WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:05.160 Welcome everyone to the Blacks and Technology Big Tech Talk podcast, a show where 2 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:09.560 we talk to black people who are engineers, innovators, educators, invenors, 3 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:14.560 change makers, and entrepreneurs doing amazing things in the world of technology. The 4 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:18.320 Big Tech Talk podcast is where they show how they're stumping the divide by sharing 5 00:00:18.359 --> 00:00:22.679 their stories, experiences, ideas, knowledge and perspective on tech with the big 6 00:00:22.679 --> 00:00:29.640 community. Welcome everyone to the Blocks and Technology Podcasts aka BIT tech Talk Podcasts. 7 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:32.960 This is our first podcast we've done in a while, and this is 8 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:37.359 one of the first podcasts we've done as far as video at least for bit 9 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:41.640 tech Talk. And I'm excited about this because not only is it one of 10 00:00:41.640 --> 00:00:47.159 our first video podcasts, but it's our first featuring one of our chapter leaders. 11 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:52.320 So I'm excited about that, excited to really get into this series spotlighting 12 00:00:52.359 --> 00:00:56.679 our chapter leaders in a bit foundation of what they're doing locally to help stop 13 00:00:56.719 --> 00:00:59.960 the divide. So with that being said, you know, my name is 14 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:03.359 Gray Grienley. I'm the host of the Big Tech Talk podcast. I'm also 15 00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:07.000 the founder of the Blocks and Technology Organization, and I want to introduce our 16 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:10.519 guest tonight, Bobby McNeil, Bobby, Welcome to the show. Thank you, 17 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:11.560 Greg. Happy to be here, man, excited to do this. 18 00:01:11.799 --> 00:01:19.560 Yeah. So Bobby is he's a tech recruiting leader. He is also a 19 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:23.239 former college athlete, and we'll talk a little bit about that. You actually 20 00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:26.239 won a college championship, which is pretty cool. I think you may be 21 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:30.239 the first person I've met there's one on that level, So that's pretty cool. 22 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:34.840 We'll talk about that. He's also the president of the Blocks and Technology 23 00:01:36.040 --> 00:01:40.319 Roley Durham chapter, and we'll get it into a little bit about that as 24 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:42.159 well. But starting off, Bobby, tell us a little bit about yourself, 25 00:01:42.200 --> 00:01:46.239 like where you're from, your education, that type of thing. Yeah, 26 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:51.239 So I'm originally from Fuquaverina in North Carolina. So it's in rural North 27 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:56.439 Carolina. It's about maybe thirty minutes south of Raleigh, but still in the 28 00:01:56.200 --> 00:01:59.519 you know, the nine one nine area, So born and raised there, 29 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:02.799 you know, grew up there. I have an older sister. Both of 30 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:07.920 my parents are still down there actually, so and you know, that's that's 31 00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:09.680 where I'm from. So I grew up in this area. Again, it's 32 00:02:09.719 --> 00:02:14.159 just south of Raleigh, the Raleighdrham area. So I've seen it develop, 33 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:16.520 you know, my whole life. You know, I know the Raleighdrham area. 34 00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:19.759 You know, we have a lot of people who are you know, 35 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:23.159 transient, right they move here. And I've been here on my life. 36 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:27.639 You know, I've seen the tech scene really thrive and grow throughout my life. 37 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:31.120 And you know, it was actually an all star basketball player here in 38 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:35.520 the state of North Carolina, you know, pretty well known prep star in 39 00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:38.560 my day. Yeah, and then you know, basically, you know, 40 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:42.800 went to college, got a full athletic scholarship, also got a full academic 41 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:45.719 ride too. So a lot of people don't don't know that because they just 42 00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:51.039 focus on the athletic piece. And I'm glad. Yeah. Yeah, so 43 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:53.599 I was not only what could I hoop, but I could also write a 44 00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:58.240 really good term paper. So I was really good at that. You probably 45 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:02.560 got on a basket, Yeah, yeah, you know I was. I 46 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:06.280 was Bobby, I got this turn paper coming up? Man, can you 47 00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:08.319 help me out? Yeah, yeah, I got you. I got you. 48 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:12.159 You know, I see you at the practice. But but yeah, 49 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:15.680 man, that went to college and went to Barton College, which is also 50 00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:20.680 here in North Carolina. Small school, you know, small small school in 51 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:24.199 eastern North Carolina. Division two. So you know, I played Division two 52 00:03:24.199 --> 00:03:29.680 athletics there, played college basketball all four years and won an n cua A 53 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:32.800 national championship my senior year. You know, really excited about that. If 54 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:36.800 you can see the screen, Pricy my jersey right there. Yeah yeah, 55 00:03:36.840 --> 00:03:39.000 I said it in the back. Yeah, my high school jersey is right 56 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:42.080 here, is on another side. And you know, I was a four 57 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:46.400 year letterman there. If you graver in a high school and won a national 58 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:49.840 championship my senior year, that was a heck of a way to go out. 59 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:54.240 And then I started my career and tech recruiting, so you know, 60 00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:58.039 I you know, I knew I was going to do something like in business, 61 00:03:58.039 --> 00:04:00.560 corporate America, you know, things like that. So I started my 62 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:03.639 career in tech recruiting. I've been doing it for over fifteen years. I 63 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:09.280 worked at some notable companies, you know, tech staffing agencies but also tech 64 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:14.360 companies, most recently on Amazon Web Services, and worked my way up the 65 00:04:14.439 --> 00:04:16.800 ranks, you know, really got you know, well versed in how to 66 00:04:16.839 --> 00:04:21.360 find diverse talent but also how to source for you know, you know, 67 00:04:21.399 --> 00:04:26.759 different types of skill sets, right from software engineering, uh, cybersecurity, 68 00:04:26.920 --> 00:04:30.319 data analysts, did a number of different you know things that I've recruited in 69 00:04:30.360 --> 00:04:34.319 tech, I've recruited at all, got successful, was able to run different 70 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:39.800 you know, recruiting teams across the country, across the world, and you 71 00:04:39.839 --> 00:04:43.759 know, you know, mentored recruiters, coach recruiters on best practices. Did 72 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:47.759 you know? D and I Initiatives worked with HBCUs and you know then you 73 00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:53.360 know found you know, Blacks and Technology and uh started off actually as the 74 00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:59.120 vice president of communications. I joined back in twenty twenty two, So started 75 00:04:59.160 --> 00:05:01.399 off as a VP of Communications. In six months, I was voted to 76 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:06.360 be the chapter president and the rest is history. So and I'm not only 77 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:12.160 I'm doing that, I'm also the national chair for a Career Development and tech 78 00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:15.759 recruiting and and doing a whole bunch of different things here in the Raley Durham 79 00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:18.920 area and also here nationally. You know, a whole bunch of stuff that 80 00:05:18.920 --> 00:05:21.920 I'm pretty sure we'll touch into. But that's my intro. Excellent. I 81 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:27.040 appreciate that. And and you know what's cool about this this uh, this 82 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:30.759 podcast and what we're doing is Dennis gets to talk to a lot of you 83 00:05:30.839 --> 00:05:34.079 a lot of times. And I don't like, I know you all, 84 00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:36.959 but I don't get to talk to you and really get to know you as 85 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:42.040 intimately as Dennis. So this is real cool and getting to know like your 86 00:05:42.120 --> 00:05:46.879 background, uh you know, as well as how you got into becoming the 87 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:49.519 chapter president and things like that and what types of things you are are doing. 88 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:58.319 BIT is always focused on forming new partnerships and opportunities to assist the community 89 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:02.560 and our members with the continued professional growth and development. If you'd like to 90 00:06:02.600 --> 00:06:10.199 partner with us, send an email inquiries at blacks and Technology dot net. 91 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:18.720 Let's take this back just a little bit, uh because you you know, 92 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:24.519 to your your tech recruiting, tell us, like, you know, you 93 00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:31.000 you go to college, you obviously had uh uh an all start player uh 94 00:06:31.240 --> 00:06:34.839 in in your in your state. So then you go to college and you 95 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:39.959 start playing ball there? How did that? How did that whole thing come 96 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:43.680 about? As far as transitioning into tech recruiting. Yeah, you know, 97 00:06:44.120 --> 00:06:48.680 I'm one of the many many people that that we don't talk about that goes 98 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:53.959 pro and something else. Right, Uh So I was here, you know, 99 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:56.879 I was I was a star athlete in high school. You know, 100 00:06:56.920 --> 00:06:58.879 I was you know, I was the man on the team. You know, 101 00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:01.000 in college, I was more a role player. But you know, 102 00:07:01.079 --> 00:07:04.120 making that transition you know, I say, from the ball game to the 103 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:09.360 tech game was a very like unique experience, right, so I had to 104 00:07:09.399 --> 00:07:13.360 really early on really figure out, you know, what I wanted to do. 105 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:15.639 And you know, you don't go to college to be a tech recruiter. 