Come visit me at the Philadelphia VMUG Usercon

philly_VMUGI wanted to give a quick shoutout to the Philadelphia VMUG Usercon coming up on Thursday, June 21st.  At 10:30 AM I’ll be presenting “If VSAN powered the Matrix”.  This presentation was originally created by Nick Korte but I plan to my spin on it.  I hope many of you can make it.  For more information about the usercon (or to register to attend), check out the site here: https://www.vmug.com/Attend/VMUG-UserCon/2018/Philadelphia-VMUG-UserCon-2018

Join me at VMworld with Tech Field Day Extra!

TFD-Extra-VMworld-300Hello Everyone!  This is a quick post to let you know that I will be a delegate this year at Tech Field Day Extra @ VMworld.  Join me and my fellow #TFDx delegates Tuesday afternoon where we will be hearing from Kingston, Druva, Pluribus, and NetApp.  Be sure to join in the conversation by using the hash tags #TFDx & #VMworld!

Below is the current schedule of presentations:

August 29, 2017
11:00-12:00
Kingston Presents at Tech Field Day Extra at VMworld US 2017

August 29, 2017
13:00-14:00
Druva Presents at Tech Field Day Extra at VMworld US 2017

August 29, 2017
14:30-15:30
Pluribus Networks Presents at Tech Field Day Extra at VMworld US 2017

August 29, 2017
16:00-17:00
NetApp Presents at Tech Field Day Extra at VMworld US 2017

I’m heading to Tech Field Day 13!

We’re just a little over a week away from Tech Field Day 13 and I’m proud to say I’ll be there as a delegate!  For those of you who don’t know, the Tech Field Day series (a GestaltIT production) is a chance for vendors and members of the tech community to come together and discus their latest product innovations.  These sessions are broadcast live and are joined by the greater community on twitter.  Now for those of you familiar with the process, you might be saying “Sean, that was an over simplified explanation” and you’re right, it was.  Delegates are highly technical and won’t pull any punches when asking questions, so presenters need to be on top of their game and knowledgeable about all aspects of the products.  Nothing is really off limits, the only rule is no throwing things.

 

What companies will be presenting?

Traditionally with most Field Day events, ~7-8 companies will present to the delegates.  They range from large established companies down to those coming out of stealth (this is a great type of event for coming out of stealth btw).  So lets look at the list of presenters:

As you can see, we have some well established vendors, some new ones, and 1 blank space (that company will be revealed later).  I expect we’ll see some updates on existing product lines as well as some new announcements

So what’s next?

A few of these companies i’m pretty familiar with, but some of them i’m hearing from for the first time.  While Field Day events are not new to me (I attended my first one as a delegate for Storage Field Day 11 and you’ll also see me in the background of the EMC presentation at SFD5), I’m still pretty new to the experience.  I’m looking forward to being on the other side of this and learning a lot.  So be sure to tune in next week and join in the conversation on twitter using the #TFD13 hashtag!

I’m headed to Storage Field Day 11!

Storage Field DayWe’re just 1 week away from Storage Field Day 11 and I’m proud to say I’ll be there as a delegate!  For those of you who don’t know, the Tech Field Day series (a GestaltIT production) is a chance for vendors and members of the tech community to come together and discus their latest product innovations.  These sessions are broadcast live and are joined by the greater community on twitter.  Now for those of you familiar with the process, you might be saying “Sean, that was an over simplified explanation” and you’re right, it was.  Delegates are highly technical and won’t pull any punches when asking questions, so presenters need to be on top of their game and knowledgeable about all aspects of the products.  Nothing is really off limits, the only rule is no throwing things.

 

What companies will be presenting?

Traditionally with most Field Day events, 8 companies will present to the delegates.  They range from large established companies down to those coming out of stealth (this is a great type of event for coming out of stealth btw).  So lets look at the list of presenters:

Storage Field Day 11 Companies

As you can see, we have some well established vendors, some new ones, and 2 blank spaces (those would be the stealth companies).  I expect we’ll see some updates on storage mediums (Both spinning disk and Flash) as well as storage systems (Both Hardware and Software).

So what’s next?

I’m not really sure what is next.  While storage field day is not new to me (You’ll see me in the background of the EMC presentation at SFD5), I’ve never been a delegate before.  I’m looking forward to being on the other side of this and learning a lot.  So be sure to tune in next week and join in the conversation on twitter using the #SFD11 hashtag!

VMware Announces vExperts for 2015 Second Half

vExpert-2015-BadgeYesterday, VMware announced the list of vExperts for 2015 Second Half and I am honored to be a part of that list.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, the “vExpert” designation is not based on technical expertise, but rather a recognition for excellent engagement and influence within the virtualization communities.  To quote directly from the program:

“Each of these vExperts have demonstrated significant contributions to the community and a willingness to share their expertise with others. Contributing is not always blogging or Twitter as there are many public speakers, book authors, script writers, VMUG leaders, VMTN community moderators and internal champions among this group.”

I am gracious and humbled to be considered an influencer in this community and this has reaffirmed my commitment to knowledge sharing.  I want to thank Corey Romero and the rest of the vExpert team.  Keep up the great work with this program.

Want to go to VMworld 2015? Win a trip from SimpliVity!

