s11s ’s Post

Johnny Depp once said, "I think the thing to do is enjoy the ride while you're on it." This resonates deeply with me, especially in our ever-evolving professional landscapes. Every project, every challenge, every success is part of a unique journey. It's easy to fixate on the destination, but true growth and fulfillment come from appreciating each step along the way. Let's remind ourselves to savor the moments, celebrate the small wins, and learn from the setbacks. Our careers are not just about where we end up, but about how we grow, connect, and evolve during the journey. Here's to embracing the ride and finding joy in the process. #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerJourney

A conversation happening in my hobby group has me thinking about awards/recognition, perception, and culture. Folks are sharing their list of awards, primarily intended as a way to facilitate nominating others. All too often, someone is overlooked for an award they should receive because everyone else assumes they already have it. Posting mine has spurred me to update some old records, prioritize re-establishing my arts blog (I'm far more recognized for service than I am for arts in this org), and update my community photo. I'm also reminded to look around and see who is worthy of recognition and take action to nominate them. All of this is to the good. And yet, for many in the overall hobby group, someone expressing their desire for a particular award comes across as tacky, as chasing the shiny thing just for the sake of having the shiny thing. However much some promote the view that it's ok to want the shiny thing and to actively work towards it, others tamp down such visibility as unseemly. How, then, do we achieve culture change? What does it take to turn the larger cultural tide from shaming ambition to appropriately nurturing it? Is it a matter of repetition over time? Of the most visible people promoting the idea on behalf of all? Of revising policy in some way? All of the above? Thoughts welcome!

"I grew up in this world of 'be the best, get a seat at the table and open it up for others'" As we come to the end of #blackhistorymonth, Ryan Hughes interviewed Oji Udezue, who has led product at companies like Typeform and Calendly & Ezinne Udezue who has run product functions at WP Engine and Time Inc. You'll hear more about their journey's in product, the changes they've seen as black leaders in tech and more about their upcoming book! Want to check out the full interview? Check the comments for the link. #product #prodmgmt

"Having grown up poor in Brooklyn, I learned early on how to be resilient. Joining the U.S. Air Force at 17 and serving seven years on active duty, I learned to be focused on the mission. Working in major corporations including Raytheon, Sprint International, France Telecom, and AOL, and rising through the ranks to become an executive, I learned importance of hard work. After starting my own company, VARCom Solutions, 20 years ago, I got involved in the community in multiple ways, and learned how everyone can make a difference and have an impact on people's lives. In my community service roles, I have always been willing to step up and fill leadership roles and address the issues of greatest impact. In each of these roles, I have tried to identify any gaps that might exist and build consensus on the best ways to make the greatest impact. From chairman of the Dulle Regional Chamber of Commerce (the first Latino to chair a mainstream chamber in Virginia history), to Chairman of the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, to Chairman of the Virginia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, to Chairman of the GO Northern Virginia economic development initiative, to Chairman of Leadership Fairfax, to Chairman of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino (where I successfully led the effort to pass the authorization bill in Congress), to creating and Chairing the American Latino Veterans Association, to running for the Virginia House of Delegate (endorsed by the Washington Post), and serving on many nonprofit boards—in every leadership role I have strived to bring people together to work to make the biggest positive impact on the most people. So, the keys words that come to mind are resilience, mission-focus, hard work, impact, and service. Always do your best to do your best in everything your do, do it for the right reasons, try to be a servant leader, and stay humble." - Danny Vargas, VARCom Solutions #LoudounPosible #LoudounPossible #VocesDeExito #VoicesOfSuccess #HispanicHeritageMonth

Unleash not manage 'My whole family love that I'm working with Black & Blue, they've never seen me happier.' ... is a direct quote from a member of the Black & Blue team last month. Unleash not manage is pivotal to achieving that result. When we recruit our team, we're looking for: 🔥 Hardcore skills - wired in, not just learned 🔥 Evidenced in practice 🔥 A match on values and on expectations and on desires (you can't drive aggressive growth otherwise) What we offer in return is home. A place to challenge and be challenged and to all do our best work. Finding and unleashing people who are aligned is the key to any and all success in business, both for them and for you. Our upcoming book is going to go into full detail on how to do that. You can join the waitlist to be notified first here: https://lnkd.in/ei3tuKjz