106 00:07:15.639 --> 00:07:18.680 There's no tech recruiting major, right. There's HR majors, but there's 107 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:23.319 no tech recruiting major. So you know when I when I got in, 108 00:07:23.560 --> 00:07:26.040 you know, I really you know, was really trying to find something where 109 00:07:26.040 --> 00:07:29.759 I could work with people but also at you know, work with people in 110 00:07:29.800 --> 00:07:32.399 more of a corporate setting and you know, really impact people's lives. And 111 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:35.959 I kind of really stumbled on, you know, into recruiting in general, 112 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:40.639 which is how most people find that profession. And you know, I was, 113 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:42.360 you know, I started, you know, really at the at the 114 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:45.439 bottom of the totem pole. I was a recruiting admin assistant. I was 115 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:49.240 just basically managing the job boards and and you know, working through some of 116 00:07:49.240 --> 00:07:53.160 the different you know, screening documents and things like that, you know, 117 00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:57.680 years ago. And you know, I was on the phones well before I 118 00:07:57.680 --> 00:07:59.639 got on the phones. I was, you know, sitting there you know, 119 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:01.920 in the what they call the pit area, right, and I was 120 00:08:01.959 --> 00:08:05.519 just listening to all these recruiters. They were talking to these like like highly 121 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:11.399 skilled sophisticated tech people. They were talking about penetration testing and cybersecurity offense versus 122 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:15.839 defense, and back in Cody, I'm like, who are they talking to? 123 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:18.040 Right? And they just seemed to really like, you know, really 124 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:20.759 enjoy it. And I was like, Okay, I want to try my 125 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:26.240 hand in that. And you know, I've always been highly competitive and ambitious 126 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:28.000 and things like that, so I really wanted to get in the game and 127 00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:31.759 really learn how to do that. And what got me into it is that 128 00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:35.639 what I realized early on in my career, there really wasn't a lot of 129 00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:41.279 us, you know, in the tech sector right in that space. So 130 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:43.080 I kind of looked at myself as a you know, a young black man, 131 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:46.039 somebody who you know, kind of had some some some skills and some 132 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:50.480 knowledge, like how can I really you know, I'm always gonna make them 133 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:52.200 try to make the best higher possible, no matter what somebody's you know, 134 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:56.039 nationality or races, But how can I make a difference? You know and 135 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:58.519 how can I learn more so I can you know, kind of make this 136 00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:03.320 impact. And and I really started, you know, listening to like dozens 137 00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:05.720 and dozens of phone screens and kind of like really picking up on these different 138 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:09.879 things. And that's why I learned a little bit about software engineering, just 139 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:13.679 listening to my fellow recruiters and managers getting on phone screens and just kind of 140 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:18.279 shadowing and just listen to those repetitiously. And I learned the difference between you 141 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:24.039 know, front end versus back end versus full stack software development. You know, 142 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:26.639 I learned about all these different things so I could talk about it conversationally. 143 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:31.639 And I just thought technology was just incredible. It's the ultimate equalizer. 144 00:09:33.159 --> 00:09:37.320 It balances everything out in our in our culture, and it you know it 145 00:09:37.399 --> 00:09:41.000 definitely, you know it. You know stomps the divide, right, you 146 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:43.519 know, you think about it. You know, technology and all the things 147 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:46.279 that they can do from people in the inner city to people in rural areas. 148 00:09:46.360 --> 00:09:50.320 Right, it's the It's the ultimate equalizer. So you know, I'm 149 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:52.279 not a technologist myself. I can't code, but I can talk to the 150 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:54.840 people that code, and I can talk to the people who want people that 151 00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:58.960 can code. So I looked at myself as the bridge and that's really how 152 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:01.799 I got into it, and that's why I'm passionate about it. And I'm 153 00:10:01.799 --> 00:10:09.159 glad that you emphasized about, you know, picking the right person despite race 154 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:13.320 or nationality, because I think that's important because right now you have this narrative, 155 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:20.159 uh, that a lot of people are pushing that diversity, equity and 156 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:26.039 inclusion somehow equals lowering the bar, and that's far from the truth, right, 157 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:28.639 Like, as a tech recruiter, I'm glad that you can speak to 158 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:33.120 that and say, it's not about that. It's it's just it's finding viable 159 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:39.360 candidates, candidates that have the experience and have the skills, but also seeking 160 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:45.600 out candidates that in places that you you may not seek them out at right 161 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:48.159 uh, and bringing them in and giving them an opportunity. Uh. So 162 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:52.200 I'm glad you mentioned that, man, because I think that's important. Yeah. 163 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:52.960 And if I can, you know, just add one thing, like 164 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:56.039 you're right, you know, I hear that a lot, and it's it's 165 00:10:56.039 --> 00:11:01.120 not about like diversity in tech recruiting our diversity in tech teams. It doesn't 166 00:11:01.159 --> 00:11:05.279 lower the bar, it raises the bar. Because the more diverse your teams 167 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:09.679 are when it comes to innovation and design, the more global your product is, 168 00:11:09.720 --> 00:11:13.399 and the more it touches more people. You want to have a different 169 00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:16.159 perspective in the design review meeting. You want to have a different perspective in 170 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:20.960 the lab right when you're you're making these products because they touch everything. Like 171 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.840 Microsoft wanted to put a computer in every home. You know, Apple, 172 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:28.120 you know, I don't know if you're an app Apple person or Android person, 173 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:31.639 but that's just used Apple for example, they wanted to put a phone 174 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:35.279 in every hand. You don't you don't do that if you don't think about 175 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:39.000 the totality of innovation and diversity and how it impacts everybody. So it doesn't, 176 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:41.320 It doesn't lower the bar at all. It raises the bar. It 177 00:11:41.320 --> 00:11:46.399 makes It makes teams more productive, it makes teams more innovative, and it 178 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:50.799 makes teams more you know, globally aware when you have different perspectives in the 179 00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:54.799 room, no matter what their race, gen their nationality is, So it 180 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:58.759 raises the bar. Yeah, I totally agree. Again, Like this is 181 00:12:00.039 --> 00:12:07.320 narrative is being spun and in the media nowadays is really disheartening, right, 182 00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:16.080 Like it's because I know from being an engineer and also you know, being 183 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:22.799 the founder of an entire community of black people that are intech. I get 184 00:12:22.840 --> 00:12:28.440 to experience all these different you know, personalities, all these different skill levels 185 00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:31.960 and experiences and things like that. And I know for sure, like the 186 00:12:31.960 --> 00:12:35.039 people that I talk to, the people that's part of the big community are 187 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:39.919 top notch. It's it's you're not You're not going downhill because you choose to 188 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:45.039 hire a person a black person, and that's not the case. And this 189 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:52.240 narrative that's being spawned, I frankly is dangerous to me and and and you 190 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:56.399 can and I can see it like how it's kind of permeating throughout even the 191 00:12:56.840 --> 00:13:03.039 nonprofit organization and funding wise, like companies are pulling back funding because they don't 192 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:07.799 want to be seen as supporting D and I initiatives and things. I honestly 193 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:13.039 like to say, forbid, I think the product that we and and product 194 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:18.440 as far as you know, community and services, is that get that that 195 00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:24.080 we can kind of offer to to potential employers and things like that. I 196 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:31.320 honestly think that for us, it's not about the product that we offer is 197 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:35.320 definitely in that realm with diversity equity inclusion, right because we're black people in 198 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:41.519 tech, right, But that's not our objective, right, Like, I 199 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:45.320 don't know if people understand that when they get like, my objective is not 200 00:13:45.559 --> 00:13:52.039 to solve diversity, equity and inclusion like you. So you have different departments 201 00:13:54.080 --> 00:14:01.080 at these different corporations and government sectors that their job literally is to try to 202 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:07.799 help solve this problem within their company or within their organization. And that's not 203 00:14:07.960 --> 00:14:11.639 like my intent when when I found in Blacks and Technology, it wasn't