VMworld is a great gathering of all things VMware and I think that everyone should have the chance to go.  Unfortunately, it can also be an expensive gathering, which might be cost prohibitive for some potential attendees.  Good news though, because my employer, SimpliVity, is giving away 3 sets of tickets that include hotel and airfare.  All you have to do is click below and enter for a chance to win.

VMworld Social Contest

Winners will be announced on July 17th, 24th, and 31st.  Good luck to everyone!

I’ve found that next great job!

New JobA month ago I blogged about my social search for that next great job for me.  The outpouring of support from the community was fantastic I want to thank everyone that reached out to wish me luck and offer me advice.  Along this journey I had some great conversations.  I appreciate those who were in a similar position sharing their experience and helping reach out to recruiters and hiring managers they spoke with as well as friends who went above and beyond to advocate for me internally.  I had some great options before me that could take me to a customer role, working for a partner, or stay in the vendor space.

A few of you might have seen this tweet, and while I wasn’t about share the exact details at that time, I had in fact received an offer letter that I was more than excited to sign and return.  So without any further delay, on Monday I will start my new job as a Solutions Architect for SimpliVity!

SimpliVity Logo

As I understand it, SimpliVity combines the responsibilities of SEs and SAs into one role and I couldn’t be more excited!  I have been following the hyper converged industry for the past year and I have been really impressed with SimpliVity’s approach to the topic.  While this is going to be a bit different for me since I haven’t formally done this kind of work before, I believe my time in Technical Support and Marketing will allow me to bring a unique perspective to this role.  Look for future blog posts as I learn more about the technology and the industry.

Looking for that next great job!

keep-calm-and-let-s-find-a-new-jobSome of you may already know this, but I am no longer at EMC.  It’s been a great 5 years and I have had a blast being a part of the EMC Elect program.  Yes, I had been keeping this somewhat secret, not going public while reaching out to a few people and applying to positions listed online.  This however has taken a bit of a toll on my social presence and personal brand.  As I look around, I see a lot of great inspiration from others similar experiences within the community and I think it might be best to communicate out in hopes that it might make this process go quicker.  So I’m taking a page right from Keith Townsend’s playbook and blogging about it in hopes to attract additional opportunities.

One of my biggest struggles so far has been figuring out exactly what I want for a new role.  There are so many types of positions that I haven’t done before, but I’ve seen so many others succeed in those areas.  Presales has been a curiosity for me as well as design and implementation.  My earlier years were spent on the post sales side of the house and I’ve always thought that I could make customer’s lives easier if I applied that experience to creating new solutions.  My experience in social media marketing has given me a great appreciation for the culture and made me think I would be a good fit for Technical Marketing.

In reading over Keith’s review of his whole process, I immediately noticed a lot of similarities between his situation and mine.  Just like Keith, we were both trying to go back to a more technical role after taking 2 years in a less-technical position.  This of course can cause a disconnect as my CV may not communicate this effectively based on my recent job experience.  I know I can do the work and pick things up quickly, but having not been a Systems Engineer or Solutions Architect in a previous role might be getting me filtered out automatically when approaching this through a job board.

So I’ve turned to the community for assistance in finding the next step in my career and exploring new opportunities.  It’s hard to say exactly what I want because I believe there are so many options that I might be good for.   Since it won’t hurt, I’m going to continue to seek out new options through traditional methods, but I welcome anyone who wants to talk about my future and see if I might be a good fit for what you are looking for.  You can reach me here, on Twitter, or LinkedIn.

This blog is not dead yet!

montyThis post goes out exactly 1 year since my last post, and on this anniversary I want to make the statement that this blog is not dead yet, it’s just been in hibernation.  Writing has always been a struggle for me, dating back to my child hood.  I took great pride in what I had accomplished on this blog, not just in giving back to the community, but in being able to put together a regular cadence based on an activity I find challenging at times.

You’ve been gone for a year, what has happened?

So yes, over the course of a year a lot can happen and I’ll try and cover it at a high level.  Shortly after my last post, we underwent some changes on the team I worked on..  I inherited the responsibilities of the EMC Elect program from the departure of my close friend Matt Brender.  With the continued help and investment from Mark Browne, we kept the momentum going and finished judging and announced the elect class of 2014.  The program has continued to expand in size year over year.  With the addition of Dennis Smith to the team, we plan to continue this growth next year and beyond!  Nominations are currently open for EMC Elect 2015!

I found that these added responsibilities combined with my increased travel schedule and my existing initiatives did not leave me a lot of time for blogging, so unfortunately it fell by the wayside.  I know that some may say that is just an excuse, but while some people may be able to blog quickly, I end up staring at a computer screen for a long time struggling to get the words down.  The time just wasn’t there when I could be using it for other things (like moving to a new home).

Why are you back and what can we expect?

That is another good question.  I’ve been seeing all sorts of inspiring things going on around me that get me wanting to blog again.  Recently,  I’ve seen friends participating in a 30 blog posts in 30 days initiative.  I’m no wear near ready for that, but I do want to be able to do that someday.  I also am turning my life around personally.  I’m going to be setting up a new home office / workspace and expanding / revamping my home lab.  I think those will inspire some great blog posts.  My current role within EMC affords me a wealth of information.  Since I’ve taken over the responsibilities of EMCs blogging program (at a high level), I should lead by example and write about what we’ve been disseminating to our blogging corps.  I appreciate the 100 or so people that visit this site each day, and I hope to increase that number with new content.  I hope you are all looking forward to this as much as I am.