While a couple of friends were busy giving life-advice to hookers, I scanned the Mandalay Bay casino floor for my favorite dealer. Earlier in the evening, inquiries about whether others had a favorite casino dealer were met with strange looks and definite no’s. You might assume that I love to gamble, but I don’t. My…
Travel Diary: Anaheim
After attending the Tech Field Day Exclusive with HPE Storage at the Nth Symposium, I ended up with two days in the Anaheim area with no car, but I desire to explore. Orange | Santa Ana | Laguna Beach Orange, CA There’s not a lot to do in this part of Orange, CA. Prior to…
Float On: Sensory Deprivation Tank Lessons
TL/DR: Anxious thoughts + period of zoning out in a tank = total zen day Wait, Is that spa music? I stand up, push the door open, and check the clock. The clock reads 1110, and sadly it’s time for my 90-minute float to end. In what felt like minutes earlier (but who knows), I…
Sabbatical Month 2: Embracing It All
When is the last time you didn’t feel broken and defeated at 7 PM? Two months ago, my answer would have been NEVER. However, my sabbatical has brought me this peace. My kids’ Taekwondo class has become one of my usual writing spots. This feeling of calm is well worth the price of not being…
INSIGHT 2019: Top Session Picks
One place in which I feel incredible certainty is in my NetApp INSIGHT session selection. You probably will notice a NetApp A-Team slant. It’s totally intentional because I love cheering on my A-Team friends. It helps that they also have great sessions this year! 1222-3 Automate ONTAP Storage Management Using RESTful APIs—Simple, Modern, Powerful. Can…
Achievement Unlocked: NetApp INSIGHT Speaker (Panel)
“Sorry I can’t. Next year, though.” This pretty much was my fear-based response when Mark Carlton (@mcarlton1983) asked if I wanted to join the panel of the A-Team Birds of a Feather (BOF) session at NetApp INSIGHT in 2018. Props to Paula Silva (@paula_maria) for being much braver than me. Fast forward to this year,…
Finding Your Strengths
Why am I sobbing over test results? At 42, aren’t I too old for this sh*t.?! These results aren’t even a matter of sickness or health. Earlier in the week, I took the Gallup’s StrengthFinder 34. Two days later, I finally looked at the sequential ranking of my 34 strengths. Except for “competition,” the bottom…
GHC19 Notes: CR229 – Exerting Influence without Authority
Leadership vs. Authority Authority — Police officer who tells what to do. Leaders — Minister. Inspires others. Action plan to build influence Establish expertise and Influence. Invite thought leaders to discuss pros and cons. It’s not who you know, but who knows WHAT you know. Accountability. Give and receive feedback. Make sure you have a…
GHC19: Hooked on Story
I don’t need to convince you of the power of story. Or how it makes ideas resonate and have impact in a way that data and facts never will. Story also and data aren’t mutually exclusive. Despite title of this workshop, the storytelling framework isn’t confined to only technical problems. You can apply this advice…
Blogging So Hard at #GHC19
Getting to GHC The best things in life never come easy. The process for getting a ticket to GHC could fall into that category. I submitted a session: rejected. I tried to buy a General Registration ticket: sold out. Once I resigned myself to not attending, I was gifted a ticket for which I’m incredibly…