that 204 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:15.519 it was I'm in tech. I want to talk to more black people that 205 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:18.120 are in tech. I want to build this community of black people so that 206 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:20.480 not only do we get to know each other, but we get to feed 207 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:26.440 off each other as far as knowledge support that type of thing. But at 208 00:14:26.440 --> 00:14:31.519 the end of the day, it's about being economically sound, right, like 209 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:39.000 being financially you know, sound in the long run, and that's what I 210 00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:43.480 want to see. And if the byproduct of that is helping your company in 211 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:48.320 some way, then that's fine. I'm okay with that. But the primary 212 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:52.240 mission of Blacks and Technology is to increase the representation of participation of black people 213 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:56.519 in tech. Not because you know, you know, I want to see 214 00:14:56.519 --> 00:15:00.240 more black people at Facebook. It's because I want to see more black people 215 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:07.039 in tech going after that money so they can start creating generational wealth and not 216 00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:11.919 only that, but being in those in those spots so they can help steer 217 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:16.600 where tech is going. Absolutely, yeah, that's important as well. Yeah, 218 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:20.600 absolutely, you know, you know, yeah, I agree, go 219 00:15:20.600 --> 00:15:22.639 ahead, No, I was going I wanted to. I want to. 220 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:26.759 Cent agree. You know, it's you know, there's different pathways to that. 221 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:30.720 Sometimes it's it's being a tech business owner, a tech entrepreneur, and 222 00:15:30.759 --> 00:15:33.679 we provide resources for you to do that. So sometimes, like you know, 223 00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:37.480 entering into tech is not necessarily getting hired at Google. If you do, 224 00:15:37.639 --> 00:15:41.360 that's fantastic, right, and you know it helped you do that, 225 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:43.600 that's great. But sometimes it's putting the tools and resources in front of you 226 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:48.399 and making sure you have access to the technology so you can maybe build something 227 00:15:48.440 --> 00:15:52.399 of your own or build the infrastructure through technology of a business and an entrepreneurship, 228 00:15:52.519 --> 00:15:56.679 right. So sometimes it's that. Sometimes it's just the knowledge with all 229 00:15:56.720 --> 00:16:00.720 the you know, the products and resources is in boot camps and things that 230 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:06.399 we provide. So I agree, yeah, yeah, and I'm Glad you 231 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:11.320 mentioned that as well, because that's that's highly important too. The resources that 232 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:18.000 provides UH and the opportunities as well. It's key and what we're doing. 233 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:26.440 So what's up everyone? We hope that you're enjoying this episode of the Blacks 234 00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:30.039 and Technology BIT tech Talk podcasts. Do you or someone you know have a 235 00:16:30.039 --> 00:16:34.360 dope story that they want to share with our bit audience? Blocks and Technology 236 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:38.759 is seeking guests to be on our podcast. We're looking to highlight the journeys 237 00:16:38.759 --> 00:16:42.600 and experiences of black women and men in the tech industry. So if you 238 00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:48.440 know of someone, send them our way, shoot us an email to contact 239 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:52.519 us at Blacks and Technology dot net, or click on the link in the 240 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:56.159 show notes and fill out our form. We're looking to hear from you. 241 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:03.799 Let's get back to you, know you being a college athlete. Because I 242 00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:07.680 have met you in person, I didn't notice how tall you were, but 243 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:08.960 I wasn't going to be that person to say, man, can you hoop? 244 00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:12.960 But now that I know that you who speaking of? Who? Like? 245 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:18.160 So, my youngest son, he plays he plays basketball, sixth grade. 246 00:17:18.279 --> 00:17:23.039 He's he's pretty slick actually, and I trained him. I played basketball. 247 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:29.200 But more you know, rec bout rec ball for many years, many 248 00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:33.279 years. But I I you know, I take him to the gym. 249 00:17:33.319 --> 00:17:37.319 I got all the equipment, I trained on my watch videos so you know, 250 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:40.920 figure out how to increase his skill set in one area and things like 251 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:44.319 that. He's he's really good. But I was out back the other day 252 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:48.519 and I got an older son. He's he's he's fourteen, and he's a 253 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:55.640 swimmer, I mean, and muscular and he's got a swimmer's build, strong 254 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:57.960 as I don't know what, man, So I'm I'm showing my younger son 255 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:03.519 a No. Actually I played him because he was playing my younger son and 256 00:18:03.559 --> 00:18:06.599 getting the best of him. You though, he's not a hooper, but 257 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:10.079 he's just bigger and faster than my youngest son. So I was like, 258 00:18:10.119 --> 00:18:12.880 all right, i'll avenger loss. I'll play. And man, don't you 259 00:18:12.920 --> 00:18:18.079 know I threw my back my back step wrong or something like that. Oh 260 00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:22.480 man, yeah, So I'm dealing with that as well today. Man, 261 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:26.359 on top of the dog stuff that was going on, like just hobbling around 262 00:18:26.440 --> 00:18:30.400 like hold my back, I'm feeling like an old man. But let's talk 263 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:36.279 more about like you being an athlete and kind of what things from you being 264 00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:41.200 an athlete has benefited your career as a tech recruiter and as a as a 265 00:18:41.240 --> 00:18:45.279 career coach as well. Yeah. Yeah, So I think one of the 266 00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:48.240 key things that you know, I think is number one. If I was 267 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:51.599 telling you know, when I talked to you know, young men who are 268 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:55.240 making that transition, young men and women actually who are making that transition from 269 00:18:55.240 --> 00:18:59.440 like college athletics to like the corporate world, always tell them, never lose 270 00:18:59.480 --> 00:19:03.960 your competitor of edge, you know, I think I think college athletes and 271 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:07.480 athletes in general, and there's people who are non athletes too, but just 272 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:11.160 speaking about you know, athletes, we kind of had we have that competitive 273 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:14.720 drive in us, right, and I always tell you know, individuals, 274 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:18.000 never lose that. You know, you can use that for for a good 275 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:22.400 right, So you know, never never lose that competitive edge, Never lose 276 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:26.200 that drive. You know. You know, it's not necessarily like competing against 277 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:30.240 your coworkers or anything like that, and sometimes it's healthy to do that, 278 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:32.920 but a lot of times, you know, after you lead the ballgame, 279 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:37.400 is competing with yourself, you know, competing against yesterday's version of yourself, 280 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:40.440 Like what can I do each and every day? To get better. You 281 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:42.759 know, what new skill can I learn? You know this month? What 282 00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:48.359 new skill can I learn this quarter? You know, like they say in 283 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:51.519 basketball, like a basketball player, you get better in the off season. 284 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:55.440 You don't get better during the season because during the season you playing games. 285 00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:57.400 You know, you on a plane, train, automobile, you in the 286 00:19:57.440 --> 00:20:00.720 weight room, you're in the classroom. You get better in the off season. 287 00:20:02.039 --> 00:20:07.000 So what it teaches you as well is discipline and self accountability, right 288 00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:10.920 to make sure that you're you're always leveling up your skills. And I think 289 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:14.680 that's one of the things that helped me move and elevate in my career and 290 00:20:14.759 --> 00:20:18.400 become such a you know, respected and trusted voice in the industry, is 291 00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:22.680 that I was always willing to learn new things because even in recruiting, things 292 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:27.519 change, you know, employment loss change, how you attract talent changes, 293 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:32.920 and if you're a tech recruiter, the technology changes every three years, right, 294 00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:36.640 so you always have to be practicing and always have to you know, 295 00:20:36.759 --> 00:20:41.480 keep learning new things. I'm also you know, I've I've been on I've 296 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:44.079 been on winning teams. Obviously, you know, you see the jersey and 297 00:20:44.119 --> 00:20:45.160 I think you might be able to see they give you a copy of the 298 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:49.400 trophy right there. I don't know if you can see it. So yeah, 299 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:52.440 So I and I say all that to say, not to brag, 300 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:55.160 but I say, I've been on winning teams, but also I've been on 301 00:20:55.240 --> 00:20:59.480 losing teams, and I've been on winning teams where we went on losing you 302 00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:02.480 know, losing streaks or had slumps. So one of the things that I 303 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:06.000 learned about, you know, that I took into my crib, it's being 304 00:21:06.039 --> 00:21:08.799 poised, always staying poised, because you don't want to get too high in 305 00:21:08.839 --> 00:21:12.160 the high moments where you get too cocky and get too full of yourself and 306 00:21:12.200 --> 00:21:17.839 you think you're invincible and undestructible. Mm hmm. There's gonna there's gonna come 307 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:21.599 a time where you're gonna have to be in a valley a little bit and 308 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:23.039 and not get too high in the highest but also not get too low in 309 00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:27.000 the lows and kind of just staying even killing join the victories and the winds 310 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:30.799 when they come and celebrate those and celebrating yourself and your hard work. But 311 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:34.519 there's gonna be a valley, you know. But that's that's life. That's 312 00:21:34.519 --> 00:21:37.640 why they that's why it's a journey. It's called a journey because there's there's 313 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:42.519 ebbs and flows, right, So being able to just be conscientious about what 314 00:21:42.599 --> 00:21:47.839 those things are and just staying poised hard work. Where I think I talked 315 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:51.759 about working smarter and that harder, you know, and and and just knowing 316 00:21:51.799 --> 00:21:53.240 your craft. I think those are the big things really that I learned. 