For my first blog I want to talk about my experience as a member of SQL Family.
My Start
I started my career as a lone DBA, 15 years ago, with zero knowledge of what SQL Server actually was. I was promoted into a sole DBA job with expectations I would get certified and take the bull by the horns to manage the 50+ SQL Servers . The company, The Port of Virginia, took a big risk with me, but within 6 months’ time the gamble had paid off. In the beginning, most of what I learned to do the job was from a site called SSWUG.org. This is where a man by the name of Chris Shaw “Shaw” (t|b) unknowingly mentored me for three years. Twice a year I would register for the virtual training conferences the site had to offer where I attended almost every session Shaw presented.
My First PASS Summit
After a several years as DBA, I was given the opportunity to attend my very first PASS Summit. This is when I began to find out what SQL Family was and when my exposure to SQL Server grew exponentially. Prior to going to Summit I registered for Summit’s “First Timers” program, I was assigned to a volunteer, SQL Family member, TJay Belt (t|b). His job was to tell us how to prepare for Summit and how to get the most out of it. In his first email, he suggested we setup a Twitter account before doing anything else. He said to use SQL as part of your handle and just start following the #summit11 hash tag. So I did. Creating a Twitter account was one of the best pieces of advice that I could have gotten.
On the first day at Summit, I attended a session given by Shaw and after the session I introduced myself to him. I told him that he was my mentor and thanked him for sharing his knowledge with me. For me it was like meeting a celebrity (cheesy, I know). I was pleasantly surprised how nice he was and humbled he was to hear how much his sessions had meant to me. Shaw ended up being the first SQL Family member I met in person. I ran into him a few more times that week and by the end of the week he made a promise to me to get me an autographed SSWUGGIE. A “SSWUGGIE” is a Snuggie blanket with the SSWUG logo on it. Some speakers wore them in the virtual conference sessions and I thought they were cute at the time. A month later, I received it in the mail.
During Summit I traded business cards with so many people, talked with so many different DBA’s, attended all the events, and some after parties. Luckily for me, I am very outgoing and just jumped in with both feet taking advantage of everything Summit offered (which I highly encourage others to do). I met more than a dozen active SQL Family members that week. Upon returning home I logged into Twitter and began following everyone who gave me a business card.
My New Virtual Co- workers
As a lone DBA, Twitter has given me an outlet and supplied me with thousands of new co- workers. Over the years, I have relied heavily on these connections. I can find help by just tweeting questions or using the #SQLHelp hash tag. All hours of the day and night SQL Family will come out of the woodwork to help me and others. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been able work through an issue, talk through ideas, and just vent to them. SQL Family has generously shared their knowledge and guidance which has in turn helped me grow as a DBA.
Becoming a Valued Member of the Family
Now that I, myself, am a seasoned DBA with knowledge to share, I want to begin doing for others what SQL Family has done for me. I have started speaking at SQL Saturdays (thanks to being encouraged by SQL Family members), I am running my local SQL Server User Group (thanks to Derik Hammer (t|b)), and now look at me I am blogging. I find myself immersed daily in SQL Family. Each morning when I log into work I also log into Twitter and say good morning to them. I have Twitter open on my desktop all day looking to see what’s going on with #SQLHelp, reading blogs I see tweeted, and just staying part of ongoing SQL conversations. Every day the SQL Family continues to teach me something new.
Thankful
I never imagined that when I started as a lone DBA that I would be able to walk in the footsteps of my mentor Chris Shaw and contribute to others in the SQL community. I’ve been able to begin to give back to the family that helped raise me in the SQL world. Thanks to all of you that knowing or unknowingly impacting my career and for bringing me into the amazing community we lovingly call SQL Family. Looking forward to our Annual SQL Family Reunion they call PASS Summit. I am proud to be a member.