It’s been✌🏽days since Edward Jones II’s BTF Player Development Conference and I’m still processing what just happened 🤯 I’m blown away by the connections, experiences, insights and support. Here’s a backstory: On January 1, 2024, I began reading through my notebooks & journals reflecting on my 2023. Upon review, I noticed many entries written on tear-stained pages from days I felt hopeless, with self-told lies that I was not good enough…. DEPRESSING! But as God would have it… more than the sadness, I saw displays of hope, on decorated canvases with words of guidance and wisdom. This is one reason why reflection is so important to me- what most would see as chaos and dysfunction, Lacee' Carmon-Johnson, Ph.D might refer to it as ‘failing forward’. My word for 2023 was: GROWTH 🌱 (boy, did I grow! 🫣) Personally, I knew going into 2024 that this year would be different. I would no longer allow myself to be held captive by depression and generational curses. It is written that there are plans and hope for a future. Although we go through difficult moments (individually, as a family, in relationships and as a community), God is still in control and is orchestrating a bigger story that we cannot see. 🔂 |Follow Him, do the work, see it through| I started to take advantage of this great LinkedIn platform. I prayed for discernment over who to network with (because NOT ALL people are your people, and that’s OK!) and began reaching out to connect with those who are like-minded and those who are, or have been in similar careers. Chalette Hamby, M.S. was the first person I reached out to and man, did she set the bar… when I asked her questions, she was so kind to me, and answered my questions thoughtfully with intention. She also introduced me to Edward Jones II, who was also super insightful. I set up a call with him, which took place on zoom from my car during🌪️storms 🤣… and from there, I just kept trying to build meaningful connections. Fast forward to May, I graduated from University of Florida, finished up my internship with University of Central Florida, interviewed for 2 really great opportunities and started to dive deeper into my PAADS- Professional Association of Athlete Development Specialists certificate program through UF led by Shelley Lyle who selected me to participate in the BTF Player Development Conference! Full circle moment?? I have pages and pages of gems💎, notes 📝 and takeaways🔐 from this 3 day experience that will stay with me forever. I am called, my purpose is to not to be stagnant, it is to pour life into others. Thank you to Ed, for this phenomenal conference, for those who took their time to prepare and speak, you poured into all of us. Thank you to those who connected with me and thank you God, for continuing to use me in this space. Tobruk Blaine Jessica Gray Michael Miller M.A., DSO Alexander Martin Khristian Carr Jeremiah Brown Faith Girton Chloe Shelby Nehemiah Montague & so many more… 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I've been working in product operations (prodops) for some years now, and it's been an incredibly rewarding journey. Every day, I have the opportunity to make a real impact and help improve lives through technology. However, as a Black professional in this field, I've realized that I'm often one of the few who look like me in the room. Prodops is a relatively new and growing field that offers tremendous potential for those who pursue it. That's why I'm launching #BlackinProductOps - to share my story, demystify this field, highlight its opportunities, and encourage other Black professionals to consider this career path. I know firsthand how rewarding a career in prodops can be, and I want to help open doors for others in my community. By sharing my experiences, I hope to inspire the next generation of Black leaders in tech and contribute to a more diverse and inclusive industry, particularly in life sciences & healthcare. In the upcoming posts, I'll be diving into a range of topics: ➡️ My journey into ProdOps: How I got into the field, challenges I faced, skills and knowledge I acquired, and mentors who guided me. ➡️ A comprehensive overview of prodops and the key competencies for success. ➡️ The importance of diversity in product and the unique value black professionals bring to the field. ➡️ Strategies for navigating career growth in prodops, building strong relationships, and influencing with and without authority. ➡️ Key takeaways from my experience & thoughts on the future of prodops. The first post is coming soon, so stay tuned! In the meantime, you can support me by sharing this with someone who could benefit from it. I appreciate you all.

You're not a failure because you failed. You're only a failure if you let failure define you. Oprah, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Richard Branson all experienced failure and turned it into success. The true key to their success? They turned their failures into fuel. They took those difficult, painful and sometimes embarrassing lessons and used it to make themselves better. And now, imagine if those people had given up... If Oprah left her traumatic childhood to define her. If Steve Jobs let getting fired from Apple hold him back. If Walt Disney stopped after losing everything. If Richard Branson didn't take risks after multiple company failures. Your failures are part of your growth and journey. So, take every opportunity to learn from failure and turn it into your success story.

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Life is like a roller coaster, sometimes you're up and sometimes you're down. It can totally sound clichéd but 2023 was a year full of ups and downs for me. to the extreme. Starting my own business and the difficulties that came with it, the dreams I wanted to fulfill in the process and even seeing death around the corner. Today, I can say that 2023 was one of the most significant years of my life, and I'm happy to share with you my last video - "The Rollercoaster of Life". https://lnkd.in/djQv2aMB