Author: sqlswimmer

I’m Speaking at #SQLSatBrisbane

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I’ve always wanted to go to Australia, in fact we have a trip planned for Martin’s 60th birthday in a couple of years.  But with all that’s happened in this social distancing world, we’re not sure if it will even be possible by then.  So, when SQL Saturday Brisbane (986) decided to go virtual, I jumped at the opportunity to attend and possibly even present.  I submitted my sessions and crossed all my fingers and toes.  I am excited and honored to announce that I’ve been selected to speak at this event on May 30, 2020!

I will be delivering my Intro to Azure Data Catalog session.  I really like this session, so many people have no idea that it exists, let alone what it can do for you.  To be able to see the light go on in their eyes during this session is the absolute best.  Even though I won’t be able to see their faces, because it’s a virtual event, I am still super excited.

Join me “down under” for what will be a fantastic event with 28 different sessions being offered by some really great presenters.  There’s still time to register.

I’m Speaking at #DataWeekender

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With all our in-person events cancelled for the foreseeable future, I was so excited to find that some community folks are not sitting back and waiting for the social distancing to end in order to have a technical conference.  There is a new virtual technical conference created by some wonderful community folks in Europe, called Data Weekender.

I am so excited and humbled to have been selected to speak at this conference.  I will be presenting my Data Types Do Matter session on Saturday, May 2, 2020.

There are so many great sessions being offered by so many brilliant community people, take a look at the schedule and see for yourself.

If you’re not too busy washing the car in the drive or removing gum from that tangled mess of toddler hair, come join us.  I’d love to “see” you.  There is still time to register, so what are you waiting for?  Register now!

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I am a #DataWeekender Supporter!

I’m Speaking at #SQLSatRVA

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I am super excited, and humbled, to have been selected to speak at the very first PASS virtual SQL Saturday, SQL Saturday Richmond, on Saturday, April 25, 2020.

I find it very fitting that my first virtual SQL Saturday will be for Richmond.  As some of you know from previous posts, Richmond holds a special place in my technical heart.  It is the first SQL Saturday I was ever accepted to speak at three years ago.  It was the first SQL Saturday to allow me to do a pre-con.  But most importantly, Richmond is where I got to drive a go kart for the very first time in my life.  All these firsts are thanks to Wayne Sheffield (B | T).  He’s the lead organizer for SQL Saturday Richmond.

I will be presenting my Intro to Azure Data Catalog session.  It was a huge hit with our local user group when I presented it back in January this year.  If you’re “jones-ing” for a SQL Saturday fix, then get registered and stop on by.  There are some great sessions being offered and I’d love to “see” you.

I’m Speaking at #DataPlatformDiscoveryDay

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We are living in some very interesting times and the technical conference community is facing some challenges like it never has before.  So many in-person events have been postponed or cancelled.  For those who are speakers, like myself, this have been very challenging.  I have worked from home for over eight years, so the new “norm” is just the same old same old for me.   But I used my speaking engagements as a way to connect with others in the tech community on a fairly regular basis.  Now that this has been put on hold for who knows how long, I’m having a tough time staying connected.

I am very fortunate that I work in an area that is still very much in high demand and still employed, unlike many others who have been furloughed or laid off.  With so many people unemployed now more than ever in the world, many of those folks are contemplating a career change.  Thankfully, I have a fellow Data Platform MVP in the US who has partnered with a colleague in Europe to bring a new kind of tech conference to those who are looking to break into the data platform arena.  Oh, and it’s virtual – and it’s free! So you don’t have to leave your home and if you are on a tight budget, you don’t have to spend a thing.

I am so honored to have been selected to speak at this first of it’s kind, beginner-virtual-free conference, Data Platform Discovery Day.  I will be presenting my What is Power BI session, so if you’ve ever wondered about Power BI and have some free time on your hands, then come join me on Wednesday, April 29, 2020.  There are lots of great introductory sessions out there, here’s the US sessions list and the European sessions list.  There’s still time to register for the US Sessions or register for the UK sessions.

I hope you are all doing well and staying home and staying safe.

I’m Speaking at #SQLSatSpokane

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I am super excited to announce that I have been selected to speak at SQL Saturday Spokane on March 21, 2020.  Not only have I been selected to speak, but I’ve been selected to give a pre-con on Friday, March 20, 2020 as well.

I will be delivering my Power BI Zero to Dashboard pre-con.  This is a full day introductory session to Power BI that focuses on: introducing the Power BI eco-system, what it can and cannot do for you; the importance of data cleansing and modeling;  and data visualization best practices.  My target audience is those that have little to no experience with Power BI, but want to learn more.  If this sounds like something you could benefit from you can Register Here.

I will also be delivering my What is Power BI? session on Saturday, March 21, 2020.

