T-SQL Tuesday 153 Invite: The Conference That Changed Everything For Me

T-SQL Tuesday is the blog party started by Adam Machanic (b|t) over a decade ago and is now maintained by Steve Jones (b|t) on tsqltuesday.com. On the first Tuesday of each month, a blogger hosts the party and suggests a topic. Anyone interested in the topic gets to blog about it. You have one week to write your blog post. It has to go live on the second Tuesday of the month, in this case August 9th.

The host then compiles a list of posts and creates a blog post, for a summarized read. It is a great way to get thinking on subjects you may not have thought of, read other people’s ideas on the same subject, and also get a few people to visit your blog to read your thoughts. Many bloggers start their blogging journey by responding to the T-SQL Tuesday call to action. I am honored to be the host for August 2022’s T-SQL Tuesday.

My invitation is about the social side of life as an data professional, specifically conferences and events. As one of the original nine founders of PASS and an early president of the association from 2004-2010, I always looked forward to the fall and the yearly PASS Summit. The leadership of PASS always worked hard to make the event feel like not only the best SQL Server and Azure SQL training event, but also like a big family reunion. (Check out the #sqlfamily hashtag on social media. It’s a thing!) Many bloggers have already written about #sqlfamily goodness from their attendance at the PASS Summit. Maybe we will see a couple of those blogs reposted?

With the last couple years pandemic lockdown behind us, we might not have many recent examples from the past two years. On the other hand, we have so much to look forward to with anticipation this fall! For many of us in this industry, conferences and events are the highpoint of our yearly business cycles. And with good reason, because we attended an event that had a lifelong positive impact on us. The invitation –

Tell us the story of how attending an IT conference or event resulted in an amazing career or life opportunity.

Of course, job and career opportunities readily jump to front of mind. But I ask you not to limit yourself to stories solely focused on career opportunities or job changes. I’ve seen so many other great outcomes happen for people who attended events like the PASS Summit, SQLBits, and others. I’ve even seen people meet, fall in love, and begin their journey as a couple because they both attended the same event. How wonderful is that?!?

Here are some other ideas. Did you connect with a new group of friends who are now a constant part of your life? Maybe you found a mentor who helped you in a multitude of ways? Perhaps you attended an event that started as the launch point of your own personal advancement as a speaker, blogger, writer, mentor, or community leader? Or maybe you learned an entirely new set of skills that amplified your success at your current job? It could be something even simpler, like finding out about a new musical act, writer, or artist who now is your favorite! Whatever your story might be, I would love to read your blog post about the conference that changed everything for you.

I hope I have inspired you to participate. Your action might then inspire others, starting a virtuous cycle of continued improvement for our community. Now, read the blog party rules below and get started!

  • Your post must be published on Tuesday August 9, 2022.
  • Your post must contain the T-SQL Tuesday logo (see above) and the image must link back to this blog post.
  • Trackbacks to my blog should work automatically. But if not, please put a link to your post in the comments section so everyone can see your contribution. (My comments are moderated so please don’t worry if yours doesn’t appear right away, I will make sure it does!)
  • If you are on Twitter include the hashtag #tsql2sday – it helps with RT’s and visibility. (I recommend doing this on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Slack as well).
  • On Monday August 15, I will publish a post that consolidates all of the responses with hyperlinks to all of the bloggers who participated. 

I look forward to reading your posts and encourage you to spread the word. All my best,

-Kevin

Comments

  1. Thanks Kevin, here’s my entry!
    https://sqlblog.org/2022/08/09/t-sql-tuesday-153

  2. Hi Kevin – I hope you’re doing well. I didn’t write about wishing you a happy birthday from across the street. You can see what I did write at https://lobsterpot.com.au/blog/2022/08/09/conferences/ – thanks for hosting…

    Rob

  3. Here is my T-SQL Tuesday contribution for this month Kevin, thanks for hosting.

    https://www.kevinrchant.com/2022/08/09/t-sql-tuesday-153-the-sqlbits-where-i-met-woz/

  4. Thanks for hosting Kevin – here’s my contribution!

    Andy

Trackbacks

  1. […] can read the original invitation by clicking on this link for the T-SQL Tuesday 153 invitation or on the image […]

  2. […] This month’s edition is hosted by my good friend and former SentryOne colleague Kevin Kline (b|t). For his T-SQL Tuesday topic, he asks bloggers to “Tell us the story of how attending an IT conference or event resulted in an amazing career or life o…“ […]

  3. […] T-SQL Tuesday! Kevin Kline (t | b) is our host this month. You can read his full invite here, but here’s his request for […]

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