317 00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:56.039 Being coachable. Being coachable, this is one of the things I'm putting in 318 00:21:56.079 --> 00:22:03.319 my book. Always always be cod no matter how skilled you are, no 319 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:07.240 matter how experienced you are, is something you always need some sort of coaching 320 00:22:07.319 --> 00:22:10.759 in some shape or way of forming your career. You know, even if 321 00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:15.359 you're like a like a high level you know, back end developer, you 322 00:22:15.400 --> 00:22:18.960 know, you're always gonna need coaching, you know, because things change or 323 00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:22.960 whatever industry that you're in. No matter how seasoned or professional you are, 324 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:26.519 how skilled you are, you're gonna need coaching at some point. So so 325 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:29.720 always remaining coachable, I think it's key. Yeah, I think those are 326 00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:34.000 great point, especially the off I love that about the off season. You 327 00:22:34.039 --> 00:22:37.519 get better in the off season. And the way to me, the way 328 00:22:37.559 --> 00:22:41.960 I look at it, how it translates in tech, is the off season 329 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:48.359 is your downtime. I think because tech is so continuous as far as how 330 00:22:48.839 --> 00:22:53.200 technology evolves, you constantly have to be on that grind of continuous learning. 331 00:22:53.799 --> 00:22:59.319 Uh, And it's harder to of course, there's you know, there's always 332 00:22:59.400 --> 00:23:03.160 it. You know, during work you have to do research, you have 333 00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:04.440 to you know, figure things out. But a lot of times it's all 334 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:08.480 about trying to figure out a solution while you're at work. And I've always 335 00:23:08.519 --> 00:23:14.200 found, at least within my career that the way that I get better is, 336 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:18.279 you know, not is during you know, off hours. You know, 337 00:23:18.519 --> 00:23:22.039 an hour here, a couple hours here, thirty minutes here, like 338 00:23:22.119 --> 00:23:26.680 whatever it is. It's like, you know, it's it's there's the discipline 339 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:34.720 really to me lies in staying consistent as opposed to how long you know you're 340 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:38.279 you're gonna like study or something like that. Like I tell my son all 341 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:41.519 the time, the one who plays basketball. I'm like, you know what, 342 00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:45.480 I was like, you may not be able to get two hours in 343 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:48.880 or an hour in at the gym all the time, but go downstairs in 344 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:52.640 the basement, set up some cones and do fifteen minutes worth of dribbling, 345 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:56.880 like just around, just around the basement. Just just work on that for 346 00:23:56.880 --> 00:24:02.440 fifteen minutes and that's It's not a huge time or anything like that. And 347 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:07.000 you'll be surprised if you do that consistently, how much better you're going to 348 00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:11.359 be than everybody else because they may only do it once or twice at practice. 349 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:15.039 Right, So that's something that God try to instill in them from from 350 00:24:15.079 --> 00:24:18.519 an athletics standpoint, but also from a tech standpoint. I was a team 351 00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:22.839 lead for a company consulting company, and that's one of the things that I 352 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:26.079 would, you know, whenever we met. When I met with one of 353 00:24:26.119 --> 00:24:29.880 the team members, one of the things that I would tell them like, 354 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:32.480 yeah, you know you have this goal. You want to do this by 355 00:24:32.519 --> 00:24:34.200 this. I'm like, well, and they're like, yeah, I just 356 00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:37.519 don't know how much time I have, Like I do this, I'm like, 357 00:24:37.559 --> 00:24:41.400 well, just do thirty minutes of reading. Like people think that you 358 00:24:41.480 --> 00:24:45.160 got to do four hours worth of reading or something. No, you half 359 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:48.279 hour hour. If you want to do an hour and a half two hours, 360 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:51.799 that's fine. A lot of times there's more negative effects to that than 361 00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:56.039 positive because you start losing concentration and retaining information or anything like that. So 362 00:24:56.160 --> 00:25:02.599 let's just do a half an hour of focus, really focused reading on an 363 00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:06.519 hour of really focused and it'll pay dividends because you're if you do it consistently. 364 00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:08.680 So I'm glad that you, uh, that you brought that up and 365 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:12.240 mentioned that, because that's that's key, not just in tech but in careers 366 00:25:12.359 --> 00:25:17.359 as a whole. Right, yeah, absolutely, So tell us a little 367 00:25:17.400 --> 00:25:23.240 bit about about Raleigh Durham. Like, but I remember reaching someone from that 368 00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:27.319 area reaching out. This was years ago before we had a chapter and they 369 00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:30.599 wanted to start a chapter. And the first thing they said is is they 370 00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:37.160 called it the triangle is a triangle park or research Research Triangle Park? Right, 371 00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:41.519 Yeah, we got a few different names, and I'll say it on 372 00:25:41.559 --> 00:25:42.400 the second, but we got a few different names. Yeah. Yeah, 373 00:25:42.440 --> 00:25:45.960 So tell me a little bit like if somebody decided, like, hey, 374 00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:48.279 I'm going to move to I want to move to Raleigh, I want to 375 00:25:48.319 --> 00:25:52.480 you know, for a career, and so like what can they expect from 376 00:25:52.480 --> 00:25:56.000 the area. Yeah, So, you know, this is a conversation I 377 00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:59.000 always love to have because even you know, as chapter president, have these 378 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:00.880 conversations a lot, but also as a tech recruiter, have these conversations a 379 00:26:00.920 --> 00:26:04.240 lot with people who want to move, you know, relocate here to North 380 00:26:04.240 --> 00:26:10.240 Carolina. I'm also on the board of advisors for nc TECH North Carolina Technology 381 00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:14.519 Association, so I love this. But yes, Raleigh Durham, it's like 382 00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:18.119 really the Tailortoo cities, right, so they're like basically right next to each 383 00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:21.680 other on the map, you know, So it makes sense for us to 384 00:26:21.960 --> 00:26:25.359 have two cities in one chapter. It didn't make sense for us to have 385 00:26:25.400 --> 00:26:26.759 a Rally chapter in a Durham chapter. We just need to have one chapter 386 00:26:26.759 --> 00:26:30.759 because there's a teletoo. Cities, you know, both rich in history. 387 00:26:32.519 --> 00:26:37.559 The Research Triangle Park area is an area right between Raleigh and Durham that hosts 388 00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:42.000 all these different like science companies, biotech companies, tech companies. It's like 389 00:26:42.119 --> 00:26:45.519 acres, it's like literally a park, and all these tech companies are just 390 00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:48.519 lined up in a row and they have like these these campuses here, like 391 00:26:48.599 --> 00:26:52.640 headquarters, like all in a row. And that's why they call it Research 392 00:26:52.680 --> 00:26:56.039 Triangle Park because in North Carolina or in the Carolinas, that's where all the 393 00:26:56.039 --> 00:27:00.240 innovation happens. Right, So a lot of these tech companies are headquartered here 394 00:27:00.359 --> 00:27:03.880 or they have their second or third headquarters here. I give you an example 395 00:27:03.960 --> 00:27:08.559 Amazon, Amazon Web Services. Their HQ one or headquarters one is in Seattle, 396 00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:14.359 Washington. Their HQ two, headquarters two is in the DMV area. 397 00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:18.200 But they were actually looking to put their headquarters two here in Raleig Durham, 398 00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:22.720 but they decided to I think they decided to move it to Arlington, Virginia 399 00:27:22.759 --> 00:27:26.759 for like tax reasons. But this is the center of innovation for the for 400 00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:32.680 North Carolina, the Carolina's period, right, So basically, we have a 401 00:27:32.680 --> 00:27:36.880 lot of different industry here, right, a lot of different industry. We 402 00:27:36.960 --> 00:27:41.119 have a lot of different you know, different types of entrepreneurships that are happening 403 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:45.160 here. Durham is one of the top places for entrepreneurs right. You know, 404 00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:49.119 the Google Startups has a whole program in Durham, North Carolina, you 405 00:27:49.160 --> 00:27:52.519 know, right there in the area. So you get a lot of like 406 00:27:52.640 --> 00:27:56.960 different variations of different types of people that live here. Right. A lot 407 00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:00.359 of the people that live in raleyg Durham aren't actually from Raley Durham. They're 408 00:28:00.359 --> 00:28:03.440 from We get a lot of people from New York. We get a lot 409 00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:07.039 of people from the Midwest and Chicago, Ohio. We get a lot of 410 00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:12.119 people from California. California is increasingly growing as far as you know the cost 411 00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:17.160 of living. So I had a conversation with a candidate not too long ago. 412 