Unfortunately, saying thank you seems to be an after thought more and more. So at least once a month, I will take a few minutes to publicly appreciate someone that has had an impact on me.
This round: Brandon Carlson
I think I met Brandon around 2008-9ish at an Agile conference. After years of chatting at these conferences, he has become a good friend. He’s the type of friend that we can have this really amazing conversation about something related to the industry and then in the next breath be mocking each other. It’s in the latter that I want to throw a public appreciation his way. I know, strange but I never claimed to be normal.
I don’t remember how exactly it started but over the years, we have become a little “competitive” with our sessions – especially if we are at the same conference. Our feedback tends to be very similar from notes to actual ratings. So one conference he’ll inch me out and the next one, I’ll get a little better of a rating/comments.
Ok, I know that this might not sound like a great thing but it is. Anytime I think “this is good enough”, I then remember Brandon is going to ask me and I better not lose to him! So I push myself further. I challenge my content, the preparation, and the delivery. And if that wasn’t enough, it helps me to learn what someone else gets/hears. Feedback can be tough. We do this to give back. We have good intentions but there is always this little bit of angst when you get that stack of feedback. Did people like it? Did people hate it? Having this fun ongoing joking battle helps put the feedback into perspective. Sometimes, I’m going to do well and sometimes someone else is. That’s ok. Sure, I want to beat him every time but losing is good for my mental health too.
So thank you Brandon, for becoming the friend that I trust to battle with. Bring on Vegas, I’m ready 🙂
Tricia
Picture from conference program of Brandon
