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You are listening to ServiceNow
University Radio,
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your ultimate source for the latest
product news, inspiring use cases,
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expert selling tips and success stories
designed to empower go to market teams.
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Sometimes the first step toward a new
future happens long before the
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opportunity arrives.
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It can start with how you carry yourself,
what you believe is possible,
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and the choices you make when no one else
can see where they might lead.
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For Devon,
that preparation happened years before
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ServiceNow and eventually met him at a
pivotal moment in his life.
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Welcome to the Honor Roll,
a ServiceNow University podcast
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celebrating the people and experiences
behind careers and the ServiceNow
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ecosystem.
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I'm your host, Jasmine,
and today I'm joined by Devon Tyson,
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Principal Platform Operations Strategist.
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Devon's story is 1 of preparation,
intentionality and being ready when an
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unexpected opportunity arrives.
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In this episode,
he shares how his upbringing and early
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habit of thinking beyond his
circumstances and a pivotal introduction
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to rise up helped shape his path into the
ServiceNow ecosystem.
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Hi, Devon.
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Welcome to the honor roll.
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Hi, Jasmine.
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Thank you for having me.
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Yeah, of course.
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I'm so excited to tell your story and
we're just going to jump right in and
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start at the beginning.
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Before we get into service now and how
you entered the ecosystem,
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tell me a little bit about how you grew
up and how that shaped your perspective
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of success and long term thinking.
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Sure.
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So I grew up in two different places,
right?
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So I grew up in New York City,
the South Bronx.
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I grew up between there and Southside,
Jamaica, Queens,
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and I spent the first half of my my
childhood in the South Bronx where,
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you know, we were raised in a brownstone,
but we didn't have like brownstone
fa073990-7e82-4ef5-b5d2-79fb422d494d-3
resources.
5cf9bb1c-060c-4689-82e9-8432298d9b90-0
We weren't, you know,
the part of the family that procured it
5cf9bb1c-060c-4689-82e9-8432298d9b90-1
and set it up for the family.
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We were like,
I don't want to say project living,
690471a4-7ab5-492f-a1a1-acae3d9d0e42-1
but like, you know,
we didn't have as many resources as as as,
690471a4-7ab5-492f-a1a1-acae3d9d0e42-2
as some families that we were lower class.
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We've been,
but we made the most with what we had.
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And that's something that I carried
throughout my life,
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just always making the most with what I
have.
d6c9a899-dd7f-4784-a31e-b1dcaebe71de-0
When I moved to Southside Jamaica,
acquaintance, I lived with my dad.
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I was 11 years old and I went to high
school there and went to junior high
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school there.
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Most of that part of my life,
I learned how to just conduct myself as
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an individual and treat people with
compassion regardless of circumstance.
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I was one of those kids that was always,
you know,
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always had always had to go to church,
even though I'd rather be home playing
bb130da2-f7c8-42d6-b346-4ec161b4727b-2
video games or outside with my friends.
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My dad made sure that I had some sort of
stability and, and routine in my life.
a4842651-5e59-4102-8e99-61acebe265df-0
And through that,
I learned just how important stability
a4842651-5e59-4102-8e99-61acebe265df-1
was.
e4c91513-cb23-4c5a-9e13-61a0c14b2a02-0
But outside of stability,
taking some risks, some calculated risks,
e4c91513-cb23-4c5a-9e13-61a0c14b2a02-1
and just always treating people right no
matter where I'm at,
e4c91513-cb23-4c5a-9e13-61a0c14b2a02-2
always offering and a helping hand and
always trying to put myself in a position
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to be a resource to others.
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Those are some of the things that I
learned and you know where I grew up in
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those type of environments.
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I think sometimes you can get caught up
in what you see and what you think is
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possible for yourself.
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How do you think that your environment
shapes those beliefs?
03028f0e-38a2-43bc-9678-e2d08d950692-0
Whether that was positively or negatively?
00b5589d-830a-4b29-9801-81d73ec132de-0
It shaped my beliefs in a number of ways.
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It taught me that people were more
important than things because I had many
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long lasting relationships,
friends that I still have to this day
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since I was three years old.
711000e9-885a-4f12-aa91-a55b6e1e8c08-0
And it taught me that if you put your
best foot forward and you have a plan,
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that the Sky's the limit.
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Some people, I would say,
in my experience,
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have always shared with me how they
didn't believe that what they were
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pursuing was obtainable.
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But I always believed in the kind of
humbling,
83e1cb6e-601e-4082-b197-ce9a7d42e792-1
the expectations of what I wanted and
kind of seeing everything that came after
83e1cb6e-601e-4082-b197-ce9a7d42e792-2
that as a bonus.
41e28f06-f67d-4939-9da4-64632ebc2a14-0
And I think that the energy that you
derive from those bonus feelings, right?
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Just knowing that growing up where I grew
up, you know,
94245cc8-d83d-4bd9-974d-bd200edc408b-1
sometimes we didn't have lights for a few
days.
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Sometimes, you know,
it was water instead of milk and your
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cereal.
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Like we just made do with what we had.
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And many people where I come from did,
I'm not, you know, like a special case.
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But I believe that many of us,
including myself,
e23ddb06-bb64-404a-9503-7c0147d52226-1
that come from those environments,
understand that what it means to have
e23ddb06-bb64-404a-9503-7c0147d52226-2
little to nothing.
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When you get a little bit more than that,
it's important to humble yourself as you
de057f4a-16fb-4635-978c-0181faebd3dc-1
become a little bit more successful in in
your your area or your field.
8c689ba1-6283-4cb7-9de3-fdd8eb2d404d-0
Definitely.
7434d560-cf51-42a3-aad9-d93b8191bb56-0
Yeah.
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It sounds like those early experiences
definitely gave you this strong sense of
6c6dcf81-a099-4ac8-9929-c40c3ce008e0-1
responsibility, like you said,
and resourcefulness.
05587a4f-b801-4b58-87e6-22560c56a0f8-0
But it also seems to have shaped your
ability to imagine something bigger than
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what you saw in front of you.
ce1c1f8e-3920-4a41-a42d-65ee5f95d86c-0
And like you said,
just making sure that you're very mindful
ce1c1f8e-3920-4a41-a42d-65ee5f95d86c-1
to be a good steward of the opportunities
that are presented to you.
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So with that being said,
we're going to kind of Fast forward a
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little bit growing up in the North and
now you're past school and everything
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like that.
66233865-c371-4d0e-ae75-28723ccf52e7-0
What did your career path look like prior
to entering ServiceNow?
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What were you doing and kind of what did
you imagine yourself getting into in the
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long term?
086cbc00-a54d-44b6-a7ce-02cc700f3bfc-0
Before I was introduced to service,
now I was in in management.
2ec62b1b-dfdc-4ee9-a867-200136dde2c6-0
I was a senior GM for a fitness
organization.
0a2f890c-d0e7-4c58-8f61-b426660f34b3-0
I got into Talent Sports International.
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Some people know it as New York Sports
Club, Boston Sports Club,
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depends on where you're at.
84395c85-30db-43ac-ae28-3131bf976b0a-0
I got into that just because I wanted to
help people in the best way possible.
10d44051-88c3-4def-a1f3-8fe534534fe7-0
I was quite successful,
so I was getting a lot of good feedback
10d44051-88c3-4def-a1f3-8fe534534fe7-1
around taking care of my body and all of
that good stuff and eating healthy.
bd21b71a-d83d-4ac7-a8b1-4f5b72deed2e-0
And I wanted to help other people to
attain those goals that they had them.
f1898375-f181-402d-95f1-454895432cd5-0
Outside of being a senior,
GMI was also doing regional management
f1898375-f181-402d-95f1-454895432cd5-1
for like a managed security organization.
