RSA Afterthoughts

 We conducted a workshop at RSA. It is still strange to write that sentence. It was two hours of pure fun. The attendees were absolutely amazing. It was not the easiest subject to present as it was a bit outside of the normal tech workshops. We taught personas and how to use them in tech from help-desk tickets to meetings. It was switching the thought process from getting from point A to point B to determine the best route to take - like using Waze vs Apple Maps vs Google Maps. There are different methodologies that are used to get to the destination with the routes having different preferences. 








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It was a really cool journey and meeting one of my lifelong goals was amazing EXCEPT now I have to make another one. I have to admit that I did not think that I would end up speaking the first time I submitted. I thought it would take YEARS, yes, years. It did not though and I continue to rethink the moments of the workshop. The room was decorated for a picnic theme with treats on the table and prizes of dinosaurs and sticky notes. I will have to admit that I probably should have been a kindergarten teacher because I love making themed events, themed lunches, etc...

I think about the questions that were asked during the workshop and of the different answers I would give now. Most of the answers are very similar just with a bit of extra added to them. I think about cutting out the persona cards that were wrapped in brown reusable sandwich bags that were filled with treats from candy to office supplies (not joking! Sticky notes and sharpies!). I will always remember being thanked for sharing my knowledge and being awestruck that I did the thing that helped others. I wanted to thank every person in that room for sharing their time with me. It was amazing and I highly recommend the experience.

I would also give the advice to not use white background on slides because it is blinding. Worry less about what it on the slides and more about telling the story of the information and being human. Anyone can find information on the internet - it is the personal stories and gathering of information that makes it make sense. I have to say that I probably told 10 stories about my sister and each one made me smile because each of those stories were a part of how I got to the point in my life where I am at. Someone called me a technologist and I had heard the term before just not given to me. It was one of those moments that gathered a million other moments and made sense of them. Enjoy the time on the stage and the moment that you realize that you do actually know what you are talking about and it sounds so easy and smooth coming from your mouth. Simply - enjoy every single moment.

I sit here typing this and still think of the surrealness of the whole thing. I have the pictures that I was there and it was not a dream. I had the confidence for two hours to believe in myself to a level that I had not before and it stuck. It still is sitting and I rather quite enjoy it.

There were many other moments are RSA that I will hold in my random smile thought memory bank. I learned about new products and easier ways to do things. I was handed a flier for an afterparty and thought nothing of it until the next morning when I really read it. Nick Offerman it was it said with the picture of him with flowers in his beard. I scanned the QR so quickly (I mean, I checked it was taking me to a legit website first). A few hours later I was sitting at a table filled with food and drinks while Nick Offerman sang a song about Siri that he made just for the event. If you ever get the chance to see him perform, I highly recommend it. He is spectacularly talented. I was one of people that got to do a quick meet and greet with him after the show and he was absolutely throwing a chill, sweet vibe. Two days later, I was sitting in front of Christopher Lloyd aka Doc from Back to the Future as he talked about figuring out how to make the characters he played come alive. 

I listened to so many talented technologists during RSA sharing their experiences and expertise which gave me a new outlook and perspective. The energy was contagious and has given me more avenues of cyber to explore.

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