real Cost of Asking Leaders to Do Everything
The corporate "do more with less" doctrine is not an efficiency strategy. It is a systematic extraction of labour dressed in the language of agility, and it is breaking the people asked to carry it, along with the families, teams, and organisations that depend on them.
Read ArticleInk & Iron Videos
These are simple real world videos. No production tricks. No polished messaging. Just work, life, Creating and Leading by Example.
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Ink & Iron — Creative Spaces
Everyone has their space, that helps them "Think" or clears their mind, whatever you prefer. We decided to share ours and hope you do the same!
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How do you take your first "Sit" after work?
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Clearing out the cobwebs, how about you?
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What's your Motivation?
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Don't Copy and Paste Your Life Away
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Practice Makes Proficience
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KPI Environments
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2Cents on Certifications
Ink & Iron Music
Hand Crafted Swamp Rock
Swamp Rock Playlist
Press play and enjoy the full grit & groove right here
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Swamp Rock Playlist on SUNO
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Ink & Iron Tooling
Practical tools built for professionals who create and lead by example. Start with our own tools, designed to cut through corporate noise and build real capability, then explore our curated list of free, legitimate resources that complement the Ink & Iron ethos.
Ink & Iron Web Tools
Global Immigration Navigator
Official government immigration resources for EVERY country in the world. Search 250+ countries for visa requirements, official immigration websites, and government resources. All links verified to official sources where possible.
Open ToolArticle Generator
Simple, fast article creation. Pick an Ink & Iron author, write your content, and generate clean HTML ready to publish.
Open ToolCorporate BS Translator
Cut through the jargon. Get dictionary definitions, real translations, and Mike's take on why corporate speak needs to stop.
Open ToolCover Letter Builder
Paste your CV and job description to generate a tailored cover note. Includes keyword analysis and professional templates.
Open ToolCV Builder
Type on the left, get formatted CV text on the right. Includes job requirement scanning and tailored recommendations.
Open ToolEmployee Burnout Calculator
Assessment based on Maslach Burnout Inventory. Understand your risk level with validated psychological questions.
Open ToolGlobal Relocation Calculator
Compare cost of living and calculate salary adjustments for international moves. Based on 2023-2024 data.
Open ToolJob Application Tracker
Track your job hunt without corporate CRM complexity. Log applications, contacts, next steps, and session stats.
Open ToolLinkedIn Profile Builder
Create a professional LinkedIn profile for any profession, healthcare, education, creative arts, trades, or business.
Open ToolJob Offer Comparison Tool
Compare apples to apples before you sign. Analyze salary, benefits, work-life balance, and total compensation.
Open ToolPortfolio Website Builder
Build a simple, professional portfolio site in minutes. No coding required. Generates clean HTML for Neocities or GitHub.
Open ToolShould I Take This Job?
A practical assessment tool to evaluate job offers beyond the salary. Weigh culture, growth, commute, and personal fit.
Open ToolToxic Workplace Checker
Identify red flags in workplace culture. Assess leadership, communication, respect, and psychological safety.
Open ToolTranscript Check Tool
Review and analyze meeting or interview transcripts. Identify key points, action items, and communication patterns.
Open ToolRecommended Free Tools & Resources
O*NET OnLine
The U.S. Department of Labor's authoritative career exploration and job analysis database. Detailed information on skills, abilities, knowledge, work activities, and interests.
Visit O*NETEuropass CV Editor
Create a standardized CV recognized across Europe. Free templates and tools to present your skills and qualifications clearly.
Create Europass CVNumbeo
The world's largest cost of living database. Crowd-sourced, real-time data on prices, property, and quality of life for cities worldwide.
Check Cost of LivingHemingway Editor
Make your writing bold and clear. Highlights complex sentences, adverbs, passive voice, and suggests readability improvements.
Try Hemingway EditorTeam Wheel Builder
Build a custom spinning wheel with your team names. Update live, spin to pick a winner, and copy the standalone HTML to use anywhere.
Open ToolWheel of Misfortune
Profile-based team selector with a spinning wheel. Filter by category, click teams to include or exclude them, spin to pick, and export your review log as XML.
Open ToolMind Tools
Free resources on leadership, teamwork, stress management, and productivity. Articles, quizzes, and worksheets for professional development.
Explore Mind ToolsWHO iSupport
Free, evidence-based training program from the World Health Organization for managers on mental health and preventing burnout in teams.
Access iSupportfreeCodeCamp
Learn to code for free. Thousands of interactive coding challenges and projects in web development, data science, and machine learning.
Start LearningKoda
Free personality and career assessment based on the Big Five model. Gain insights into your work style and career fit.