52016814-56ab-43d5-b116-39b768cadc26-0
So that's like alarm systems and just
security for, you know,
52016814-56ab-43d5-b116-39b768cadc26-1
local stores and chain stores.
de4a76dc-7d43-496a-9187-e7da35899610-0
And I would just ensure that, you know,
there's they're secure and this system's
de4a76dc-7d43-496a-9187-e7da35899610-1
always functional and that the police are
showing up if your alarms going off.
f3a2c84f-fd5f-4278-a3ca-720c16b0f7f4-0
But as AGM and a regional manager,
I managed people mostly.
ba417601-4136-4fd0-b44c-efc9643b944c-0
And that taught me, you know,
admittedly so,
ba417601-4136-4fd0-b44c-efc9643b944c-1
that I was good at managing people and
there were a lot of opportunities in
ba417601-4136-4fd0-b44c-efc9643b944c-2
areas that I wasn't as good.
b45d2b46-6331-4355-a472-652c247cb781-0
It's important that we all look at our
flaws, but we're not doing well.
98a95622-657c-4b3c-89ae-7828d13453c7-0
Get that feedback,
regardless of whether it's good,
98a95622-657c-4b3c-89ae-7828d13453c7-1
bad or ugly from the people you're
working with,
98a95622-657c-4b3c-89ae-7828d13453c7-2
from the systems you're you're working on
and try to try your best to work on those
98a95622-657c-4b3c-89ae-7828d13453c7-3
areas and take full ownership of that.
64688951-9711-4da4-ab08-cb2c0e2984fd-0
I kind of just want to set the scene for
folks who are listening because when you
64688951-9711-4da4-ab08-cb2c0e2984fd-1
and I were speaking before,
you told me a very interesting or shared
64688951-9711-4da4-ab08-cb2c0e2984fd-2
a very interesting image with me,
which is that you were showing up to work
64688951-9711-4da4-ab08-cb2c0e2984fd-3
when you were working for the gym in a
suit when other people were kind of
64688951-9711-4da4-ab08-cb2c0e2984fd-4
coming in and you know,
obviously workout attires,
64688951-9711-4da4-ab08-cb2c0e2984fd-5
I'm imagining sneakers, sweatpants,
that sort of thing.
9f31a152-25a2-4a67-815d-3a59f764f494-0
I understand you were a manager,
so there were certain expectations you
9f31a152-25a2-4a67-815d-3a59f764f494-1
had,
but I'm assuming that that wasn't the
9f31a152-25a2-4a67-815d-3a59f764f494-2
norm for everyone who is in your position.
8a17e19e-7f3e-4653-a5be-33f65c991eba-0
So what was driving the mindset for you
with that?
55184bb1-cbce-42a2-9e83-ae76a33f0691-0
What did the suit represent for you?
8fdaa22a-0ee9-4a82-a1ad-71ff41d8ce9f-0
Oh, that's a good question.
4b725574-034a-4ce0-9496-2a0edc29c326-0
Yes.
671bf7b4-e5ae-4397-941b-3eaa84973a7b-0
I was the only GM major that any,
any employee.
f1b565bc-f9be-424c-9218-77dc4a111330-0
I was the only employee within the entire
company that was showing up to work in a
f1b565bc-f9be-424c-9218-77dc4a111330-1
suit.
a62aa974-ef1f-4975-b6f4-0112df25a4b4-0
Yeah, it was a gym.
12147550-80b1-4047-ad42-b5a6e530ddfc-0
People are coming in and I think our gym
attire was like the,
12147550-80b1-4047-ad42-b5a6e530ddfc-1
the team shirt and slacks or not slacks
like khakis and for some people,
12147550-80b1-4047-ad42-b5a6e530ddfc-2
shorts are just like casual attire.
33aae401-4c8f-4804-b353-c0b40cc4062f-0
So sneakers because you're picking up
weights and you're doing stuff like that,
33aae401-4c8f-4804-b353-c0b40cc4062f-1
right?
689dd299-0de6-4b79-9140-10529c15e2c0-0
What was important to me was that I
always showed up as who I saw myself
689dd299-0de6-4b79-9140-10529c15e2c0-1
becoming as opposed to who other people
told me I was or where I currently AM in
689dd299-0de6-4b79-9140-10529c15e2c0-2
life.
19ae9080-89e3-4b3b-a871-2557cde74594-0
I always saw myself as a professional who
wanted to look his best at all points in
19ae9080-89e3-4b3b-a871-2557cde74594-1
time.
da444b9d-7284-48a4-aa12-41aaffe056a3-0
But I also liked the routine coming from
like private schools and stuff like that.
79a1cab1-ed0a-4030-905c-b19bff46e1e2-0
I like.
681875c0-c60a-4c0f-acca-27236b03ab0f-0
I thought it was just easier to wear a
suit as well.
6b49309d-b0d4-4812-bd72-dfd3bab02c4d-0
But before I became a GM,
it was always my dream to like run my own
6b49309d-b0d4-4812-bd72-dfd3bab02c4d-1
business.
1e14b630-7427-4216-aa04-48edd256d894-0
I always wanted to be in a position to
have something to call my own.
c7c00587-2085-4e2d-ae9d-07fb7b02bc71-0
And when I got that job,
it was so important to me that I show up
c7c00587-2085-4e2d-ae9d-07fb7b02bc71-1
the same way I would have shown up for my
own business because I was in charge of
c7c00587-2085-4e2d-ae9d-07fb7b02bc71-2
all of the numbers and you know,
the profits and losses and hiring and
c7c00587-2085-4e2d-ae9d-07fb7b02bc71-3
expansion, all of that.
8a08684d-730b-4309-ad92-eba63485ddeb-0
And I wanted,
I wanted to approach it like I would have
8a08684d-730b-4309-ad92-eba63485ddeb-1
had I opened a local store or had I
opened a bakery or anything.
182ca2e2-2ffa-496f-ad83-a5ea15613f25-0
I would show up to work in a suit
regardless of how everyone else is
182ca2e2-2ffa-496f-ad83-a5ea15613f25-1
stressed or what the dress code is,
because it's just how I saw myself.
84c3ef7b-0307-47af-8632-0a89d0de9c40-0
I always saw myself as someone in a suit.
886dac79-35ab-4b1b-a67a-dc9e40045eef-0
And now I go to work or when I'm doing
presentations in front of, you know,
886dac79-35ab-4b1b-a67a-dc9e40045eef-1
C-Suite execs and executive directors and,
you know,
886dac79-35ab-4b1b-a67a-dc9e40045eef-2
high level managers and just other peers
of mine as well.
c9022f16-0085-481f-b207-9ccea66b0aeb-0
I show up to work in a suit,
and it feels like, you know,
c9022f16-0085-481f-b207-9ccea66b0aeb-1
I'm right at home.
1d37bbd0-5876-4374-8bfb-2db0193d5e8d-0
Yeah.
efb21f0f-04f6-4a0e-b3ab-0a064eba5380-0
I love that so much.
09e69c54-a0e7-407c-bffe-5e226ba64fb9-0
And what stands out for me is,
especially when you first told me about
09e69c54-a0e7-407c-bffe-5e226ba64fb9-1
that,
is that you weren't waiting for this
09e69c54-a0e7-407c-bffe-5e226ba64fb9-2
title or an opportunity to start seeing
yourself differently.
