Lesson three: Your background tells a story. Make it a quiet one.

He clicked the Start menu, typed “Camera,” and there it was: the built-in app. It opened like a dark mirror. His face appeared, illuminated by the harsh overhead light that made him look like a suspect in a true crime documentary.

He also found that pressing saved a screenshot instantly, which worked for video calls too—though he’d never admit how many unflattering Zoom screenshots he’d accidentally taken before learning that.

Then, he tapped the spacebar. The Camera app snapped a photo.

In the test shot, Leo looked decent—but behind him, the camera had captured the full chaos: a half-eaten bagel, a pile of laundry shaped like a melting snowman, and a motivational poster that said “Hang In There” next to a cat that had clearly given up.

No. Just a window, a stack of cookbooks, and the quiet courage to finally learn how to take a picture on a laptop.

He cleared the clutter. He turned the laptop slightly so the background showed a plain bookshelf, spines neatly aligned. No bagel evidence.