We’re hosting a #SQLSaturday! August 3 — save the date! #SQLSat1083 #SQLSatAlbany

It's official! We will be hosting a SQL Saturday here in Albany, NY on August 3! Click the link for more information, to register for the event, or to submit a presentation! SQL Saturday Albany is an all-day technical training event organized by the Capital Area SQL Server User Group. This event provides data-centric training …

Goals for 2024

As I write this, we're already a few days into 2024. I hope everyone had a happy, festive, and safe holiday -- whatever holiday you celebrate -- as well as an equally festive New Year's celebration. For me, personally, New Year's Eve was a quiet evening in my living room along with my wife, and New Year's …

My speaking schedule has gotten lighter #DealingWithRejection

I will confess that I had high hopes about a couple of speaking engagements that I'd applied for this Fall. It looks like I'll instead have some free time on my hands. Earlier this week, I received the notification that none of my submissions were accepted for PASS Data Community Summit. This was a disappointing …

Coming up with new presentation ideas

I'm sure that one of the struggles -- and most common questions -- for new presentation speakers is, "what do I speak about?" For those of you who are budding presentation speakers, let me tell you that even experienced speakers can have the same problem. This issue is common, and it isn't limited to presentation …

#SQLSaturday #SQLSatNYC #SQLSat1048 — the debrief, and a couple of deep conversations

I'm a couple of days late in posting this, but I wanted to write this while it was still fresh in my mind. This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of speaking at SQL Saturday NYC. This is one of my favorite events to attend; indeed, SQL Saturday in New York City was the first …

This Saturday, May 6: #SQLSaturday #SQLSatNYC #SQLFamily

This coming Saturday, I will be speaking at SQL Saturday NYC! Of all the SQL Saturdays, I have attended the NYC event the most, and this is one of my favorite events! It is a great opportunity for networking and to learn about a variety of data topics and professional development! The event will be …

Upcoming speaking engagements (as of 3/28/2023) #SQLSaturday #STCSummit

It seems like it's been a while since I posted one of these speaking engagement updates, but as the calendar turns to April, more opportunities come up. As of this update, I have two confirmed speaking engagements and two more where I've applied. I think more of these will come up as the year goes …

I’m speaking at NYC #SQLSaturday #SQLSatNYC

I found out over the weekend that I've been selected to speak at SQL Saturday NYC on May 6! This is one of my favorite events, and I try to attend every year. To the best of my memory, I've only missed one SQL Saturday, as either a speaker or an attendee, in NYC since …

Speakers Are Normal People

This is a great post by Steve Jones. I have made a lot of great friends through my association with SQL Saturday and PASS. I can tell you firsthand that #SQLFamily is real!

Voice of the DBA

The #SQLFamily is amazing, at least I think it is. Like many families, it’s welcoming, supportive, and comforting. It’s also maddening, frustrating, and exacerbating at times. Like most families, or at least the ones I know, it’s not perfect, but it’s what we have and at the end of the day, most of us get along with each other.

It’s also an open group of people. In general, we welcome people with open arms and smiles. Those of us that are more visible or prominent are willing to listen to, help, and support anyone. I was overjoyed during the recent PASS Data Community Summit, where I had the chance to see so many people that I haven’t seen in person in 2-3 years. I met many other interesting people for the first time and enjoyed the experience.

Not everyone feels the same way. I loved seeing Kimberly Tripp and Paul…

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Upcoming speaking engagements (as of 12/27/2022) #SQLSaturday #WELocal #SWELocal #STCSummit

With only four days left in 2022, I don't have any more speaking engagements in 2022. I do, however, have a couple lined up for 2023! Besides, it's been a while since I posted one of these updates... I am confirmed to speak at the following events. March 3-4, 2023, Hartford, CT: WE Local Conference: …