June Question of the Month - Join the conversation and receive a badge

CatSusk

I know a lot about patents. I used to work for a company that managed international patent data and it was much more complicated that you would expect!

Johne Johnson

I am a certified Beekeeper and have been collecting my own honey for the past 15 years.

We collect the comb from the hive as well.

mnasholds_OHSU

While it may be fitting because I work in HR, technically it's related to the applicant side. I have had more jobs in my current lifetime than I care to admit, however - it has made me quite good at job applications. As a natural problem solver, I find I am quite knowledgeable in career loopholes, applications, and the like. I absolutely adore helping people find their skills and strengths, to apply them to a new position.

Maxwell Griffith

Professional track and field, I'm not sure why I know so much… but ever since I got into running marathons about 10 years ago I've gotten really invested in the pro sport.

BecH.

I know way more than I should about the board game Catan! Got a little obsessed with it and now all my friends & family are sick of it and no one will play it with me anymore. I have seven versions, several Georgraphies maps, and a 3D printed & painted version of the original. My friend even quilted me a Catan-themed wall hanging for my 40th birthday. 😍

Nicolas Goulinet

Hi

The surprising subject that I know a lot about is modifying (wooden) tool handles to make them more attractive. This involves carving, gluing different types of wood or sanding. I've been doing this for maybe twenty years, using only small hand tools, nothing industrial. It's a way of doing something with your own hands. And I'd like to take this opportunity to give a ❤️ to the subject of @Heather Max "Yarn art: as in crochet and knitting", that's awesome, very nice work and pictures.

John_Foster

The surprising subject that I know a lot about is the plastic strip curtains that are often used on chiller doors etc…

In a previous life I used to work for the only UK manufacturer of the product and so learnt the product codes, colours, sizes and can often tell at a quick glance what a product is. Those who have been around me when I spot one, will say it is a boring and uselss talent after I have told them all about it, but I disagree. :)

Rebeca S.

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/440789#Comment_440789

@BecH. That's amazing, and the quilted wall hanging sounds incredible. 👀 I started learning to play Catan last December with the family, and while I still have a lot to learn, it's been a lot of fun!

Brooke Y

I know a lot of useless facts about video games, particularly the Fallout games. Not because I play them, but because my husband and daughter do and I end up researching quests, weapons, etc.

Darla Brown

This is difficult because I think I know much about one subject until I meet an expert! lol But, I do know all about event planning even though that is not my career. Sometimes, it's not to my benefit because I don't have a poker face, especially when attending a poorly planned party. lol

MickMc419

Gratitude. I'm not always showing it it, but man I have learned (and know) so much about gratitude! In a career that highlights the fragility of life, you learn (or maybe are forced) to really appreciate it all. There is so much around us that we can choose to notice and allow ourselves to be happy about- The sunshine, that puppy, a memory of my mama's fried chicken, a public drinking fountain on a humid day. Every failure an opportunity, every criticism an offer, when framing your perspective towards purposeful gratitude, every hardship becomes a privilege.

If you read this and are skeptical, just pause for a quick minute and think about one single thing (anything) that you are grateful for.. and you'll feel it immediately.

Cleversheet

My "surprising" expertise is very niche. Starting in 2011 I was nationally recognized as the preeminent expert in emergency management standards for the higher education community. I distilled the Ten Steps to Ready® from an array of over a dozen different applicable standards containing hundreds of separate elements. The HiEd EM specialists no longer need to wonder which standards apply to them, nor how to interpret them into their own settings; when working on any topic they can use the Plan Standards Topical grid to see which standards have content that can inform their decisions. I built a Smartsheet dashboard (see UCC Crosswalk) to share the blended standards.

virgh

What is one surprising topic that you know a lot about?

FICO scores for mortgage applications. They're not the same as the ones you use to buy a car or apply for a credit card.

Scoring Model	Reporting Bureau
FICO 2	Experian
FICO 4	Transunion
FICO 5	Equifax

When two people apply together, the lowest “Middle” score is used…

	Virginia	David
FICO 2 – Experian	580 – Lowest	610 - Middle
FICO 4 – Transunion	585 – Middle	620 - Highest
FICO 5 - Equifax	590 - Highest	600 - Lowest

Here, the score used in the loan application is 585 (the lowest Middle score of the 2 people).

To see your own FICO mortgage score *before* you apply for a mortgage, sign up for your own MyFICO report (not free) and then you will know your score in advance.

Also – a mortgage “broker” is a middleman, a mortgage “lender” gives you the money using their own rules.

Each mortgage lender decides what their acceptable “minimum” FICO score will be, but that can change over time.

Therefore, shop around and also check back periodically to see what the current acceptable score is for your lender.

Tina Ciak

So, it's been quote a while since I've done it, but I am a PRO at winning things from my local Radio Stations. Money, Concert tickets, prizes, trips. You name it, I have won it. I think the last thing I won was a pair of diamond earrings. There's not really a science to it, as each station has a different process. I'm just persistent and time it well I suppose. Super fun, but I hate hearing myself on the radio!

A. Saunders PMP

I believe that lots of folks know about TaeKwonDo but if you were to pass me on the street I doubt you'd guess me as one. I have been involved since I was 10, and I have my 3rd degree black belt. My daughter is getting ready to join and begin her journey as well.