From Carpenter To Cloud Engineer

Mission

To use my skills of adaptability, creativity, and analytical thinking, along with my passion for continuous improvement, innovation, and learning, to become an expert- a world-class Cloud Engineer- to dramatically improve the efficiency and workflow of the people I serve.

Vision

To be a positive force for transformative change, pushing the boundaries of innovation in technology. With a commitment to excellence and a relentless pursuit of knowledge, I envision a future where my contributions not only enhance the efficiency and workflow of organizations but also contribute to a global community that thrives on continuous learning and growth.

Core Values

Continuous Learning

Technology is ever progressing, ever changing, and so a career in IT should also be a continuous journey of growth and development. Never stop learning. Seek always a new horizon.

Community Collaboration

You never know where the next big idea may come from. Or who may benefit from the knowledge and experience you hold. I aim to connect and collaborate with people from various backgrounds- novice to veteran- with an open mind, eager to learn.

Inspiration & Motivation

Every new challenge is an opportunity to learn and to grow.  Inspire and be inspired as part of a collaborative community of IT professionals... Embrace The Journey!

       Authenticity

Always stay true to yourself. Do what you say and say what you mean, especially when it comes to admitting your mistakes. Be respectful, professional, and humble... Integrity!

Taking The Hard Road

10 years ago, I had a job as an inventory specialist. During my time there, I was responsible for a variety of process improvement, efficiency, and space optimization projects using the Lean 6Sigma methodology. The first time I conducted a cycle count, the accuracy was 67%. My last inventory count… was 100%.

I loved it!

I loved the root cause analysis- digging deep in the SQL database to find proof that it was a programming bug or end user error that was affecting the inventory accuracy, the process improvement- creating a helpdesk ticketing system and integrating it into the scanners so workers could report inventory errors, the change management- being a key member of the team that introduced the company to a web based Warehouse Management System and managed the go-live process, and the pride of being able to utilize technology in way that very few people in the company could.

Over 500 people and I was in a group of a half dozen who were tech savvy. I taught myself… on the job. And that experience will stay with me forever.

Eventually though, the time came for me to leave. There were reasons that I won’t get into here, but I wanted more, I wanted to grow. I decided to try and become a warehouse manager. I wanted to double down on the work and skills that I had grown so fond of. I was wrong.

Instead of climbing the corporate ladder, I tumbled down it. From inventory specialist, the receiving clerk, to warehouse worker, and eventually back to being a carpenter where I had started as an apprentice at 18. I had become reactive in my job search. Rather than going after what I wanted, I took what I could get. I felt stuck. It wasn’t until years later that I figured out why… I was trying to climb the wrong ladder!

Talent, Passion, Mission

Dangling from the bottom of the corporate ladder, I found a silver lining. While the work was very physical, it didn’t require much brain power or focus. So, I began listening to audiobooks and podcasts. In one year, I listened to 72 audiobooks! I learned a great deal during that time. But one of the most valuable things I came across was the Ken Coleman Podcast.

Ken Coleman calls himself “America’s Career Coach”. To anyone who has spent any time listening, it is a title well deserved. One of the pillars of Ken’s philosophy is the “sweet spot”. It is the idea that everyone can find a job that brings them joy; a job they are meant to do. It can be found at the intersection of talent, passion, and mission.

Talent- what you do best, passion- what you love to do most, and mission- the results that give you a sense of satisfaction in a job well done. Ken posits that if a person is unhappy with their job, it is most likely because one of the key elements is out of sync. Either you’re not good at it, so you don’t enjoy it, you are not passionate about it, so you resent it, or the results don’t matter to you on a personal level and so it just becomes a chore. He will often guide listeners to their sweet spot with a simple question:

If money was no object, what would you do?

