I want to be straight with you, because you're the people who make this channel possible, and you deserve to hear this first.
My wife Kate — "Amerikate" Kate Gordon-Bloomfield — has been writing code and engineering solutions since the Apple II was debuted. She knows this industry inside and out — and today, after eleven years at the same company, she was laid off.
The company has a policy — up or out for senior staff. Despite bringing in a significant amount of work, she was let go. We'll get some severance, but not a lot. The last time Kate was out of work was 2008. It's been 18 years.
I am so proud of her, and nobody has a bad word to say about her. She leads with empathy and curiosity, works to bring the best out in the people around her, and builds teams that are genuinely resilient. She's an engineering director who has shipped nine-figure digital platforms for major pharmacy, healthcare, and retail clients — the kind of work that actually changes how organizations function. She deserves to land somewhere worthy of that.
If you know anyone in the PNW looking for people to fill engineering leadership roles, please point them her way: https://littlecollie.com
Now, the part that's harder to say. The way our household has worked until now is simple: Kate's salary covered our mortgage and home bills. TE's income covered our team. That balance kept everything running — and kept this channel free and independent, the way it should be.
With Kate's income gone, that balance is broken. Right now we're about $2,000 a month short of what we need to keep the household afloat and our team paid. We'd need double that — $4,000 a month — to get to a place where I can take even a modest salary and know that TE has a real future.
You're already doing so much by being here. If you're able to increase your pledge, it's simple to do — just head to your Patreon memberships page, hit Edit next to your Transport Evolved membership, and choose a new amount. Even a dollar or two more a month makes a real difference right now. If you'd like step-by-step instructions, Patreon has a guide here: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000126286If you'd like to make a one-off donation, you can either send things to our official P.O.Box - https://www.transportevolved.com/contact-us/ or you can reach us via Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/transportevolved
Or if you'd like to share the channel, or simply spread the word about Kate, it means more than I can say.
The clock is ticking. But I'm not giving up — and I don't think you are either.
With love and gratitude, Nikki