Annual Catch Up and End of Job/Contract Networking Steps

It’s easy to get comfortable in a job and neglect to capture the relationships and connections you’ve built – for me it’s LinkedIn, but using whatever product you prefer. Think about work today. You work with a handful or two of colleagues that you really know, but you know a lot more people than that. […]

Some Thoughts About Sponsors at SQLSaturday

I think it was because I had just received an email about sponsoring a SQLSaturday that had me thinking about it on the drive to the office today. It’s not easy to walk up to a table and get an understanding of what a product does beyond the sound bite – you really need a […]

LinkedIn Endorsements

Last year LinkedIn rolled out a new feature called endorsements, not to be confused with recommendations. Recommendations are free form comments from a connection about you and your work, endorsements are a click-here if your connection knows skill x. I think it’s a great feature. Asking for a recommendation can be awkward and in the […]

The PASS BA Conference–Good Idea or Not?

Ever since it was announced I’ve been ambivalent about the PASS Business Analytics Conference. I believe PASS should look for places to grow the community and the craft. I believe PASS should take some risks and endure the occasional loss (as long as it is not a bet the company kind of risk). I believe […]

Don Gabor Presents Mastering the Art of Conversation and Making Business Contacts in NYC

My friend Don Gabor is presenting a two hour seminar titled “Mastering the Art of Conversation and Making Business Contacts” in New York City on February 21. If you’re in the area it’s well worth the $30 to attend – you can register at http://skl.sh/129G4gM.  Not in NYC? Don is the man when it comes […]

SQLSaturday #200 in Philadelphia (And Vacation)

I’m planning to attend SQLSaturday #200 in Philadelphia on June 1, 2013. Number 200! This will be my first trip to Philly and I’m bringing the family with me so we can spend a couple days there and then after the event we’ll be taking the train to DC for a few more days of […]

One Slick Solution and Unexpected Consequences

Quite a few years ago my first job in the military was driving a tracked vehicle, a variant of the well known M113. Drivers drive of course, but they also own the routine maintenance of the vehicle, a process that starts with daily and weekly checks from a checklist – the equivalent of kicking the […]

I’ll Meet You Half Way–Compromising To Win

Compromise is one of those things that makes the world work. I can’t say I’ve always been good at it. It takes practice and more practice, listening deeply to what the other side says and doesn’t say, and looking inward to separate pride from what matters. That led, for me, to my philosophy of “I’ll […]

Bananas For SQLSaturday

I was catching up on reading today and saw that Instructables had a how-to on “tattooing” a banana, also called banana oxidation art. I had bananas available, so I printed SQLSaturday on some paper, taped it to the banana, and starting punching holes with a straight pin. It only took a few minutes to do. […]

Windows 8 In 25 Minutes

Here’s a quick plug for The Missing Windows 8 Instructional Video. I watched it and learned quite a few things, then forwarded it to my wife to watch and she found it useful as well. I’m torn on this – I’d like to think a good UI is intuitive and shouldn’t need a how-to, but […]