I started to do some reflecting, thinking back on chapters in my life. What I liked and what I didn’t like. It wasn’t easy… I had to confront myself and deal with my faults and failures in equal measure with my triumphs. But eventually I had a breakthrough. Not a big AH HA moment, but a gradual progression tempered by fear of failure and of the unknown. Until I realized, I have failed many times; I had stood many times at the brink of the unknown and found the courage to carry on. I embraced my failures for the learning opportunities they were.

Failure isn’t the end, it’s an opportunity to start fresh with a new perspective.

And so I shed the fear and began to look forward to the wide open future. I decided to seek always a new horizon. Armed with the knowledge that I am self-aware, I declared my mission statement, my talent, passion, and mission…

I want to use my skills of adaptability, creativity, and analytical thinking, and my passion for continuous improvement, innovation, and learning, to become an expert in a highly technical and complex field to dramatically improve the efficiency and workflow of the people I am serving.

A False Start

I now knew what I wanted to do. I just had to figure how and where to do it. I realized my mission statement was slightly vague, but it was supposed to be, to an extent. I started researching different fields to find processes that people struggled with. I was searching for a need that I could fill. I landed on real estate.

From the outside looking in, I though it was a great idea. I would often hear people talk about how stressful purchasing a home can be. I thought “hey, there’s a complex process that I could smooth out for clients… I could even make it enjoyable.” So I spent 6 months getting certified as a real estate agent.

Pretty early on, I realized the reality was far from what I expected. Cold calling clients isn’t fun. People automatically assume you’re some unscrupulous bottom feeder. How could I tell them that I was honestly trying to be helpful when from their perspective I was just trying to take 6% of the equity in their home? (Even though agents only get a small fraction of the commission). I was assigned a mentor who checked out after our 1st meeting. And I discovered how saturated the market is with part time agents. It was a well-known fact in the real estate community: Everyone is an agent… if you don’t know an agent, you don’t know anybody.

I didn’t like the tactics, I didn’t like the pay structure. It wasn’t for me. So I pulled back and reevaluated by asking myself a few questions:

1. What is a complex field that I have experience in?

2. Where would a passion for continuous learning not only be helpful, but vital to succeed?

3. What is a field that drives innovation and depends on a creative, analytical mind to thrive?

I had a forehead slap moment… Technology! When I left my inventory job, I chose the wrong ladder. I wasn’t passionate about warehouse management. I was passionate about technology!

Finding Clarity

My path was beginning to clear. Immediately I felt a jolt of excitement. Eureka! I thought, but not yet. IT is a vast ever shifting landscape. I had to find a guide.

I decided to deploy another pillar from Ken Coleman: The Proximity Principle. Basically, find someone you know who is doing what you want to do and ask them for guidance.

I reached out to friends and Facebook for a contact in the IT industry and found two: An old family friend, John Ward- an IT consultant with decades of experience. And Beau Button, a friend of a friend- president of a software development company. With their guidance (and months of research) I found my path. I am a Cloud Engineer. With a clear path and determination, I set out on the journey I should have started a decade earlier.

From Carpenter To Cloud Engineer

I first heard about WGU back in 2010 when I graduated from Delgado Community College in New Orleans. I remember thinking it sounded great, but at the time I didn’t know what I wanted to study. Considering I am a full-time single dad working 2 jobs to get by a traditional brick & mortar university seemed impractical. And I know I could have earned certifications on my own, but I decided if I was going to do it, I was going to do it right. At 41 years old, I was going back to college. And WGU was the obvious choice. So, I am a proud member of the BSCC- Bachelor of Science in Cloud Computing… go Night Owls!

Currently, I have completed my first term at WGU. I am thrilled with my decision. I have earned my CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+. I study obsessively. The more I learn, the more I want to learn. I am active in several Facebook groups; eager to help others on their journey.

When I think about the long, hard road I took to get to where I am, I feel a peaceful joy knowing that I have earned my place and that all the struggles have prepared me, taught me, guided me… and I know I have arrived.

This is my Odyssey. The Journey Is The Destination.