Take AssessmentInk & Iron Training
Free, legitimate training for the complete professional. This curated library covers the technical mastery, leadership principles, and personal skills we write about. No fluff, no subscriptions, just resources to help you create and lead by example.
Core Technology & Systems
Introduction to Linux (Linux Foundation)
A free, self-paced course covering Linux history, command line, filesystems, and basic system administration. Perfect for beginners.
Start CourseMicrosoft Learn: Windows & Azure
Official free modules from Microsoft. Learn Windows Server, PowerShell, Azure fundamentals, and cloud administration with hands-on labs.
Explore ModulesAWS Skill Builder (Free Tier)
Hundreds of free digital courses on AWS Cloud. Includes Cloud Practitioner Essentials, architectural best practices, and service-specific deep dives.
Browse AWS CoursesCisco Networking Basics
Free course covering networking fundamentals: protocols, IP addressing, routers, switches, and basic network security. From the industry leader.
Learn NetworkingGoogle Cloud Skills Boost (Free)
Free hands-on labs and courses on Google Cloud Platform. Includes data, ML, infrastructure, and security tracks with $300 in free credits for labs.
Boost Cloud SkillsIBM SkillsBuild
Free courses in cybersecurity, AI, data analysis, and soft skills. Designed for career growth with industry-recognized digital badges.
Build Skills with IBMLeadership & Management
Google Project Management (Coursera)
Audit the full professional certificate for free. Covers traditional and Agile methodologies, stakeholder management, and project documentation.
Audit CourseMIT OpenCourseWare: Leadership
Free course materials from MIT Sloan. Includes readings, lecture notes, and assignments on organizational leadership, change management, and ethics.
Access MIT MaterialsHigh Performance Collaboration (Coursera)
Free audit option. Learn leadership, communication, and conflict resolution strategies for effective teamwork from Northwestern University.
Audit Collaboration CourseCarnegie Mellon: Strategic Leadership
Free open learning modules on decision-making, strategic thinking, and leading innovation in complex environments.
Study StrategyPersonal & Interpersonal Skills
Yale: The Science of Well-Being
One of Coursera's most popular courses, free to audit. Psychology-backed strategies for increasing happiness and building productive habits.
Audit Yale CourseCritical Thinking (University of Auckland)
Free course on logic, argument analysis, and avoiding cognitive biases. Essential for clear decision-making and problem-solving.
Learn Critical ThinkingLearning How to Learn (Coursera)
Powerful mental tools to master tough subjects. Covers focused vs. diffuse thinking, chunking, procrastination, and memory techniques.
Master LearningToastmasters International
Global organization dedicated to communication and leadership development. Find a free club meeting near you to practice public speaking.
Find a ClubCareer & Business Acumen
Khan Academy: Finance & Capital Markets
Completely free lessons on stocks, bonds, accounting, valuation, and personal finance. Build essential business literacy.
Study FinanceStanford eCorner: Entrepreneurship
Free podcasts, videos, and articles from Stanford entrepreneurship thought leaders. Insights on innovation, venture growth, and leadership.
Explore EntrepreneurshipDataCamp: Introduction to Statistics
Free introductory course. Learn statistical thinking, probability, and data analysis using Python or R with interactive exercises.
Learn StatisticsDuke: Business English Communication
Free specialization on Coursera. Improve professional writing, speaking, and presentation skills for the global workplace.
Improve CommunicationAbout Ink & Iron Authors/Content Creators
Mike Dunn
Michael Dunn is an American born author living in Kenmare, Ireland. A father of five, technologist, and PhD researcher in generational impact, technology, and communication, he writes stories that crack open myth and weave it into modern life. His work has been featured in the Irish Examiner, and his nonfiction includes the book Exit Strategy , Old School Professionalism , Invisible Bias , Mentor Without a Title and Help! My Computer is Smarter than me!.
His fiction centers on the Silverhand Saga, where memory, family, prophecy, and choice collide with ancient debts.
Before full-time writing, Michael led global technology teams across insurance, government, logistics, and cloud infrastructure, grounding his essays and research in reliability, security, and culture.
Kenneth Lanewood
Kenneth Lanewood is a technology executive with over two decades of global IT leadership across biotech in San Diego, e-commerce in Seattle, complex infrastructures in the UK, and multi-site operations in Taiwan. He currently serves as Director of IT Operations Engineering at Coupang Taiwan, driving automation, resiliency, and large-scale transformation.
His expertise spans infrastructure, cybersecurity, end-user services, and compliance, with delivery under ITIL, SOX, and ISO 27001. He has cut resolution times, launched alpha pilots, and rolled out programs that saved millions while elevating organizational readiness.
Known for mentorship and team development, Kenneth builds high-performing groups and bridges executive vision with actionable roadmaps that scale across regions and cultures.