00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:19.200 I was like, well, why North Carolina you know why? He 413 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:22.400 was like, well, we have a silicon valley there. You guys have 414 00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:26.480 somewhat of a silicon valley in Raleigh Durham. So the two translate. That's 415 00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:30.400 number one, number two. We have North Carolina or Raleigh Durham has all 416 00:28:30.440 --> 00:28:36.079 these prestigious universities that are right around each other. You know, you got 417 00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:40.799 North Carolina State. You know you got UNC Chapel Hill, Duke University, 418 00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:45.680 North Carolina Central University of HBCU, and not too far away, you got 419 00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:48.240 North Carolina A and T. So I could come here and I can get 420 00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:52.440 advanced education, advanced degrees. Wake County is one of the best public school 421 00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:56.440 systems in North Carolina, if not the best. I think it's like always 422 00:28:56.519 --> 00:29:00.079 number one and number two since I've been in school. And another reason why 423 00:29:00.119 --> 00:29:04.480 this gentleman wanted to move from California to North Carolina is because you guys also 424 00:29:04.519 --> 00:29:10.880 have beaches and mountains on either side. So I always say Raleigh Durham is 425 00:29:11.279 --> 00:29:15.119 where you come to have life and have life more abundantly, you know, 426 00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:18.599 per se. So that's what you will experienced here. You know, it's 427 00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:22.039 a very active tech hub. A lot of times, I don't think we 428 00:29:22.119 --> 00:29:27.839 get to shine we deserve because we're not like a big city. We're a 429 00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:32.000 nice size city. We're not a big city. We don't have the immaculate 430 00:29:32.039 --> 00:29:34.519 skylines like in New York or LA and you know, shout out to them, 431 00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:37.640 love both cities, been to both of them. But I think sometimes 432 00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:44.440 we get overlooked with with the flashiness. But tech lives in Raleigh Durham and 433 00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:51.160 we have an exciting, engaged member base at Blacks and Technology. They're very 434 00:29:51.160 --> 00:29:55.480 engaged, very they just love this area and they're always looking for ways to 435 00:29:55.559 --> 00:29:57.799 network and do events and that's what we and that's what we do here as 436 00:29:57.799 --> 00:30:03.319 a chapter X. It's good to hear out those, you know, wonderful 437 00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:06.920 exciting things about about the area in case I might want to, you know, 438 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:11.160 move from Ohio. Yeah, it's always one of the it's always one 439 00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:15.079 of the top ten places to live. It's always one of the top ten 440 00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:18.000 places to live. Yeah, it's like We're on every list every year, 441 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:23.640 top places to live, top places for professionals, very diverse area. You 442 00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:26.440 know, we're you know, we're not you know, d C or in 443 00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:32.160 Atlanta, but we have a black tech professional nucleus here. The cost of 444 00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:36.960 living is relatively inexpensive, and we're in a great area. We're right in 445 00:30:37.000 --> 00:30:38.119 the middle if you if you want to go to the d m V, 446 00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:41.200 the d m V is here. Atlanta's right here, Raleigh, Durham, 447 00:30:41.559 --> 00:30:45.279 and then our brothers and sisters down in Charlotte, they right, they right 448 00:30:45.319 --> 00:30:48.119 next to us. So it's a it's a great area whether it's nice and 449 00:30:48.200 --> 00:30:49.960 you know, it's just it's thriving here, very nice, very cool. 450 00:30:51.480 --> 00:30:53.920 So speaking of uh, you know, you started talking a little bit about 451 00:30:55.000 --> 00:31:00.799 you know, the why you know, the BICH members and and how you 452 00:31:00.839 --> 00:31:03.839 know, the the activity there at the chapter. How did you first hear 453 00:31:03.880 --> 00:31:10.079 about Yeah, so, you know, in my tech recruiting career, you 454 00:31:10.079 --> 00:31:11.960 know, I was doing a lot of things with like, you know, 455 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:15.359 diversity recruiting and coming up with creative ways to uh to attract talent. You 456 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:18.559 know, when I was working at the you know, the big you know, 457 00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:22.240 these big tech companies, during that time, I was you know, 458 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:23.160 doing a lot of that, you know, as far as my career, 459 00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:26.960 but I was I'm always thinking of ways, like what can I do outside 460 00:31:27.039 --> 00:31:30.039 of my day to day work, you know, to kind of give back, 461 00:31:30.359 --> 00:31:34.359 right I have a you know kind of a heart to serve and and 462 00:31:34.359 --> 00:31:37.359 and lead and things like that. So I wanted to see if there was 463 00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:41.680 something maybe here locally. You know, I'm a tech recruiter, so you 464 00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:45.839 know, I checked out Nesby, but you know, you know, I'm 465 00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:48.839 not necessarily an engineer, but I wanted to like where, where's an organization 466 00:31:49.079 --> 00:31:53.240 or somewhere I can go where I don't necessarily have to be a technologist, 467 00:31:55.160 --> 00:31:57.759 but I can still be part of the organization. And you know, I 468 00:31:57.759 --> 00:32:02.119 fit the criteria to be a member of Blacks and Technology, and I you 469 00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:07.359 know came across it, you know, had a conversation with the president at 470 00:32:07.359 --> 00:32:10.079 the time, who was actually you know, still on the board, and 471 00:32:10.599 --> 00:32:14.279 you know, kind of shared my passion for wanting to be a part of 472 00:32:14.319 --> 00:32:15.680 it, just to really kind of have a you know, sense of community 473 00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:20.279 and also find out how ways what I can do as a black tech recruiter 474 00:32:20.359 --> 00:32:22.960 because there's not really many of us black tech recruiters like, well, here's 475 00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:25.680 a how's here's a way, What's what's the way I can give back to 476 00:32:25.720 --> 00:32:30.440 the members in the community here in the Raleigh Durham area. And had a 477 00:32:30.440 --> 00:32:34.920 conversation with her and then she was like, well, have you thought about 478 00:32:34.960 --> 00:32:37.880 maybe you know, having more of an expansive role. So I was like, 479 00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:40.519 what does it look like? Right? And you know, a few 480 00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:44.640 weeks later, you know, had some conversations with you know, some of 481 00:32:44.680 --> 00:32:46.319 the you know, existing board members at the time, and you know, 482 00:32:46.359 --> 00:32:50.440 I was on the board and and you know, she thought that would be 483 00:32:50.480 --> 00:32:53.799 a great way for me to be in a in a position where there could 484 00:32:53.880 --> 00:32:59.480 you know, be some exposure, some sort of elevated you know role where 485 00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:01.680 I'll be able to kind of charter those things. So that's how I found 486 00:33:01.680 --> 00:33:05.079 out about it. Just wanted to do more, you know, outside of 487 00:33:05.079 --> 00:33:07.880 my my career, you know, to kind of add a supplement to what 488 00:33:07.920 --> 00:33:12.119 I was doing. Yeah, excellent, Yeah, and I'm I'm I'll say 489 00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:15.960 this like, we're happy to have someone like you in that position. I 490 00:33:15.960 --> 00:33:22.599 mean, Raleigh the RTU Chapters is consistently one of the most active chapters and 491 00:33:22.839 --> 00:33:29.359 the events that you all put on are always tops. Uh. And then 492 00:33:29.400 --> 00:33:31.640 you're you're you're always like, you know, making sure that everyone knows about 493 00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:36.079 what you all are doing. You're sharing pictures and things like that all the 494 00:33:36.119 --> 00:33:39.160 time. My mom constantly reposting your stuff on LinkedIn and and everywhere. So 495 00:33:40.640 --> 00:33:45.759 excellent, excellent. So let's let's let's do a little roll call. Let's 496 00:33:45.839 --> 00:33:52.279 let's go down the names and the roles of the leaders of the ARDU chapter. 497 00:33:57.279 --> 00:34:00.200 Do you have a product or service that you would like to share with 498 00:34:00.240 --> 00:34:02.960 a big audience, or maybe you'd like to support the big community and do 499 00:34:04.079 --> 00:34:08.239 your part in helping us with stomping the divide. Start by sponsoring one of 500 00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:16.679 our podcasts. Please email us at contact us at blacks and Technology dot net. 501 00:34:22.239 --> 00:34:25.119 Okay, yeah, yeah, so we have a lot, so I'm 502 00:34:25.159 --> 00:34:30.599 a I'm definitely gonna make sure I don't get anybody. But we have Tanisha 503 00:34:30.760 --> 00:34:37.000 who Tanisha Cruz who is also immediate past chapter president and she was also one 504 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:42.480 of the co founders of the chapter some some years ago. She is currently 505 00:34:42.599 --> 00:34:47.039 our VP of Membership and Engagement. Her role is really important because you know, 506 00:34:47.119 --> 00:34:51.360 she comes up with all these incredible ways to make sure our members stay 507 00:34:51.400 --> 00:34:55.440 engaged and also the recruit new members. And she's really the really the engine 508 00:34:55.440 --> 00:35:00.320 behind a lot of our events. She's really good at curating events, really 509 00:35:00.360 --> 00:35:06.000 thinking about the member experience and the guests experience. So she's you know, 510 00:35:06.079 --> 00:35:08.000 done a number of different things. The Melani mixer that we had, you 511 00:35:08.039 --> 00:35:14.639 know back in October, she was really the driving force behind that. You 512 00:35:14.679 --> 00:35:16.679 know, all I really did was make up the flyer and come up with 513 00:35:16.719 --> 00:35:20.920 the name, but she was the one. She was the one that made 514 00:35:20.960 --> 00:35:24.519 that Friday night in October and downtown Durham magical. So so hats off to 515 00:35:24.880 --> 00:35:30.480 the show. Then that's Leashanda Rogers. She's our vice president of Community Outreach. 516 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:37.480 She is very instrumental in you know, making sure that we have these 517 00:35:37.480 --> 00:35:40.679 community connections in these community ties in the Raleigh Durham area in a really in 518 00:35:40.719 --> 00:35:45.119 a real way. You know. She you know definitely connects us with you 519 00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:50.360 know, you know school system also different you know nonprofit organizations as well that 520 00:35:50.440 --> 00:35:53.039 share the same mission as ours also and that kind of helped push us forward. 