When you share the wrong screen

When You Share the Wrong Screen 😬

Working from home comes with its perks—no commute, comfy clothes, and getting to hang out with my dog, Buddy, all day. But it also comes with its challenges. And last week? I experienced the most embarrassing one yet: sharing the wrong screen on Zoom.

It started like any other Tuesday morning. I had a big presentation for our team meeting, and I’d prepped for hours. Slides? Perfect. Notes? Polished. Coffee? Extra strong. I even made sure Buddy was snoozing on the couch with a chew toy so he wouldn’t interrupt.

As the meeting began, I joined the Zoom call feeling confident. My boss, my coworkers, and even a couple of directors were all there, ready to be wowed. “Okay,” my boss said. “You’re up—go ahead and share your screen.”

I clicked the green “Share Screen” button and selected what I thought was my presentation window.

But I was wrong. So very wrong.

Instead of the sleek, professional slides I had prepared, my screen proudly displayed… a paused video titled “My Dog Tries Peanut Butter for the First Time 😂🐶”.

Yes. Full-screen. Volume ON.

Cue awkward silence.

For a full five seconds, everyone on the call stared at the screen while Buddy—on video—attempted to eat peanut butter, his mouth smacking loudly, eyes wide, tongue flopping in every direction. In the corner of the Zoom screen, I saw my boss raise an eyebrow. A coworker snorted. Someone definitely choked on their coffee.

Panicking, I scrambled to stop the video, clicking everywhere except the right button. My mouse flew across the screen like a maniac, opening tabs I didn’t even know I had. Weather, memes, an online shopping cart full of dog costumes—I was spiraling. Meanwhile, Zoom continued broadcasting the chaos to everyone.

Finally, I ended the screen share and sat frozen, heart racing, face flushed, Buddy looking up at me from the couch like, What did I do?

“I… uh… that wasn’t the presentation,” I stammered.

There was a pause.

Then laughter.

Full, genuine, can’t-hold-it-in laughter from the entire team. Even my boss, who’s usually the definition of serious, was chuckling.

“Well,” she said, “that was easily the best screen share of the week.”

To my surprise, no one was mad. In fact, it totally lightened the mood for the rest of the meeting. We joked about it for days, and someone even made a meme with Buddy’s peanut butter face and the caption, “When you realize you shared the wrong screen.”

So yeah, I learned my lesson: double-check before you share your screen. Always.

But I also learned that sometimes, a little mistake can turn into the highlight of someone’s day. And Buddy? He’s a star now. I just hope he’s ready for next week’s presentation—he might need his own slide. 😬