818cd73f-58d0-4501-b6ec-d275c67462f5-0
You had,
you knew what you wanted ultimately for
818cd73f-58d0-4501-b6ec-d275c67462f5-1
your life and for your career.
2eee02e1-02d4-4647-a934-30ee04cdc0ba-0
And so you showed up like that even when
it may have not looked like it.
a6856f77-fdc6-4a2f-997d-35df79613f82-0
It belonged in the spaces that you were
in because you were already preparing for
a6856f77-fdc6-4a2f-997d-35df79613f82-1
the type of environment that you hoped to
be in that you are.
6040b9d3-ef38-42fc-b2b9-1a35111f6d68-0
And now.
cde9e9d1-a115-4b22-96a1-1a9bce28c25c-0
And so eventually an opportunity did
appear from working in the gym to where
cde9e9d1-a115-4b22-96a1-1a9bce28c25c-1
you are now,
but through a connection you probably
cde9e9d1-a115-4b22-96a1-1a9bce28c25c-2
didn't really anticipate.
bd1685c2-894d-41a5-9890-6a41d849ccc6-0
So how did you first hear about Rise Up,
which was then at the time known as Next
bd1685c2-894d-41a5-9890-6a41d849ccc6-1
Gen.
32a1742d-9a2a-4f0c-8b7c-f0202e2af8bd-0
I learned about Rise Up through Karen
Pavlin,
32a1742d-9a2a-4f0c-8b7c-f0202e2af8bd-1
who is a chief chief workforce innovation
officer of ServiceNow.
e515819b-d932-4684-a11a-17f0641cfd68-0
When I connected with her and we
connected on LinkedIn through my wife,
e515819b-d932-4684-a11a-17f0641cfd68-1
Karen was so ecstatic about just being in
a position to help other people.
413ebaa6-4198-4503-b920-31338386fcf6-0
If I could rewind for a second,
my first ever retail job,
413ebaa6-4198-4503-b920-31338386fcf6-1
I was 18 years old.
a246a694-85ee-4546-8d44-0b0c19dac430-0
I was working at Staples.
1b04ef48-89ab-49eb-bf3a-732aba6a60a3-0
I didn't have a very good manager,
the GM of the location.
cf7bb4c7-2105-43a4-8e07-384debd17c78-0
After about two years, it was a long,
gruesome 2 years in terms of like getting
cf7bb4c7-2105-43a4-8e07-384debd17c78-1
hours and stuff like that and the kind of
work that they would have us doing and
cf7bb4c7-2105-43a4-8e07-384debd17c78-2
working overnight and all that stuff.
0cbcbd3c-faf8-44d0-abc4-547239930f45-0
He was fired for stealing wages.
cf251fc4-83c5-49f7-87c7-c24ae09049df-0
So he was essentially cutting our hours
that we worked so that he can get a
cf251fc4-83c5-49f7-87c7-c24ae09049df-1
bigger bonus and he was eventually fired
for that.
bbe70b3c-1281-4d87-9f88-6d0887262745-0
When a new manager came in and saw what
was happening,
bbe70b3c-1281-4d87-9f88-6d0887262745-1
he reported and that was it.
a8f5c19b-503a-4812-a857-5d5d8dc1ac6e-0
So I didn't have a really good at such a
young age.
5fe0716d-54d6-413c-88e5-c6fc80566805-0
I was very impressionable.
a41a33f2-e2c1-4bc0-a1af-79a2778a03a9-0
I didn't have a very good opinion or or
outlook on people in those types of
a41a33f2-e2c1-4bc0-a1af-79a2778a03a9-1
positions,
which is also another reason I wanted to
a41a33f2-e2c1-4bc0-a1af-79a2778a03a9-2
be in that position because I knew I
would never treat other people that way.
ea7dc938-44e2-47dd-9040-ab31ef219d3e-0
And so when Kerry came along and someone
in her position was so ecstatic and so
ea7dc938-44e2-47dd-9040-ab31ef219d3e-1
authentic about helping someone she
didn't know have an opportunity to do
ea7dc938-44e2-47dd-9040-ab31ef219d3e-2
more and show up the way that they can
possibly show up,
ea7dc938-44e2-47dd-9040-ab31ef219d3e-3
it was a very unique feeling and
opportunity.
9506bde6-49c8-4be1-bfbe-c74fa7d2da9e-0
And so she introduced me to the Rise Up
program.
4bce1e2f-f161-403d-8af3-a1501e2b060b-0
I applied and I got started in the March
cohort of 2023.
7a09421d-a4a8-4575-a41c-d6075b1501b3-0
Very nice yes and so I'm someone who
thinks a lot about synchronicities and
7a09421d-a4a8-4575-a41c-d6075b1501b3-1
kind of these things that happen when
we're maybe not aware that we're prepared
7a09421d-a4a8-4575-a41c-d6075b1501b3-2
for them,
right there's it's really hard to feel
7a09421d-a4a8-4575-a41c-d6075b1501b3-3
like you're always prepared or ready for
circumstances that happen,
7a09421d-a4a8-4575-a41c-d6075b1501b3-4
but I think that it happened at such an
interesting time in your life because
7a09421d-a4a8-4575-a41c-d6075b1501b3-5
from my understanding,
you had just welcomed your daughter,
7a09421d-a4a8-4575-a41c-d6075b1501b3-6
you chose to spend your paternity leave
actually completing this program.
e47f2271-1578-4763-a6e8-aa924b00587a-0
So walk us through that decision when so
many new things are happening.
00eaeea1-fc81-4219-a582-8a7c7e8eb2e4-0
You're you're balancing fatherhood.
b9f74ba6-28d5-4624-9dea-b8e3a7f7e007-0
And then you also get this opportunity
where it may have felt like, OK,
b9f74ba6-28d5-4624-9dea-b8e3a7f7e007-1
if I don't do this now,
I'll never be able to do this.
196b454c-f0a6-407d-a591-69a8ef9d7011-0
Right.
febd06bf-9d4f-40ad-ac46-a39265799196-0
So how did you make the leap from being
someone who was maybe just thinking about
febd06bf-9d4f-40ad-ac46-a39265799196-1
a career change or thinking about getting
into something new to actually taking
febd06bf-9d4f-40ad-ac46-a39265799196-2
advantage of what was being presented in
front of you?
c5475ab1-1149-4e38-ae7b-b194251f36cc-0
Great question.
ea5f3d34-092a-4966-b755-924ddc67597e-0
I was always interested in getting into
tech and IT spaces,
ea5f3d34-092a-4966-b755-924ddc67597e-1
but I wasn't the most technical person.
c696279a-1121-480d-ab6d-365e4bd4697b-0
Just to rewind for a SEC,
I was at GM when for Town Sports
c696279a-1121-480d-ab6d-365e4bd4697b-1
International before the pandemic.
666c40af-bb13-4457-970b-4081120d145d-0
When the pandemic hit, gyms were closed,
a lot of us were out of work and you know,
666c40af-bb13-4457-970b-4081120d145d-1
it was a fresh start for quite a few
people.
6baef8d6-2c2d-4f8a-95ae-f9efd8623461-0
I did become a regional manager within a
different company.