521 00:35:53.480 --> 00:35:57.320 Anything that you see us do, you know with the school system, 522 00:35:57.360 --> 00:36:01.679 anything that you see us do from a government standpoints. She's really the backbone 523 00:36:01.719 --> 00:36:06.760 behind that, so that that's her role. And then we have you know 524 00:36:06.840 --> 00:36:10.280 Barrett, he's our vice president of finance. He's more you know, behind 525 00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:14.239 the scenes. I have people on my team that are more you know, 526 00:36:14.519 --> 00:36:16.599 front, front of the scenes, you know, more you know, extroverted. 527 00:36:16.880 --> 00:36:21.679 But then I also have people on my team who are more introverted, 528 00:36:21.719 --> 00:36:23.400 more behind the scenes, and they're just as valuable. And I wanted to 529 00:36:23.440 --> 00:36:27.800 mix it up that way. But he makes sure that you know, we 530 00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:32.000 are as frugal as possible, uh and making sure that you know, we 531 00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:36.039 we keep our money where it needs to be, but also make sure we're 532 00:36:36.079 --> 00:36:38.280 putting our money towards the right things our chapter fund, so you know, 533 00:36:38.320 --> 00:36:44.519 shout out to Barrett. And then we have you know Robin, who is 534 00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:50.400 one of our newer members. She's the VP of Administration. She she came 535 00:36:50.440 --> 00:36:54.480 from the Charlotte chapter, and I know the Charlotte chapter, they were an 536 00:36:54.559 --> 00:37:00.599 award winning chapter earlier on. Once I found out she was, you know, 537 00:37:00.719 --> 00:37:06.039 moving to Raleigh Durham, I'm like really like so yeah, so I 538 00:37:06.559 --> 00:37:12.039 talked to you know, the former president Natasha. She she vouchs for one, 539 00:37:12.519 --> 00:37:14.760 UH talked to some other people there that was like, yeah, we 540 00:37:14.800 --> 00:37:17.920 love Rob and she'd be an a credible asset to your team. She's very 541 00:37:17.960 --> 00:37:22.079 big because she does a lot of stuff administrative stuff for us behind the scenes. 542 00:37:22.320 --> 00:37:25.840 She's really good with data analysis. What we find is that a lot 543 00:37:25.840 --> 00:37:29.800 of companies that we work with they want to know about the demographics of our 544 00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:32.880 chapter and what that looks like. So she's been very instrumental in us kind 545 00:37:32.920 --> 00:37:37.239 of having a like putting together data and information that we can present to potential 546 00:37:37.239 --> 00:37:42.159 sponsors who want to know a little bit more detailed not only about our national 547 00:37:42.280 --> 00:37:45.960 global membership, but our ALREADYU membership. So she's real big in that. 548 00:37:46.039 --> 00:37:50.280 Brintley Brintley, right, he is one of our newer members. He is 549 00:37:50.360 --> 00:37:54.559 our vice president of D and I Initiatives. I, you know, a 550 00:37:54.559 --> 00:37:59.239 personal friend of mine. I call him like the D and I evangelists in 551 00:37:59.320 --> 00:38:04.079 our in our our leadership group. He he works at the Diversity Movement. 552 00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:07.559 This is really part of his work, so he kind of really coincides to 553 00:38:07.559 --> 00:38:12.119 what we do. When once we you know, strategized at the beginning of 554 00:38:12.159 --> 00:38:15.880 the year, I realized that you know, as we talked about before D 555 00:38:15.960 --> 00:38:19.559 and I was like under attack, and we thought it'd be great to have 556 00:38:19.679 --> 00:38:24.519 somebody on our leadership team that we can bring into our events when we're working 557 00:38:24.519 --> 00:38:30.000 with corporations to really talk about D and I in a real honest, passionate 558 00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:35.880 way. So I wanted to hand picked him specifically for that. So and 559 00:38:35.880 --> 00:38:38.960 and he definitely feels that gap for us. Uh. Norris is our vice 560 00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:45.360 president of University Engagement. Norris is the life of the party on the on 561 00:38:45.400 --> 00:38:49.880 the chapter team. So he he makes everybody laugh, He keeps, you 562 00:38:49.920 --> 00:38:52.480 know, everybody's spirits high and things like that. Uh, he's real passionate 563 00:38:52.519 --> 00:38:57.719 about you know, students. He's an HBCU alone. He went to North 564 00:38:57.719 --> 00:39:01.400 Carolina Central University just right here in Raleigh. But so he's very involved with 565 00:39:01.519 --> 00:39:06.000 HBCUs, very passionate about that. But we don't want to forget about our 566 00:39:06.039 --> 00:39:09.159 young brothers and sisters at the pwis too, right at the NC States, 567 00:39:09.199 --> 00:39:13.719 at the Dukes in Carolina. So he's doing great work right now and making 568 00:39:13.719 --> 00:39:16.440 sure we reach out to those you know, young you know brothers and sisters 569 00:39:16.480 --> 00:39:21.199 as well who might not necessarily be at HBCU, but you know they're black 570 00:39:21.239 --> 00:39:22.199 and wanting to get into tech, and we want to make sure they have 571 00:39:22.239 --> 00:39:27.960 a place of belonging. So he leads that effort. Nicole Hargrove, she's 572 00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:31.480 our vice president of Technical Education and Learning. She has dedicated her whole career 573 00:39:31.559 --> 00:39:38.760 to creating pathways for minorities to learn about technology and setting kind of learning pathways 574 00:39:38.760 --> 00:39:43.400 for them. I thought it would be incredible for her to be on our 575 00:39:43.440 --> 00:39:46.719 board when we go to these meetings when we now not necessarily when we go 576 00:39:46.760 --> 00:39:50.880 to these meetings, but we have these are our events, right, I 577 00:39:50.920 --> 00:39:53.280 get a lot of questions about like, hey, like what certification do you 578 00:39:53.320 --> 00:39:57.559 recommend this and that? And like I said, I'm a I can talk 579 00:39:57.599 --> 00:40:01.679 about technology conversationally as a tech recruiter, but we needed somebody that was gonna 580 00:40:01.719 --> 00:40:07.000 dive deep and Nicole is that person that can dive deep with people. Right. 581 00:40:07.119 --> 00:40:09.679 So we got you know a lot of different plans that we're gonna do 582 00:40:09.760 --> 00:40:14.679 with her about really you know, in a in a formal and informal way 583 00:40:14.679 --> 00:40:19.639 of educating our members about you know, educational pathways they can take and also 584 00:40:20.119 --> 00:40:23.039 aligning that with the offerings that we already have. So and then we have 585 00:40:23.079 --> 00:40:30.599 our board members. We have Eric, dj Uh and Rosa. They play 586 00:40:30.679 --> 00:40:36.840 big roles for us because these are all co founders. They were with the 587 00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:42.840 chapter at the very beginning, right. Their voice as as board members and 588 00:40:42.920 --> 00:40:46.480 also co founders is very instrumental because they keep everybody honest, right because they 589 00:40:46.480 --> 00:40:51.719 would hear from the beginning. They make sure that you know, we stay 590 00:40:51.719 --> 00:40:53.079 on the same we stay on that mission, stay on that path. So 591 00:40:53.440 --> 00:40:59.440 their their knowledge and their wisdom is very important as we you know, our 592 00:40:59.480 --> 00:41:02.480 decision make making processes and how we plan our year. And we also have 593 00:41:02.880 --> 00:41:10.119 Andrea. She is the lead that Black eerg lead at Cisco, so strategically 594 00:41:10.119 --> 00:41:14.079 we wanted to bring her in and she does a lot of things. You 595 00:41:14.119 --> 00:41:15.559 know, she's working on a lot of you know, cool and interesting products 596 00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:22.519 projects with us, like our newsletter, we started a member spotlight, so 597 00:41:22.639 --> 00:41:24.519 you know, she's working through those things and really kind of you know, 598 00:41:24.559 --> 00:41:29.960 spearheading those initiatives. And then we got Gary who's on one of our newest 599 00:41:30.199 --> 00:41:34.400 members as well. He has a military technical background, so we thought that 600 00:41:34.440 --> 00:41:37.440 would be great also to kind of bring that in as well, because we 601 00:41:37.440 --> 00:41:39.639 don't want those brothers and sisters to be forgotten too. And he has an 602 00:41:39.679 --> 00:41:45.039 experience because he is serving. He uses technology, he is a technologist. 603 00:41:45.079 --> 00:41:47.840 And I know we got we got you know, brothers and sisters down in 604 00:41:47.880 --> 00:41:52.000 Faydville, down in Fort Bragg that you know, we can reach out to. 605 00:41:52.239 --> 00:41:57.239 So that's that's the board, Riley. During we got a large team. 606 00:41:57.320 --> 00:42:00.840 I will say, you know, I have a really great team. 607 00:42:00.760 --> 00:42:06.480 I think we had founders that yeah, we had founders and people that came 608 00:42:06.559 --> 00:42:10.079 before me that really kind of set the foundation, you know for me to 609 00:42:10.119 --> 00:42:15.519 come in with all my new ideas and flyers and and hey, let's do 610 00:42:15.559 --> 00:42:19.320 this, let's do that, you know, let's go let's go over here 611 00:42:19.360 --> 00:42:21.599 to sass, let's go over here. Like you know, they set a 612 00:42:21.639 --> 00:42:24.079 foundation for me to really come in and build. So I always want to 613 00:42:24.079 --> 00:42:28.880 pay homage to them because they did a credible job, you know, in 614 00:42:28.920 --> 00:42:32.960 the earlier years, really setting that found foundation and that framework framework for me 615 00:42:34.000 --> 00:42:37.360 to come in and with all these interesting, great and illustrious ideas. So 616 00:42:38.400 --> 00:42:44.440 shout out to them, Yeah, definitely shout out to them. Like you 617 00:42:44.519 --> 00:42:47.920 all you all could write a chapter blueprint book, but just about the way 618 00:42:47.920 --> 00:42:52.960 you all operate No seriously, like and this is this is no knock on 619 00:42:52.960 --> 00:42:57.559 on any of the other chapters. I know, you know, specific chapters 620 00:42:57.599 --> 00:43:02.679 don't have the resources, uh, whether it's you know or or even they 621 00:43:02.719 --> 00:43:07.639 may be new to the operation side of running a chapter as a whole. 622 00:43:07.960 --> 00:43:12.480 And it's it's it's not an easy you know kind of I'm going to spend 623 00:43:12.480 --> 00:43:15.360 fifteen minutes on this and for the week, and like there's time that that 624 00:43:15.440 --> 00:43:21.519 you have to invest in and getting things up and running, reaching out to 625 00:43:21.679 --> 00:43:29.159 different corporations, organizing events, reaching out to positive potential speakers, you know, 626 00:43:29.320 --> 00:43:34.480 getting members or the community involved. Like there's a lot of stuff and 627 00:43:34.639 --> 00:43:38.880 you all have really created a good blueprint as not from from a personnel standpoint, 628 00:43:39.119 --> 00:43:44.639 but also the different roles because they're there, I would say, you 629 00:43:44.679 --> 00:43:50.559 know, and some chapters there's like one or two people and they're taking on 630 00:43:50.639 --> 00:43:53.400 the roles of all that, right, and it's it's a lot and if 631 00:43:53.440 --> 00:43:58.239 you can if you can have more people in those roles to then that that 632 00:43:58.360 --> 00:44:01.159 allows you to be able to kind of concentrate right on on what your specialty 633 00:44:01.320 --> 00:44:07.480 is and then bring all that together and a and a probably a more polished 634 00:44:07.880 --> 00:44:12.639 product, so to speak. That makes sense. