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2021

Speaking at DataMinds Connect

Speaking at DataMinds Connect

·215 words·2 mins
Pandemic killed 2020’s plans. Now finally back on stage at DataMinds Connect in Belgium with a new session on something technical speakers ignore: emotions. First in-person conference travel since the world stopped. I’m so ready to teach again!
On Community - Again

On Community - Again

·1652 words·8 mins
Years ago, fear kept me silent about bad actors in tech. Now stepping away from Data Weekender after organizers kept a speaker with documented harmful behavior. Safety demands action, not just codes of conduct. No longer afraid to speak out.
T-SQL Tuesday #135 - tools of the trade

T-SQL Tuesday #135 - tools of the trade

·663 words·4 mins
Survived a year of remote work with three essential tools: OBS for presentations that don’t bore people to death, Hugo to escape WordPress hell, and a Kindle that keeps me sane when screens become too much.
The Curious Case of Live Demos

The Curious Case of Live Demos

·578 words·3 mins
Live demos waste time at conferences. After 20+ years training, I’ve learned that controlled, pre-crafted demonstrations teach better than live coding. Can’t zoom, highlight, or control pacing when coding live. My job is helping you learn, not showing off.
T-SQL Tuesday #134 - give me a break!

T-SQL Tuesday #134 - give me a break!

·855 words·5 mins
Built a full-size R2D2 from scratch. Learned CNC machining and wood inlays. Got back in a glider cockpit after 16 years away. How I’m staying sane: making things with my hands and flying when my mind needs grounding.

2020

Speaking at Data Platform Discovery Day

Speaking at Data Platform Discovery Day

·86 words·1 min
I just had an absolute blast presenting at the Data Platform Discovery Days - both the European and the US edition! For the US edition I presented “Azure Machine Learning for the Absolute Beginner”, a session looking at machine learning in general, walking through Azure Machine Learning and giving several examples of machine learning in action - in both expected and unexpected places! The European edition asked for “Building an Empire - Implementing Power BI Step by Step”, a session on Power BI, datasets and dataflows. 

2018

A most unexpected Monday

A most unexpected Monday

·499 words·3 mins
After an exceptional year of speaking internationally and contributing to the community, an unexpected email brought news. The recognition marks a journey from being intimidated by MVPs at a first PASS Summit to becoming one, with a mission to continue mentoring and sharing knowledge.
Going to unexpected places

Going to unexpected places

·620 words·3 mins
Woke up in Tel Aviv after speaking to a room that went from two people to 40 in minutes. From a small Swedish town to seven countries this year — never expected databases would take me this far.