83179c0b-64fe-47ad-a1fe-3d4d44651fc3-0
However,
it wasn't the space that I wanted to be
83179c0b-64fe-47ad-a1fe-3d4d44651fc3-1
in and it was just something like I was I
was good at,
83179c0b-64fe-47ad-a1fe-3d4d44651fc3-2
but it wasn't exactly paying the bills
that the way that would be ideal for
83179c0b-64fe-47ad-a1fe-3d4d44651fc3-3
welcoming a child into the world.
2214eb1a-cbfc-4e51-8176-70b60dd16c1f-0
When this came about,
everything just seemed to come about in
2214eb1a-cbfc-4e51-8176-70b60dd16c1f-1
like a divine way.
423f8581-963a-4e6c-94ce-b6640ae6adad-0
I've got the offer.
889a444f-4b7d-402f-a76f-6482de185d8c-0
I met Karen and I believe like November
of the previous year,
889a444f-4b7d-402f-a76f-6482de185d8c-1
and I didn't hear back after we spoke
about the rise up, about the Next Gen.
6c8dfa1f-0d5f-4789-9953-7c6723148c95-0
program,
which is now rise up until about January
6c8dfa1f-0d5f-4789-9953-7c6723148c95-1
or so.
101ace8b-0820-4824-9cba-10eed4924a58-0
But it was like 2 months of uncertainty
and not really knowing when it was going
101ace8b-0820-4824-9cba-10eed4924a58-1
to start.
e782f3a2-b8bd-455f-a981-2f7db369bf28-0
And so when I did hear back,
it just so happened to be around the same
e782f3a2-b8bd-455f-a981-2f7db369bf28-1
time that I was getting paternity leave.
8183e6aa-29a6-41d8-9d93-bb097b4646d9-0
It was divine timing.
a1abbc96-c9f7-4724-b58f-238003354b73-0
No doubt God was involved in that.
ff2fc56c-6adb-4d2c-b426-3639b5158e15-0
The program was 10 weeks.
b94c47cb-ad50-4cc7-ba43-ad62a29e671b-0
I started paternity leave like 2 days
before the program.
46dc2c3f-036b-4cfe-899d-d5ea46d49807-0
Wow.
018217b0-86dd-41bf-81a1-00fae6c2ce92-0
Yeah.
fef1ec70-26cc-4f72-8caf-5ef19e64eba7-0
And it was tough.
464d70b1-221c-4de6-8ea3-e4df0cbad7e2-0
We just welcomed my daughter 2 weeks
later or so.
81e4932d-62a6-4d8f-af59-a80b03204b60-0
It was tough,
but it was great to be right next to her
81e4932d-62a6-4d8f-af59-a80b03204b60-1
and kind of go through this entire thing
as a family.
466b188f-4cf0-4df5-ad9f-e369a33070b4-0
And I couldn't have done it without her
mom, you know,
466b188f-4cf0-4df5-ad9f-e369a33070b4-1
And I couldn't have done it without that
divine timing.
94bb64f4-4a00-480d-b762-b95d741dc3de-0
I couldn't have done it without Karen's
involvement.
7e9a68b2-ae87-46d0-80a8-0efe4f1bb59c-0
And everything just came together,
and it seemed like it was the only
7e9a68b2-ae87-46d0-80a8-0efe4f1bb59c-1
direction to go on top of it being
something that I wanted to do.
a3b5f446-eb06-45b4-bb67-80106559478b-0
Yeah.
5c567483-0e7d-44ea-b329-57f6ad4f8e43-0
And so it all panned out.
5ecb418b-fd7c-457d-83f5-e8cdd8e59cdd-0
It wasn't a hard decision to make,
but it was a hard decision to carry out,
5ecb418b-fd7c-457d-83f5-e8cdd8e59cdd-1
for sure.
7902a78c-8cb9-4f40-ae9a-29c46c9669a7-0
Yeah.
035561c4-37e8-4c7f-865f-27ed54dc7db0-0
That I think there's something so
powerful about it arriving at the same
035561c4-37e8-4c7f-865f-27ed54dc7db0-1
time that you became a father because
it's like you weren't just thinking about
035561c4-37e8-4c7f-865f-27ed54dc7db0-2
your own future anymore.
73cb3559-45cd-42a8-9691-8721f8a98202-0
It was also you thinking about the kind
of life that you wanted to build for your,
73cb3559-45cd-42a8-9691-8721f8a98202-1
for your daughter, for your family.
7655d945-e873-4fde-bd13-ee5a878c2505-0
I mean, completing that program,
it sounds like that gave you a foundation,
7655d945-e873-4fde-bd13-ee5a878c2505-1
but stepping into an entirely new
professional ecosystem, all of that,
7655d945-e873-4fde-bd13-ee5a878c2505-2
that's also a huge transition that's
happening concurrently with becoming a
7655d945-e873-4fde-bd13-ee5a878c2505-3
father.
9d8968a0-7be5-4500-a0d0-9a7a33186242-0
So what did that transition into the
service now ecosystem look like kind of
9d8968a0-7be5-4500-a0d0-9a7a33186242-1
just as far as the more nitty gritty
details of that, You know,
9d8968a0-7be5-4500-a0d0-9a7a33186242-2
what surprised you about the community or
the curriculum?
e858cd5c-664a-4c11-b67b-966fcd2732b6-0
What skills did you find that your
previous job also kind of helped you as
e858cd5c-664a-4c11-b67b-966fcd2732b6-1
being valuable in a way that maybe you
didn't expect when you first started?
03efd5a8-1754-4e51-8b75-dd8717cc24e9-0
When I first started the Next Gen.
cc29d8fa-4407-4d45-9165-3f000b29fded-0
program,
what surprised me upfront was how
cc29d8fa-4407-4d45-9165-3f000b29fded-1
involved the staff was.
0e163f5d-4d45-4b82-9c26-082e4730d4df-0
The staff was, quite frankly,
I'll just be honest, I mean,
0e163f5d-4d45-4b82-9c26-082e4730d4df-1
they seemed a little too happy to like to
be doing their job.
d8ef6af5-33d2-4131-8397-ad5c45a1c885-0
Like, I'm a New Yorker.
3c517efe-dae3-4665-8269-087885d91243-0
I,
I know many listeners won't be from New
3c517efe-dae3-4665-8269-087885d91243-1
York, but people here barely smile.
3f82a626-d44e-48a2-b0bb-d98b70f8a3b9-0
They don't say good morning.
c050baf7-3ccf-4f12-810b-bb521296a177-0
People don't really greet each other.
b178fcd0-15cd-4f57-bbad-db06c0e9b674-0
Most New Yorkers are kind of known to be
mean on the outside,
b178fcd0-15cd-4f57-bbad-db06c0e9b674-1
but on the inside will be like,
in a rush to help you if, like,
b178fcd0-15cd-4f57-bbad-db06c0e9b674-2
your tires flat.
bb098d89-92ca-41f2-b08f-7764427c5b96-0
And so these people just seem like really
happy to be doing their job.
463820ba-c238-4801-8844-e6d11df64d5a-0
And I was like, you know,
I'm not going to buy into this because
463820ba-c238-4801-8844-e6d11df64d5a-1
that's not like, possible.
a2607856-e558-4cb4-8aac-403420feec1b-0
Like, no one's this happy.
4a3f802e-9281-4612-9257-b7b0882cfc8e-0
Like, not everybody.
c149c977-7592-4f3f-b858-29ebb29df251-0
As the days went on,
I started noticing that it was consistent.
87fe9f6d-3882-446b-b7d7-05a3e4db54c3-0
I noticed that the staff was willing to
stay after hours to help us outside of
87fe9f6d-3882-446b-b7d7-05a3e4db54c3-1
their work hours.