If you’re in the Spokane area on Saturday, March 21, 2020, stop by and say, “Hello”.  I’d love to see you and chat.  There are still registration slots open, so register now.

I’m Speaking at SQL Saturday Victoria

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I am so happy to announce that I have been selected to speak at SQL Saturday Victoria on March 14, 2020. This will be my second time speaking at this event.

I will be delivering my Data Types Do Matter session. I love giving this session, it’s not anything new or sparkly, but it’s so important. Get the data type wrong and you can cause yourself a world of hurt later.

If you’re in the area, stop be and say, “Hello”, I’d love to see you and chat a bit.

New Session, Intro to Azure Data Catalog

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I am excited to announce that I have created a new session, Intro to Azure Data Catalog.  This has been a long time in the planning and it’s about to be executed for the first time on Tuesday, January 28, 2020.  I will be presenting it for our local user group, Triad Microsoft Data Platform User Group (f.k.a. TriadSQL).  If you’re in the area, please stop by, I’d love to see you, get your feedback and chat for a bit.

2019 in Review

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What an incredible year it’s been.  I kept thinking that I was busy, but I had no idea until I looked at the final numbers (I have a Power BI report that I’ve created to track my  activities).

Angela’s Community Activities

Major Accomplishments

  • I delivered 27 sessions at 20 events in 6 countries.
  • I created my own Power BI pre-con content and started delivering it.
  • I was the lead organizer for a SQL Saturday.

That is considerably more than I thought I would be doing at the start of 2019.  When I started to think about what I wanted to do for 2020, I reflected on 2019’s activities and came to the following conclusion:  I need to support the local and virtual groups more.  As a former local group leader, I understand how hard it is to get speakers, especially in the smaller cities.  So I’ve created some goals for 2020.

Goals for 2020

  • Speak at more local and virtual user groups.
  • Create content for two new sessions.
  • Improve my PowerApps skills.
  • Write one technical blog post per month.

For the first bullet point, if you are a chapter leader (local or virtual) and would like to have me speak for your group, please reach out.  I’m willing to drive up to 6 hours one-way to make this happen.  I will also check for local groups when I’m doing personal travel to see if something fits.

The second bullet point, Create content for 2 new sessions, may seem arbitrary, but it’s not.  I have two ideas that have been rolling around in my head for the last month or so and it’s about time I get them out of my brain and into something tangible.

The third bullet point, Improve my PowerApps Skills, may seem a bit out of left field, but I did start out as an application developer way back when and I want to get back to that a little bit and PowerApps looks like a great place to start.

The fourth bullet point, Write one technical blog post per month, is something that I’ve been wanted to do for a while, but have never made the time to do it or formalize it.  This year I’m putting it on my calendar every month to help keep me accountable.

I hope your 2019 was as productive as you hoped, if not more, and I wish you all the best for 2020.

I’m Speaking at #SQLSatCleveland

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I am so excited and honored to have been selected to speak at SQL Saturday Cleveland #930 on February 1, 2020.  This will be my second time speaking at SQL Saturday Cleveland.  I first spoke at SQL Saturday Cleveland back in 2018, when it was SQL Saturday #708.  To be selected to speak at an event once is an honor, but to be selected to speak for that same event a second time, is truly amazing.  It shows that the organizers believe in me, my speaking ability, and my commitment to the community.

I will be presenting my Data Types Do Matter session.  As some of you know, I am very passionate about this topic and it is honestly one of my favorite sessions.  If you are in the Cleveland area on February 1, 2020, I hope you will check out SQL Saturday Cleveland #930, it’s a great opportunity for free training and as a bonus, you get to see me.  What better way could you spend a Saturday in Cleveland in February?!

Stepping Down As PASS Local Group Leader

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Some of you may have already heard, but I have decided to step down from being the PASS local group leader for the chapter in Greensboro, NC.  I’ve been the local group leader for almost five years and prior to being the leader I was the speaker wrangler for a few years.  I’ve been involved with this group for almost ten years, so it was not a decision that I made lightly, but as with everything in life, all things must come to an end.

Being the local group leader has given me more opportunities than I could possibly have imagined.  Meeting speakers from all over the world, networking with all the members of the group, providing career guidance to new members of the data community, and so many more.  But the most important thing, and a very personal thing, is it gave me the opportunity to overcome my fear of public speaking.   I guess it’s a “double edged sword” as my grandfather use to say.  It has given me so many opportunities that I now have very little time to devote to being a local group leader, but I never would have been given those opportunities if it weren’t for being a local group leader.

The new group leader will take over officially after the holidays on January 6, 2020.  His name is George Maxson (Twitter | Linked In), and most members know him already.  He has been coming to the meetings almost as long as I have.  I’ve watched George grow more comfortable over the years with the group and know that I leave it in good hands.

I will still be around and attending the meetings when my schedule permits.  Who knows, I may even speak!

It’s been a great ride.  Thank you.