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, 635 00:44:12.639 --> 00:44:14.880 And I appreciate you, you know, mentioning that. And you know 636 00:44:14.960 --> 00:44:17.679 that was something that you know, when I came into you know, this 637 00:44:17.840 --> 00:44:22.920 year, you know, I was like, okay, I wanted to you 638 00:44:22.960 --> 00:44:25.159 know, my first year as president, you know, last year, I 639 00:44:25.199 --> 00:44:29.480 really like wanted to take a year to kind of really assess things. And 640 00:44:29.480 --> 00:44:31.400 and like I was like, okay, we need to make some like some 641 00:44:31.559 --> 00:44:37.199 minor small recalibrations here. But then I had to wear thall enough and awareness 642 00:44:37.320 --> 00:44:38.400 enough. Okay, we need to bring in new members, right, So 643 00:44:38.480 --> 00:44:42.599 I had to propose a whole you know, kind of new structure and system 644 00:44:42.639 --> 00:44:45.480 to the team, which you know, they bought in right, so you 645 00:44:45.480 --> 00:44:47.719 know, like even as president, I still have to get you know, 646 00:44:47.920 --> 00:44:53.079 the not necessarily the permission, but they're buying right because it's a team effort, 647 00:44:53.159 --> 00:44:55.920 right, And then had to go and get Brentley and get Injury and 648 00:44:55.960 --> 00:45:00.719 all these other people as well. So the structure that you see is you 649 00:45:00.760 --> 00:45:05.320 know, just as a leader and as a president really sitting back looking at 650 00:45:05.360 --> 00:45:07.840 okay, let's let's fine tune this. Let's fine tune this, and then 651 00:45:07.880 --> 00:45:12.039 let's add these four pieces to the wheel so we can keep you know, 652 00:45:12.159 --> 00:45:15.400 keep the ball rolling. And you know, but yeah, it's I think 653 00:45:15.440 --> 00:45:19.519 everybody does an incredible job. We delegate. It's a team effort. I 654 00:45:19.559 --> 00:45:22.280 don't really get caught in the weeds a lot as a president. I you 655 00:45:22.320 --> 00:45:24.440 know, they start initiatives, they have their own projects and things that they 656 00:45:24.480 --> 00:45:28.519 work on, and I just go at it, you know, like and 657 00:45:28.880 --> 00:45:30.400 not just let them. Let them do it. So it's it's really a 658 00:45:30.440 --> 00:45:36.440 team effort because as you mentioned, you know, I can't have my hands 659 00:45:36.440 --> 00:45:39.519 on everything. You'll get burnt out like that real quick, right, So 660 00:45:39.599 --> 00:45:43.960 you definitely want to build a team, find out what people are good at, 661 00:45:44.239 --> 00:45:45.840 empower them to do it, give them a role, get you know, 662 00:45:45.920 --> 00:45:52.239 give them some goals and really you know, create roles that from an 663 00:45:52.320 --> 00:45:59.199 organizational standpoint makes sense and let people do their thing and and and watch everybody 664 00:45:59.239 --> 00:46:01.079 kind of grow and flour. So so I appreciate you saying that, Yeah, 665 00:46:01.199 --> 00:46:06.760 and man, your leadership skills. Just from that segment alone, it 666 00:46:06.880 --> 00:46:10.880 lets me know that you're the right person to be doing this because you're you're 667 00:46:10.920 --> 00:46:15.559 you're you're the type of person just you know, hearing you speak right now 668 00:46:15.719 --> 00:46:22.880 that you're you're you're not micromanaging, You're you're allowing people to do what they 669 00:46:22.920 --> 00:46:29.760 do best and bring that all together, uh into something that will make the 670 00:46:29.760 --> 00:46:32.480 team stronger. Uh. And you're more of that that servant leader like, 671 00:46:32.519 --> 00:46:36.440 hey, like, I'm here to support what you want to do. Yeah, 672 00:46:36.440 --> 00:46:38.199 I have ideas. I'm gonna run it past you all. See how 673 00:46:38.199 --> 00:46:42.880 that how that pans out, bring all of your other ideas together, the 674 00:46:42.920 --> 00:46:45.519 things that you're good at and the things you know, and I'm and I'm 675 00:46:45.519 --> 00:46:49.519 gonna be hands off, you know with with with certain things. Let you 676 00:46:49.559 --> 00:46:52.639 all do that and empower empower you all to do it, and that makes 677 00:46:52.719 --> 00:46:59.039 for a more healthy environment uh as a whole. Anyhow, right when when 678 00:46:59.039 --> 00:47:00.880 you're like that, so absolutely, I just let them cook. I don't 679 00:47:00.880 --> 00:47:04.000 I don't got to be all in the kitchen and all in the pot. 680 00:47:04.039 --> 00:47:07.000 Just let them cook. And they and they everybody they do incredible stuff like 681 00:47:07.199 --> 00:47:12.039 like okay, great, so right right it's easy when it's like that, 682 00:47:12.199 --> 00:47:16.639 right, Yeah, definitely easy. So tell us a little bit about the 683 00:47:16.719 --> 00:47:21.960 LinkedIn the Black Creators on LinkedIn man like for your bio, you were recently 684 00:47:22.039 --> 00:47:27.320 named to the Power fifties top Black creators on LinkedIn. So tell us a 685 00:47:27.320 --> 00:47:31.159 little bit about what that entails. Yeah, so it was, you know, 686 00:47:31.239 --> 00:47:35.320 last year in twenty twenty three. You know, I really, you 687 00:47:35.320 --> 00:47:39.000 know, wanted to make it a point of not being a recruiter that only 688 00:47:39.039 --> 00:47:43.800 posted just jobs. You know, those things are important, right, but 689 00:47:43.880 --> 00:47:47.800 I really wanted to find ways to you know, give tippits of perspective, 690 00:47:49.119 --> 00:47:53.079 advice, wisdom, you know, to an audience that I believed it could 691 00:47:53.119 --> 00:47:58.840 benefit. Right, So it was really just like you know, posting little 692 00:47:58.880 --> 00:48:01.480 nuggets of wisdom. I did the thing last year called free Game Fridays. 693 00:48:01.559 --> 00:48:06.079 I was just giving people, you know, interview tips, resume advice. 694 00:48:06.159 --> 00:48:07.599 But I also tried to make it engaging. I didn't want it to be 695 00:48:07.719 --> 00:48:12.679 playing and ordinary. I wanted to make it so people could, you know, 696 00:48:12.960 --> 00:48:15.519 resonate with what I was saying, but also they could take something practical 697 00:48:15.679 --> 00:48:21.960 and use it. I've been on a number of different podcasts in the industry, 698 00:48:22.119 --> 00:48:25.239 so when you know, the host send me things I posted on you 699 00:48:25.280 --> 00:48:30.039 know, LinkedIn, you know, and hopefully it helps some people. So 700 00:48:30.280 --> 00:48:35.039 I did it. I want a whole podcast tour last year that you know, 701 00:48:35.159 --> 00:48:37.599 smoke smoke at some conferences. You know, if some snippets came back, 702 00:48:37.679 --> 00:48:42.199 I posted it on there, you know, so people would know I 703 00:48:42.280 --> 00:48:44.719 was speaking, and I was always on podcasts, but also I used to 704 00:48:44.719 --> 00:48:46.719 hand pick stuff like okay, let me use my discernment. What is the 705 00:48:46.719 --> 00:48:49.880 people, what are the people saying? What do they need to hear? 706 00:48:49.960 --> 00:48:52.119 They need to hear this? So I would put it out there, and 707 00:48:53.079 --> 00:48:58.719 without even knowing or not even looking for any accolades or awards or any self 708 00:48:58.719 --> 00:49:02.840 aggrandizement, I got a message saying, you know, from a pretty well 709 00:49:02.880 --> 00:49:07.800 known content creator in this space, uh, saying, he congratulations, You've 710 00:49:07.800 --> 00:49:12.760 been named to the Power fifty and you've been voted on by your peers in 711 00:49:12.800 --> 00:49:17.519 the industry. So I was very very excited and very honored to be that. 712 00:49:17.519 --> 00:49:21.800 That wasn't what I was going for, but you know, you know, 713 00:49:21.840 --> 00:49:23.840 I'll receive it, and I think it meant a lot to me because 714 00:49:24.760 --> 00:49:29.599 you know, when you're when you're voted into something on a list or a 715 00:49:29.639 --> 00:49:31.599 top list, or you're getting award of some recognition and it comes from your 716 00:49:31.639 --> 00:49:36.000 peers, I mean, that's that's a that's a real big you know, 717 00:49:36.360 --> 00:49:39.239 stamp of approval because they're doing the work that you're doing and they see you 718 00:49:39.320 --> 00:49:43.239 as somebody that they respect. So yeah, I really, really, you 719 00:49:43.239 --> 00:49:45.519 know, appreciated that honor. We'll see if I'm you know, named to 720 00:49:45.559 --> 00:49:49.719 the list again in twenty twenty four, So well, good luck with that, 721 00:49:49.840 --> 00:49:52.559 man. That's that's definitely something to be proud of, for sure. 722 00:49:53.079 --> 00:49:59.000 Tell us a little bit about the book you're writing. Yeah, so I'm 723 00:49:59.000 --> 00:50:01.400 a I'm a first time author. You know, I'm writing a book. 724 00:50:01.719 --> 00:50:05.679 I'm in the process as we speak. I started writing a book back in 725 00:50:05.880 --> 00:50:13.320 October of last year. And this was actually a presentation that I did at 726 00:50:13.559 --> 00:50:19.079 a couple of tech conferences last year and it got rave reviews. Like you 727 00:50:19.079 --> 00:50:22.000 know, people, you know, multitude of people were talking to me after 728 00:50:22.119 --> 00:50:23.840 you know, I spoke and you know, people were just in my DMS 729 00:50:23.840 --> 00:50:27.239 and inbox. Hey man, can you expound on this? You tell me 730 00:50:27.280 --> 00:50:30.320 more about this and the presentation I did. You know, you know, 731 00:50:30.360 --> 00:50:31.880 when you go and speak at these conferences, you got to give your your 732 00:50:32.000 --> 00:50:34.599 you know, what do you want to do? What are you going to 733 00:50:34.639 --> 00:50:38.440 write about your deck? And it was cracking the code ten possible Reasons you 734 00:50:38.480 --> 00:50:44.119 didn't get the job. That was That was the presentation and I had, 735 00:50:44.159 --> 00:50:47.199 you know, I had some slides went through it and like I said, 736 00:50:47.239 --> 00:50:52.639 people loved it, and I was like, how can I expound upon this 737 00:50:52.639 --> 00:50:55.440 because people wanted more? And I was like, well, I think I'm 738 00:50:55.440 --> 00:50:59.760 I think I might turn this into a book. So basically that's the name 739 00:50:59.800 --> 00:51:02.159 of the book. It's called Cracking the Code. Ten Possible Reasons you Didn't 740 00:51:02.159 --> 00:51:08.400 Get the Job. It's very candid, I'm honest, truthful. What it 741 00:51:08.480 --> 00:51:13.920 is is that it talks about some of the common pitfalls that job seekers face 742 00:51:15.000 --> 00:51:17.760 when they're looking for a role. But one thing it does also do as 743 00:51:17.800 --> 00:51:22.119 well, there are reasons on here and I wanted the audience to know this 744 00:51:22.320 --> 00:51:24.760 and I'm working through this now that sometimes these reasons why you didn't get an 745 00:51:24.760 --> 00:51:30.840 opportunity has nothing to do with you. There's certain indicators and environmental factors that 746 00:51:30.880 --> 00:51:36.360 are happening in the job market right now that have nothing to do with you. 747 00:51:36.679 --> 00:51:42.280 Right So there's going to be a level of accountability on the corporate side 748 00:51:42.480 --> 00:51:46.039 and from it to my fellow recruiters in the game. But it's also going 749 00:51:46.119 --> 00:51:51.360 to really be telling people why. I don't think we tell people as career 750 00:51:51.400 --> 00:51:54.920 coaches and tech recruiters, we tell people what to do, but we don't 751 00:51:54.920 --> 00:51:59.880 tell them why they need to do what they need to do. So this 752 00:52:00.000 --> 00:52:04.760 this is fifteen years, sixteen years of experience that I've had talking to people 753 00:52:04.760 --> 00:52:09.159 at multiple levels across various industries, and I want to give the people why, 754 00:52:09.760 --> 00:52:14.440 right. So there's going to be data in there, studies that I'm 755 00:52:14.480 --> 00:52:19.360 going to reference that are going to support my professional recommendations and theories and notions. 756 00:52:20.320 --> 00:52:22.440 It's going to be somewhat out of biographical too, because I'm going to 757 00:52:22.519 --> 00:52:25.800 pull from instances as a tech recruiter, but I'm also going to pull from 758 00:52:25.800 --> 00:52:30.519 instances as a job seeker as well, because we've all been job seekers at 759 00:52:30.559 --> 00:52:35.400 one point. So there's there's a mixture of reasons to have more something more 760 00:52:35.440 --> 00:52:38.519 to do with the job seeker, but there are reasons in there in the 761 00:52:38.559 --> 00:52:42.840 book that have something to do with what's going on in the world. And 762 00:52:43.760 --> 00:52:45.880 you know, I think I'll give you an example. There's one chapter that's 763 00:52:45.920 --> 00:52:50.000 going to be talking about a tight job market that has nothing to do with 764 00:52:50.079 --> 00:52:52.599 you as as a as a candidate, that's just you know, the factors 765 00:52:52.639 --> 00:52:54.599 around. We're going to talk about that. We're going to talk about these 766 00:52:54.639 --> 00:53:00.760 layoffs, why the layoffs are happening. There's a lot of missing information going 767 00:53:00.800 --> 00:53:05.239 out there by people that are speaking about layoffs, and it's just not that's 768 00:53:05.280 --> 00:53:07.960 not why people are getting laid off. So people are gonna know the truth. 