987e94f6-8bb7-4fef-960b-b7c5f44dc0b4-0
I noticed that their offers to continue
to develop us never like shifted or ended
987e94f6-8bb7-4fef-960b-b7c5f44dc0b4-1
and I was actually developing
relationships with.
31ebd453-bf2b-4dbd-93f8-9670fb4044cf-0
I forgot the exact term.
6bbc9be2-362e-49d2-9e0d-9106baf56f2b-0
I think it's like teaching assistant or
like the heads of the groups with heads
6bbc9be2-362e-49d2-9e0d-9106baf56f2b-1
of groups that weren't part of my group.
e75a6b5c-f639-46ba-976a-a5fb69fc67df-0
And this is before no one knew I would.
c3f90f3b-699f-4b4d-b86c-c70dbfe3dd80-0
I knew Karen Pavlan at the time.
b3f82695-1203-46ee-814d-7facf69ac2a7-0
I didn't share that information,
and this is before I'd like to the film
b3f82695-1203-46ee-814d-7facf69ac2a7-1
and all that stuff.
fe5e79e6-1809-4b96-a300-a4b74c82d79b-0
This was just like people treating you in
an authentically genuine way,
fe5e79e6-1809-4b96-a300-a4b74c82d79b-1
like a member of their community,
like a neighbor,
fe5e79e6-1809-4b96-a300-a4b74c82d79b-2
like they really want to see you succeed.
f6a17dab-1656-46e8-bed1-809eeffa471d-0
And I thought that was important because
the energy behind the teaching that you
f6a17dab-1656-46e8-bed1-809eeffa471d-1
can teach anyone, not anyone,
but you can teach most people how to code.
c1d0bb46-30ed-46b3-be50-4e5ac61aed25-0
You can create a curriculum for anyone.
b6bef62e-a212-4acf-9932-92272073b6ee-0
You can get teachers and you can have
them show people how to do things day and
b6bef62e-a212-4acf-9932-92272073b6ee-1
night.
aaa325b5-8bd9-47a0-a883-a1254df0da88-0
But if the people behind it aren't driven
by something greater than themselves,
aaa325b5-8bd9-47a0-a883-a1254df0da88-1
which was the program,
I think it would collapse.
c796056c-193d-44cb-8e47-e240da0800cf-0
And that wasn't the case with the rise of
program.
932bd135-29cc-4d8c-a395-15bcb767a5cf-0
Some of the tools that I learned that I
was able to carry with me,
932bd135-29cc-4d8c-a395-15bcb767a5cf-1
I should say from work or the ability to
work with others collaboratively on
932bd135-29cc-4d8c-a395-15bcb767a5cf-2
projects,
the ability to lead teams in certain
932bd135-29cc-4d8c-a395-15bcb767a5cf-3
times because we would rotate leadership
roles.
4ea616a4-8a16-4cf8-8b1a-7dccf935f567-0
Some of the technical prowess that I
already developed from like school and
4ea616a4-8a16-4cf8-8b1a-7dccf935f567-1
working in IT and previous roles,
All of that stuff was kind of combined.
a96f08c6-239c-4c91-86a4-ef18d5c72550-0
And I think the program just complemented
all of my weak areas.
de49eba7-d98f-496e-a494-69f659f1a060-0
I love to hear that.
e6923add-08aa-4578-aca6-c4c40eabcb8d-0
Yeah.
35a165f8-932d-4f7d-b416-ceda941bd7bc-0
And it sounds like you,
you really did have a community of folks
35a165f8-932d-4f7d-b416-ceda941bd7bc-1
that really wanted to make sure that you
were successful,
35a165f8-932d-4f7d-b416-ceda941bd7bc-2
that you also had great examples and kind
of these testimonies of what it looks
35a165f8-932d-4f7d-b416-ceda941bd7bc-3
like when you do kind of take that leap
of faith and you invest in yourself.
54833e3a-220d-4a62-bcb5-14d6c30b84d2-0
But I'm sure that you had these moments
of like self doubt and uncertainty even
54833e3a-220d-4a62-bcb5-14d6c30b84d2-1
amidst all the support and positivity
that you were receiving.
6a2510c6-5710-46e1-bd3b-57a813181cd2-0
So how did you ultimately move past that
in order to be where you are today?
d2b6de43-5e8e-4805-9af6-ec642af06e92-0
You know,
how to what were things you were telling
d2b6de43-5e8e-4805-9af6-ec642af06e92-1
yourself or just even just resources
externally that really helped beyond just
d2b6de43-5e8e-4805-9af6-ec642af06e92-2
the community?
0bc597a1-ea00-4fb0-9c41-86c8b42f9ab6-0
I had quite a few moments of self doubt.
415d16dc-4827-4865-95c7-b2cf81d33510-0
When you're going through the program or
when I was going through the program,
415d16dc-4827-4865-95c7-b2cf81d33510-1
you're receiving a lot of information in
a short period of time.
6aa2656f-9f17-44df-b4ee-dd31ba595ae1-0
It was a work shift, essentially.
3f76bd43-1d54-4fb7-aa5f-1751b5581f5a-0
We went in there from 9:00 to 5:00.
81a62e36-c254-44b3-9da1-58d6ce40e045-0
And then depending on your time zone,
you know, it's different.
548afe01-aeda-4985-938d-ba579a1b5b35-0
But 8 hours a day essentially with like,
you know, a break or a few breaks,
548afe01-aeda-4985-938d-ba579a1b5b35-1
but you're taking in a lot of new
information.
3bf116be-022a-4bfe-b882-e7b76286875c-0
And I came to points where I wasn't sure
if I was retaining everything.
2810ecaa-440e-42c8-a9ef-15521d35bf31-0
I wasn't sure if I was learning the key
points and the key areas,
2810ecaa-440e-42c8-a9ef-15521d35bf31-1
if I was just absorbing,
trying to absorb too much information.
ed8cc178-8cea-4dc9-a745-252708009c87-0
There were certain things I wasn't
understanding.
1603fbde-2830-4aab-abce-48c2e15b62e4-0
And you know,
I was able to follow up after,
1603fbde-2830-4aab-abce-48c2e15b62e4-1
but I felt like I was behind.
a2cc9f42-9141-470f-8805-f34de6645bd0-0
There were people getting their certified
system admin certifications before the
a2cc9f42-9141-470f-8805-f34de6645bd0-1
program ended,
and I felt like my mind was blown.
efa53d0f-5cfa-4440-b540-6ef24052d016-0
I was like,
there's no way I'm doing this right
efa53d0f-5cfa-4440-b540-6ef24052d016-1
because this guy's halfway through the
program and he already has a cert and
efa53d0f-5cfa-4440-b540-6ef24052d016-2
some people weren't getting their certs
either at all or for months after,
efa53d0f-5cfa-4440-b540-6ef24052d016-3
weeks after.
b778605c-043e-4414-8295-69c76f946e51-0
And so I wasn't really sure at that time
how to navigate it.
dc80c3f3-0253-422a-aa3e-408d5c4d97e2-0
And So what I decided to do,
some of the things I was telling myself,
dc80c3f3-0253-422a-aa3e-408d5c4d97e2-1
I would say anytime I have any negative
emotion or a self doubt,
dc80c3f3-0253-422a-aa3e-408d5c4d97e2-2
I always think of what's what's the
opposite of that and how can I get there?
e6a72479-d414-48b8-a758-9c7ad26e96d4-0
The opposite of self doubt is,
is confidence.
afbe91a5-e760-420c-b806-ca6fd1b0ac6c-0
I would give myself a road map to
confidence.
