That's Just How It Is… But It Doesn't Have to Be

If you've ever had to track your calls, confirm your availability, or manage crew schedules through a patchwork of emails, spreadsheets, and text chains, you've probably said it:

"That's just how it is."

It's the phrase we use when we hit friction — when a system feels unintuitive, when we can't find what we need, or when the software feels like it was built for someone else entirely.

In stagehand call management — and honestly, in a lot of software — that friction is all too common. Sometimes tools are built to solve an immediate problem for one team or company. And while that's a valid starting point, it can mean other users are left trying to adapt to workflows that don't quite fit.

Rethinking the Approach

I've worked in this industry long enough to use many of the tools out there. Some are well-made for what they're trying to do. Others feel like they stopped short of solving the whole problem.

CallBoard was born out of those gaps. I didn't set out to replace everything — I just wanted something that felt built for the way we actually work. So I started with one guiding principle:

"What's this user thinking right now, and how can I make this easier?"

Every screen. Every form. Every button.

CallBoard is designed to make things easier for everyone — not just one role, one office, or one type of user. It's built from the perspective of stagehands, because we're the link between all the labor companies — union and non-union alike. We're the ones bouncing between systems. And we're often the ones left in the dark.

If CallBoard works well for the hands, it naturally makes everything more efficient for companies too. Faster responses. Cleaner confirmations. Better visibility.

Built for Flexibility, Not Frustration

But I'm not here to throw out the workflows that already work for people. A new system shouldn't mean a whole new way of doing things — it should mean a better one.

That's why I'm designing CallBoard to support multiple ways of working:

For tech-savvy stewards: Dashboards and quick close-out tools are already in place.

For those who prefer paper: I'm building support for printable call sheets and simple upload workflows — so even an old-school process can plug in seamlessly. You can even fax them back — because sometimes the '90s had the right idea.

For office staff juggling a dozen systems: Quick verification and call finalization is a key part of what's coming next.

It's about meeting people where they are — not forcing them to change what already works.

Feedback Built In

Every page in CallBoard includes a feedback button. Whether it's a visual glitch, an awkward form layout, or a new feature idea, it gets sent straight to our issue system — complete with a snapshot of your screen so we can see exactly what you mean.

And because we value that input, we've built a points system to reward it. Submit feedback, earn credits. Redeem them for swag or just bragging rights on our contributor leaderboard.

We're also rolling out a community Discord server, where your feedback and feature requests will be visible in real time. You'll be able to vote on ideas, prioritize bug fixes, and help shape what comes next.

Built Together

CallBoard isn't just a tool. It's a platform — built with input from the people who actually use it. Not to disrupt for the sake of disruption. Not to "win" a market. But to actually make something that works better, for everyone.

We don't have to settle for "that's just how it is."

Let's build something better.