63ad239a-3821-433e-8c79-bc06e1af5ac8-0
What does it look like to be confident in
this space?
21ee0e31-91cd-4027-91ea-507f4a139cee-0
What do I need to know?
2671e40e-4a90-4ca3-8639-4dec2597bdbf-0
How prepared do I need to be and how and
what does that person look like?
c7a97364-1cb9-48a9-a5b1-f00a6bbc2836-0
What does he sound like?
6d311a6d-4094-4dd3-96b5-68dfd03a55b6-0
How does he carry himself?
341935e0-63ac-4e46-a75b-796f7aa9a7ca-0
What I would do is I would start
participating a bit more.
48a99bce-aa53-42ff-b9a2-fed02830f9a9-0
I would take opportunities to lead small
group projects.
b912178e-3747-4d44-ab01-b3ba25e76fc6-0
I would speak up and ask questions where
it seemed like it wasn't a good idea to
b912178e-3747-4d44-ab01-b3ba25e76fc6-1
ask questions because nobody else is
asking.
d3ceaf1b-7dcc-4888-a288-07dd81ef9d7f-0
And some of those things are part of my
road map and and as I did that.
210b9578-1aab-4708-a195-0bc749e33e20-0
I was able to give people an opportunity
in the program,
210b9578-1aab-4708-a195-0bc749e33e20-1
the teachers and an opportunity to show
if they are as helpful as they seem than
210b9578-1aab-4708-a195-0bc749e33e20-2
they were.
4035e473-90fa-473d-94ac-70c645076254-0
They didn't let us down.
ad718ef6-525b-4dc0-ac9a-29e8dab1f301-0
They didn't let me down for sure.
772ddffc-4501-4992-87ba-1c0bece54aca-0
All questions were answered.
b27668c2-ff9b-46a4-a44d-819816aa7387-0
After speaking to my my peers,
I learned that I was up to par or in some
b27668c2-ff9b-46a4-a44d-819816aa7387-1
cases I was able to help my peers with
information that I gained and I was able
b27668c2-ff9b-46a4-a44d-819816aa7387-2
to finish the program in a confident
position.
ef13831a-c2a1-40c3-8625-b365ca57ffdc-0
Things I would say to myself as what's
the opposite of of self doubt and how do
ef13831a-c2a1-40c3-8625-b365ca57ffdc-1
I obtain that?
cb9d2716-461c-40b7-8d98-f161e6cbcbb1-0
And then I start taking those steps
definitely.
54dda0ac-0df9-4982-ba21-9faab43a558c-0
And what I'm hearing to that I really
appreciate,
54dda0ac-0df9-4982-ba21-9faab43a558c-1
I think is just the importance of being
really intentional, being strategic,
54dda0ac-0df9-4982-ba21-9faab43a558c-2
but also, like you said,
kind of this opportunity to reflect to on,
54dda0ac-0df9-4982-ba21-9faab43a558c-3
OK,
how can I show a better in these
54dda0ac-0df9-4982-ba21-9faab43a558c-4
situations so that I can be more
successful.
f6d3f47f-dc7a-4edb-878d-b47c861988de-0
And it turns out that life met you where
you were, right?
c16d11b3-14f0-4ba3-a24e-37e824810878-0
You ended up having a lot of support
people who wanted to answer those
c16d11b3-14f0-4ba3-a24e-37e824810878-1
questions for you.
e98c3e53-bcb7-4817-b1a7-3cdbec6e65b3-0
So I love that you just stayed curious
and that you pushed through any sort of
e98c3e53-bcb7-4817-b1a7-3cdbec6e65b3-1
self doubt that you had.
1e4121d5-9d10-43f5-8977-3ab21af26cbd-0
It's like you said,
just show up in a more confident way
1e4121d5-9d10-43f5-8977-3ab21af26cbd-1
because obviously it worked out, right?
7d3d3ea6-30b5-4769-b5b6-701aa92726e3-0
The Vons today,
you're a principal platform operation
7d3d3ea6-30b5-4769-b5b6-701aa92726e3-1
strategist, which is such a cool job.
bf7a8580-c236-41ba-8cbc-dd4a6e5ae9ee-0
I'm sure it's to have and probably,
I'm assuming not somewhere that you would
bf7a8580-c236-41ba-8cbc-dd4a6e5ae9ee-1
have imagined that you would be when you
first started.
f7822fd9-1826-488d-8f6a-413270e3a80f-0
So how did you make the decision when it
came to like the skills,
f7822fd9-1826-488d-8f6a-413270e3a80f-1
the certification that you were pursuing?
b1c9a043-6281-4571-a9d2-1083d45c5df2-0
And if you have any advice for anyone who
wants to be in a similar position as you?
4ecd672a-c8b8-4378-8609-74b57785594e-0
Great question again.
fe6e60cf-fc27-41bd-ab3f-3b9ef0e545be-0
So initially for all of our listeners,
I wanted to be a developer, OK,
fe6e60cf-fc27-41bd-ab3f-3b9ef0e545be-1
for two reasons.
b6d3f1ef-f0d0-442a-ad3e-66bf4bf403f3-0
I thought coding was cool and I thought
it made lots of money.
55ba86f2-4bbd-475d-8cae-69a9b5cc56a1-0
OK, I'll just call it what it is.
6c561083-689d-4943-aa6a-111c32dfa09b-0
People go to work mostly because they
have to pay bills and they want to
6c561083-689d-4943-aa6a-111c32dfa09b-1
support themselves.
19ae8fc3-1781-4134-bd93-1654151e293f-0
And sometimes we take a step up because
we want to make a lot of money.
455c8287-5f01-45f8-89f0-c7f12c06654a-0
We want to make a great amount of money
for whatever personal reasons we have.
4e61338b-dfd8-4f31-b954-4c39b4b3899d-0
I decided that I wanted to be a dev,
and I started going into it.
72a9419a-6e82-492f-a9ca-efc23b70bbe7-0
I started learning everything I could
about development.
2908d4a5-5451-4263-abb7-feecf0ddacee-0
But I'm going to be honest,
every time I took those courses,
2908d4a5-5451-4263-abb7-feecf0ddacee-1
I fell asleep.
0a499f49-ee70-489f-9552-bd7169126318-0
OK, so it may sound embarrassing,
but I'm just going to call it.
89f9c5ab-713b-4bf9-99a0-e1425b844696-0
I'm just going to say what it is because
I want to be fully transparent with
89f9c5ab-713b-4bf9-99a0-e1425b844696-1
everyone who's listening.
86099079-0684-46aa-9980-2d9b133091d0-0
I fell asleep.
d440b568-deea-4ad5-a06f-55330bd815ab-0
I learned very quickly,
I would say over like the course of like
d440b568-deea-4ad5-a06f-55330bd815ab-1
three to six months,
that development being a dev,
d440b568-deea-4ad5-a06f-55330bd815ab-2
which just wasn't for me.
aecc3b29-292e-4509-8eaa-83f30196cf86-0
Coding just wasn't for me.
0b9e518d-16b5-4bf4-9e20-1ccc96e29bb2-0
What I was good at was analyzing
requirements and translating them into
0b9e518d-16b5-4bf4-9e20-1ccc96e29bb2-1
actionable results,
holding people accountable in a positive
0b9e518d-16b5-4bf4-9e20-1ccc96e29bb2-2
fashion and helping them reach their
goals,
0b9e518d-16b5-4bf4-9e20-1ccc96e29bb2-3
creating documentation that helps them
reach their goals,
0b9e518d-16b5-4bf4-9e20-1ccc96e29bb2-4
Translating from the top down.
c771313e-6620-427d-aa67-1ee1751f5ea8-0
I don't even like to use the word top
really.
0d83e3de-219a-4779-bb45-fa216aa2fe0d-0
I mean, in, in organizational hierarchy,
executives are at the top and from let's
0d83e3de-219a-4779-bb45-fa216aa2fe0d-1
say from team to team,
from C-Suite ** and their teams to people
0d83e3de-219a-4779-bb45-fa216aa2fe0d-2
who were just starting out,
who were interns.
3a241fa1-33e9-49ff-985e-91afbadc0c11-0
Those were the things I was good at.
3f0896f6-2080-45b5-ae2f-11aab1a29c8e-0
And what I did,
what I decided to do was I've decided to
3f0896f6-2080-45b5-ae2f-11aab1a29c8e-1
pursue certifications that were in the
realm of what I was already good at as
3f0896f6-2080-45b5-ae2f-11aab1a29c8e-2
opposed to my weak, my weak points.
5ae72dac-d5b4-47a4-8130-38739f4a9863-0
I wanted to,
to maximize and strengthen the areas that
5ae72dac-d5b4-47a4-8130-38739f4a9863-1
I'm already strong in.
2ea8063b-a945-42b0-aaa2-e719f66b1861-0
So I went for the certified system admin
certification and also went for the
2ea8063b-a945-42b0-aaa2-e719f66b1861-1
certified application developer
certification that I didn't get.
ef00dea8-520d-4909-82d5-720f9c93921a-0
That one I want people to know that's OK,
you know,
ef00dea8-520d-4909-82d5-720f9c93921a-1
don't be afraid to admit it if things
didn't work out.
a67bb6aa-e8ce-463c-8ddc-3d9cf3f2514f-0
But I did get my certified system admin
cert because it was something I was
a67bb6aa-e8ce-463c-8ddc-3d9cf3f2514f-1
genuinely curious in.
4825886d-4c32-4012-99cb-2f51d71bfd19-0
I wanted to understand the platform.
4540a2f4-a0f3-482d-9667-73d63a41f66a-0
I wanted to manage systems instead of
people because I know I could really
4540a2f4-a0f3-482d-9667-73d63a41f66a-1
drive systems like hard into the ground
and I can help people manage their own
4540a2f4-a0f3-482d-9667-73d63a41f66a-2
systems as well, which is what I do now.
2e14cf9d-528d-475c-b532-2a1c636d259f-0
I can provide solutions,
I can do those things.
36876db8-2ba4-4bb1-b01d-6e3c9f33bb1d-0
So I started focusing on the areas of the
platform like platform analytics or AKA
36876db8-2ba4-4bb1-b01d-6e3c9f33bb1d-1
performance analytics.
e1f7de96-dec4-4d81-8ea9-732598306ed3-0
I started focusing on system
administration and just like reporting
e1f7de96-dec4-4d81-8ea9-732598306ed3-1
and things of that nature,
things that help me in the business
e1f7de96-dec4-4d81-8ea9-732598306ed3-2
understand the metrics and what's going
on.
845a332c-dbca-44c6-aa27-db65ce398c26-0
I put all of those things into a plan.
976d3368-674b-4e02-8d84-70e20f79c942-0
I wrote it all down.
cc6ffc5f-fdcc-4631-95aa-f3f268a60681-0
For some of you out there that are using
AI,
cc6ffc5f-fdcc-4631-95aa-f3f268a60681-1
use the AI and break it down into
actionable points for yourself.
628ab8d9-65b2-4e27-856b-bba572926530-0
Write a story into the AI if you want to
turn them into actionable points.
fa61ba8b-54f7-4c67-977d-954478597a0b-0
Things that you can attain slowly over
time.
cb4a1702-a8f6-40ab-95df-457755ba7430-0
Don't give yourself a water hose to drink
out of.
537a0f2f-33d7-49b5-9133-ff3a5deff6e0-0
Give yourself a faucet and slowly try to
reach your goals.
ff3729a3-5d86-4af0-8d03-972df9749642-0
I did that and within five months after
finishing the program,
ff3729a3-5d86-4af0-8d03-972df9749642-1
I was hired as someone that was supposed
to just manage incidents and just assign
ff3729a3-5d86-4af0-8d03-972df9749642-2
them and make sure they go to the right
teams and make sure that the modules are
ff3729a3-5d86-4af0-8d03-972df9749642-3
like working normally.
91cc4332-152c-4842-bdb1-9ec784ccb158-0
And it turned out to be a lot more when
we were in the program,
91cc4332-152c-4842-bdb1-9ec784ccb158-1
there was a lot of ambiguity around what
happens next after you leave the program.
dd747b38-3d55-4b80-b208-3f9b0447fcd2-0
The ambiguity comes from the fact that
companies are needing your expertise,
dd747b38-3d55-4b80-b208-3f9b0447fcd2-1
but they don't know what your expertise
looks like.
8e39e6ae-6d3c-4033-98ae-d385d73445e4-0
They don't know what it looks like.
7bb7faa7-adb0-4bad-8f9f-09051325a772-0
They don't know what to expect because
they're,
7bb7faa7-adb0-4bad-8f9f-09051325a772-1
they didn't go through the program.
0ddad956-9a22-4b92-be5d-830fa5b90225-0
They didn't become experts on the system.
8f097989-b427-46a7-bb95-0a17c92fbf9b-0
I've had opinions from people of all
levels saying that, you know,
8f097989-b427-46a7-bb95-0a17c92fbf9b-1
the system isn't intuitive.
6129fefe-d516-4fd4-95d7-bb6822a2d647-0
It's hard to learn.
0ab3b584-3c8d-403e-b50f-1799387fd8b8-0
I agree in some areas it is,
but that's what the that's what the rise
0ab3b584-3c8d-403e-b50f-1799387fd8b8-1
of program is all about.
b9c99e80-0761-4742-82f3-fc61d4a3559b-0
It's about making you good at something
that isn't easy to learn.
0b497345-aeb2-4abd-9076-bb74006b4613-0
And so when companies are putting job
postings out, at least when I was looking,
0b497345-aeb2-4abd-9076-bb74006b4613-1
there was very ambiguous job postings
that don't speak to exactly what you've
0b497345-aeb2-4abd-9076-bb74006b4613-2
been learning, but what the company needs.
ee173323-cd52-43f3-90e1-6ef6cb7b73c4-0
But they don't know what they need.
0cda5d56-0719-4447-9b6a-c4c8bd1de8bc-0
Sometimes they don't know what they need.
1b073f3f-7690-42b1-a9fd-2cb6a66ed7df-0
And it's up to us to kind of translate
those requirements.
85183d40-be5d-4b58-8e1e-a2a2b9628292-0
I really do believe and know that in a
lot of cases,
85183d40-be5d-4b58-8e1e-a2a2b9628292-1
the rise that program gives you all of
the tools you need.
8f26ea58-a105-40b0-8c62-c8c74ff19461-0
Don't get caught up in the titles.
63092165-facb-49c8-91a4-e030f670a62e-0
Don't get caught up in the names of the
job descriptions and what they state you
63092165-facb-49c8-91a4-e030f670a62e-1
they need.
6e722df8-a9ca-4b5b-bf83-3c3d6d960082-0
Understand that what people are looking
for is understanding of the platform.
a62ff8e3-f8ea-48ac-a9e7-4bb2590f043f-0
Unless you are working at a ServiceNow
oriented organization like a Censure or
a62ff8e3-f8ea-48ac-a9e7-4bb2590f043f-1
like KPMG that's filled with ServiceNow
experts,
a62ff8e3-f8ea-48ac-a9e7-4bb2590f043f-2
most companies don't know that you have
the tools and you have to make that clear
a62ff8e3-f8ea-48ac-a9e7-4bb2590f043f-3
to them.
fa8c4a46-ac59-4189-9638-d6f56353542d-0
They're looking for your experience,
not your title.
4a4ec4cc-3218-4737-b727-70a052226764-0
They don't.
013ff3c1-293e-48b0-a6b8-2d88c5b6134c-0
They're not looking for a certified
application developer.
e754aba6-d1e0-4313-a5cd-9c5d1a7b8183-0
Sometimes they're just looking for
someone who's knowledgeable about the
e754aba6-d1e0-4313-a5cd-9c5d1a7b8183-1
platform,
that can teach other people in their
e754aba6-d1e0-4313-a5cd-9c5d1a7b8183-2
group how to use the platform,
that can teach people in a company how to
e754aba6-d1e0-4313-a5cd-9c5d1a7b8183-3
solve problems using the platform.
807522dc-ef70-49a6-9e5f-1c0ff5fbb18a-0
And the Rise of Program gives you all of
those tools.
ccc7a021-afe2-458e-ad1f-03d108bd509e-0
My advice to you if you've gone through
the program or want to go through the
ccc7a021-afe2-458e-ad1f-03d108bd509e-1
program is soak up all the information
you can get.
dec0f08c-b046-4898-a0ee-982c062086d7-0
Learn it all and when you start looking
for roles,
dec0f08c-b046-4898-a0ee-982c062086d7-1
don't forget what you learned before you
went through the program.
9e28f8a6-b0c2-4a25-9d69-7d1f75637d66-0
Take that and you complement it with what
ServiceNow is teaching you because they
9e28f8a6-b0c2-4a25-9d69-7d1f75637d66-1
are giving you all of the tools you need
to navigate the platform and all of your
9e28f8a6-b0c2-4a25-9d69-7d1f75637d66-2
prior experience can be used to navigate
your job.
4b093c4a-b64d-41ea-9dbb-536d6d352aa1-0
I love that.
d6f20eb1-6f06-4d3f-a3ba-b05d46a60179-0
And I think that that's a great example
of the way that you're still staying like
d6f20eb1-6f06-4d3f-a3ba-b05d46a60179-1
several steps ahead in the same way that
you were when you showed up to the gym in
d6f20eb1-6f06-4d3f-a3ba-b05d46a60179-2
a suit, right?
b7a32c79-810c-4bd7-b3be-3b1fc01f55d7-0
You're still looking ahead and being sort
of this visionary when it comes to your
b7a32c79-810c-4bd7-b3be-3b1fc01f55d7-1
career in the way that you're thinking
about the opportunities that you have now
b7a32c79-810c-4bd7-b3be-3b1fc01f55d7-2
to get to where you're going.
f1c6c7ba-9768-42be-b52a-ae2c351a1aa9-0
And I think a lot of people who are
listening in now would be very interested
f1c6c7ba-9768-42be-b52a-ae2c351a1aa9-1
to keep up with where life takes you
within the ecosystem and beyond.
e00af128-4dd7-42b2-b4c7-b4b560a1fc4b-0
So is there a way that folks can just
keep up with with what you're doing?
04d8ea98-821a-4472-bcbe-c5f2334ec961-0
Yes.
ca36c1dd-7945-42e9-8dfc-cdbffad61484-0
Please follow me on LinkedIn.
a8e81d17-2360-44e6-9de8-3517243fdb9b-0
My name is Devon Tyson.
2d01b5ef-3da7-4c4f-ad00-f1da90283538-0
It is very easy to find me.
5a619ecf-aac1-4e24-a078-4b85df701a87-0
You can Google my name because it has two
NS in it and a capital VDEVONN.
92c2f8f0-e733-4b46-b35d-9be48cf35340-0
Tyson, please connect with me on LinkedIn,
send me a message, say hello,
92c2f8f0-e733-4b46-b35d-9be48cf35340-1
say good morning, good afternoon.
6f33ed64-2fa3-4136-9223-15af5876eb23-0
I'm not a rude New Yorker.
2d945d59-1867-4480-8379-f3b2c331a411-0
I love New York by the way.
95f15b84-f1d8-4dc0-afdf-f7a03c82053f-0
So for my other New Yorkers listening,
but please connect and I love meeting new
95f15b84-f1d8-4dc0-afdf-f7a03c82053f-1
people.
d0d748ae-da95-4aed-941c-0b9a4c98ffd1-0
I love hearing about where you're at.
b2d5e3a5-e734-41ab-aa4f-a96d3bead6fa-0
I love helping you navigate these
ambiguous waters.
8ce4a603-212e-4368-b121-e5367f13ece0-0
I want you to know that I had impostor
syndrome coming into my role.
0b0b0129-7f1e-4c62-8696-9f81d78d53d4-0
I mean, the, the,
the feedback that I get from the place I
0b0b0129-7f1e-4c62-8696-9f81d78d53d4-1
work at,
from the managers and my direct manager
0b0b0129-7f1e-4c62-8696-9f81d78d53d4-2
and the chief information officer who
runs our entire IT operation,
0b0b0129-7f1e-4c62-8696-9f81d78d53d4-3
it is in very high regard.
99960178-c8ba-47f6-826c-aa9b1b79ee95-0
And that is with complete gratitude to
what ServiceNow taught me,
99960178-c8ba-47f6-826c-aa9b1b79ee95-1
allowing me to exercise that,
but outside of that,
99960178-c8ba-47f6-826c-aa9b1b79ee95-2
what I learned from my previous roles.
c5a5f47a-86e9-4342-ae9c-813903e0808e-0
So reach out.
4f8db6c3-8ee9-49ae-b788-451eb9a0cf42-0
I would love to connect with any and
everybody, no question.
7a88a417-e660-48e8-814a-bf8a70f73c97-0
It's a stupid question.
7d5f8162-7495-4aff-99c4-5731437906fe-0
Thank you.
b22babe3-3211-4373-a7e7-ca6249ea098b-0
Awesome Delano.
376680fc-7f99-4289-9d07-fcc7c4743ebf-0
Thank you so much for joining us and just
for sharing your story.
f34c3c8a-cdc2-4e81-9511-124d9ed84438-0
I think your journey is a super powerful
reminder that these career
f34c3c8a-cdc2-4e81-9511-124d9ed84438-1
transformations don't always begin when
the opportunity appears.
ae778c5d-2cc2-4a76-9a77-82d99fee28a6-0
Sometimes it begins a lot earlier,
you know,
ae778c5d-2cc2-4a76-9a77-82d99fee28a6-1
with the decision just to think beyond
your current circumstances,
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prepare for something more,
and trust that the work you're doing
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today may eventually lead somewhere that
you can't see it.
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So it's everyone listening.
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Thank you for joining us for this episode
of The Honor Roll.
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I'm your host, Jasmine Coleman,
and we'll see you on the next episode.
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Bye bye.