769 00:53:07.400 --> 00:53:12.039 People are gonna know why these things are happening. We're gonna talk about 770 00:53:12.079 --> 00:53:17.000 unconscious bias and bias in general in the selection process and broken recruiting practices. 771 00:53:17.199 --> 00:53:21.280 So it's gonna hold people on the other side of the table, my peers 772 00:53:21.960 --> 00:53:23.960 accountable as well. And if it don't apply to you, then let it 773 00:53:24.000 --> 00:53:31.039 fly. But but the book is coming. I had to cover reveal about 774 00:53:31.039 --> 00:53:37.039 a month or two ago and a publisher. Yeah, and it's we're looking 775 00:53:37.079 --> 00:53:39.880 at a summer twenty twenty four release date. Man, that's that's huge. 776 00:53:39.920 --> 00:53:44.159 Man, that's congrats on that. Man, that's gonna be that's gonna be 777 00:53:44.199 --> 00:53:49.360 good. It's gonna be good. And when it comes out, definitely let 778 00:53:49.400 --> 00:53:53.039 me know because I definitely love to promote it just from a stamp. I 779 00:53:53.039 --> 00:53:57.519 mean, you know, you're, you're, you're, you're part of the 780 00:53:57.559 --> 00:54:00.480 BIT organization, but just being part of the community. Like, that's something 781 00:54:00.519 --> 00:54:05.679 that I like to do as well. It's like when I want to see 782 00:54:05.719 --> 00:54:10.199 that someone is doing other things that it doesn't necessarily have to do with the 783 00:54:10.320 --> 00:54:15.320 organization itself, and they're doing some other things to help like the community, 784 00:54:15.480 --> 00:54:19.079 I love to to spotlight that type of stuff, right, So when it 785 00:54:19.119 --> 00:54:22.679 comes out, man, let me know and we'll we'll do a feature on 786 00:54:22.719 --> 00:54:25.079 that for sure. Yeah, we'll do. I appreciate it. Yeah, 787 00:54:25.199 --> 00:54:34.400 I'll definitely Yeah, I definitely keep you posted for sure. Okay. The 788 00:54:34.440 --> 00:54:39.719 Bit Foundation has established featured partnerships and programs with companies such as Amazon, AT 789 00:54:39.880 --> 00:54:45.519 and T comp, t i A, tech Stars, and more to provide 790 00:54:45.519 --> 00:54:50.159 our members with the resources we want and need to thrive and succeed in this 791 00:54:50.280 --> 00:54:55.719 tech ecosystem. To learn more, visit Foundation, dot blacks and Technology dot 792 00:54:55.840 --> 00:55:07.960 net. Join now, and remember membership is free. Okay, So a 793 00:55:07.000 --> 00:55:10.239 couple more questions before we get out of here. So what do you enjoy 794 00:55:10.360 --> 00:55:15.360 most about being the chapter president of BIT already here, Like, what are 795 00:55:15.400 --> 00:55:17.599 some of it, like some of the things that you're just like, Man, 796 00:55:19.039 --> 00:55:21.880 this is this is amazing. This is why I do this, you 797 00:55:21.920 --> 00:55:24.760 know, I'll say, you know, just the really the response from our 798 00:55:24.800 --> 00:55:30.199 members and the just the black tech community and Roley Durham as a whole. 799 00:55:30.360 --> 00:55:32.639 Like you know, we put on a lot of events. But you know, 800 00:55:32.719 --> 00:55:36.880 I'm I'm the chapter president. You know, I'm like a somewhat of 801 00:55:36.880 --> 00:55:39.440 a micro influencer in the industry. I'm a top voice. But it's not 802 00:55:39.480 --> 00:55:44.119 really about me. It's really about the members. Like I said, I 803 00:55:44.159 --> 00:55:46.880 grew up here, you know. I you know, I've seen Raleigh Durham 804 00:55:46.960 --> 00:55:52.679 grow and develop into this tech hub and one of the key things, you 805 00:55:52.719 --> 00:55:54.639 know, even you know, being a black professional in general and just being 806 00:55:54.679 --> 00:55:59.599 highly networked here. You know, we give people when we do these events, 807 00:55:59.639 --> 00:56:01.840 we give a people a place to belong, right, That's what they 808 00:56:01.840 --> 00:56:06.000 want. They want a place to belong. They want a place where they 809 00:56:06.039 --> 00:56:08.880 feel safe and not necessarily I'm not talking about, say physically from danger, 810 00:56:08.960 --> 00:56:15.280 but just you know, just safe like I'm home, right, And we 811 00:56:15.440 --> 00:56:17.400 also do a lot of work to make sure when we partner with these companies 812 00:56:17.480 --> 00:56:22.280 that just some sort of talent acquisition pathway. And these are the things our 813 00:56:22.280 --> 00:56:24.000 members want. And when I go to an event, like sometimes I just 814 00:56:24.079 --> 00:56:28.639 kind of sit back and watch and just like, you know, we're doing 815 00:56:28.679 --> 00:56:31.280 a good thing here, you know, And I just love to see the 816 00:56:31.320 --> 00:56:36.960 smile of people's faces. I love to see people making making connections with other 817 00:56:37.000 --> 00:56:40.800 members and other people people that are non members that come and see if friendships 818 00:56:40.840 --> 00:56:45.079 formed at a B I. T Roley Durham event, you know. And 819 00:56:45.199 --> 00:56:49.119 you know it was a we had the Diversity Connect mixer here in Durham not 820 00:56:49.159 --> 00:56:52.719 too long ago, which was very successful, and it was this group of 821 00:56:52.760 --> 00:56:57.239 girls over there talking and they like hanging out now outside of bit stuff, 822 00:56:57.559 --> 00:57:00.119 you know, and they talking about like their careers and you know, I 823 00:57:00.199 --> 00:57:04.239 do this, I do that. Have you experienced that? So it's a 824 00:57:04.679 --> 00:57:07.679 it's just having that place where people can make connections and get real information from 825 00:57:07.679 --> 00:57:10.760 each other, you know, like as leaders, they may not always get 826 00:57:12.000 --> 00:57:14.360 you know, get the information from us. But we have smart, right 827 00:57:14.440 --> 00:57:17.559 intelligent members who know a thing or two as well, so we don't always 828 00:57:17.599 --> 00:57:22.239 have to be as leaders the source. You know, they can be the 829 00:57:22.239 --> 00:57:28.719 source for each other and to be able to curate that and put that those 830 00:57:28.760 --> 00:57:32.000 people in a room where we can find a topic that they care about. 831 00:57:32.440 --> 00:57:37.280 And get trusted people to talk about that create a talent acquisition pathway. But 832 00:57:37.320 --> 00:57:42.119 then at the same time having them have that place of that that that pocket 833 00:57:42.159 --> 00:57:45.440 of affirmation, that's what I love most about it, you know, you 834 00:57:45.480 --> 00:57:46.800 know, that's that's that's what it is for me. It's always for me, 835 00:57:46.840 --> 00:57:50.880 it's always about the members, and it's always about the community I grew 836 00:57:50.960 --> 00:57:53.480 up in. So that's what that's why I look. Yeah, I have 837 00:57:53.559 --> 00:58:00.960 to say bitcoin is always like the pinnacle of the year when it comes to 838 00:58:02.000 --> 00:58:07.960 just happiness and and because you you know, you go to bitcoin and you 839 00:58:07.039 --> 00:58:15.880 see all these different relationships being formed and just friendships being formed, and not 840 00:58:15.920 --> 00:58:22.320 only that, Like you said, man, there's there's something very powerful about 841 00:58:22.679 --> 00:58:27.159 people engaging with one another in a in a way, uh that they're not 842 00:58:27.360 --> 00:58:30.920 able to like maybe in their workspace like there they see another black person in 843 00:58:31.039 --> 00:58:36.159 tech and their ods lot of and it's just like oh wow, Like I 844 00:58:36.159 --> 00:58:39.079 can go and talk to you about tech, but I can also talk to 845 00:58:39.119 --> 00:58:49.079 you about hair problems, right, Like there's there's there's a specific I think 846 00:58:49.280 --> 00:58:52.480 like there's there's this cultural part of that that that like you said, like 847 00:58:52.480 --> 00:58:57.400 that safe space and it doesn't necessarily mean safe from physical harm, but that 848 00:58:57.800 --> 00:59:02.159 just one of my and I think this is kind of like a premier example 849 00:59:02.480 --> 00:59:07.360 Smart Dudies. He's out of Austin, Texas software engineer, one of the 850 00:59:07.400 --> 00:59:14.559 smartest people I've ever run into. And he he was part of BIT, 851 00:59:14.719 --> 00:59:17.599 like way back in the early two thousands, like when I first started BIT, 852 00:59:19.679 --> 00:59:22.360 and I got to know him through BIT and I ended up going to 853 00:59:22.400 --> 00:59:29.039 south By Southwest and Austin one year and actually stayed at his house. And 854 00:59:29.079 --> 00:59:32.800 he said, like, it's not about the tech part, he said, 855 00:59:32.800 --> 00:59:37.800 because I can go to any conference and talk about tech, right Like I 856 00:59:37.800 --> 00:59:40.639 can talk tech with anybody. It's hey, can I talk to you about 857 00:59:40.679 --> 00:59:44.519 tech and then pivot from that and talk to you about Wu Tang? And 858 00:59:44.599 --> 00:59:47.840 I was just like, wow, Yeah, you're right, like those types 859 00:59:47.880 --> 00:59:51.599 of conversations. Not saying that white people don't listen to Wu Tang. That's 860 00:59:51.639 --> 00:59:55.840 not what I'm trying to say. I'm saying that commonality, that cultural piece 861 00:59:55.880 --> 01:00:01.840 that that that that we have. It's huge from a from a you know, 862 01:00:01.920 --> 01:00:06.760 a safe mental space, right, Uh, just being able to talk 863 01:00:06.800 --> 01:00:09.440 about that period like out of the blue, like it might not have anything 864 01:00:09.480 --> 01:00:13.599 to do with anything. Yo. You see you listen to that New So 865 01:00:13.599 --> 01:00:16.039 and so album? Yeah, I did. What do you think about? 866 01:00:16.079 --> 01:00:21.400 Oh man, that's dope. I like this, like those conversations and it's 867 01:00:21.719 --> 01:00:24.159 not necessarily about music, but it could be about other things might not happen 868 01:00:24.159 --> 01:00:28.840 at any of these other, you know, type of conferences. Uh So 869 01:00:29.039 --> 01:00:35.039 that level right there is powerful and I like seeing that because I've seen even 870 01:00:35.360 --> 01:00:39.559 I've seen it at Bitcoon, like you know, we did the step Show, 871 01:00:40.079 --> 01:00:44.719 but even outside of that, they were like there was like this segment 872 01:00:44.880 --> 01:00:51.000 that that's it's captured on video where uh these people are dancing to Beyonce, 873 01:00:51.440 --> 01:00:53.719 right, Like, Okay, what are you gonna see that? Where when 874 01:00:53.719 --> 01:00:58.400 are you going to go to another tech conference and see a group of young 875 01:00:58.440 --> 01:01:04.880 men and women all there excited about tech, excited about being but in dancing 876 01:01:05.000 --> 01:01:10.840 to Beyonce like loving like that that that camaraderie, that fellowship that you feel 877 01:01:10.920 --> 01:01:15.440 right there, Like that's that's what I love to see. Yeah, that's 878 01:01:15.440 --> 01:01:17.199 what I was saying, And I'll be if I could say one more thing, 879 01:01:17.239 --> 01:01:20.559 I'd be remiss as like if I don't say this as well, we 880 01:01:21.239 --> 01:01:27.599 like our chapter We we helped black owned businesses in the area too. Because 881 01:01:27.639 --> 01:01:30.719 we have such a huge member base, I think we're over like I think 882 01:01:30.800 --> 01:01:34.400 last time I checked, we were like seven hundred and thirty one. I 883 01:01:34.440 --> 01:01:37.519 know there's like chapters that are larger, but that's that's pretty sizable for Raleigh 884 01:01:37.559 --> 01:01:42.920 Durham. Yeah, And so we use our platform to make sure that we 885 01:01:42.960 --> 01:01:46.039 support black owned businesses, right, like even like the ice cream social for 886 01:01:46.119 --> 01:01:52.639 the culture, Like you know, she's always supported our chapter and then when 887 01:01:52.639 --> 01:01:57.159 she was going through trouble she called upon us. And sometimes when you know 888 01:01:57.480 --> 01:02:01.400 that there's something's going wrong in Roley Durham, sometimes God will send a chapter 889 01:02:01.559 --> 01:02:06.000 like RDU to come help solve a problem, you know. And that's what 890 01:02:06.000 --> 01:02:08.519 that's what we do a lot of. Like even though we have a photographer 891 01:02:08.559 --> 01:02:14.760 that we use as a friend of mine, he's an entrepreneur and he's done 892 01:02:14.800 --> 01:02:20.039 photography for about three or four of our events and from our events, he's 893 01:02:20.079 --> 01:02:23.079 gotten so much business. He the first time, the first time he did 894 01:02:23.320 --> 01:02:29.920 did something for us was the melanim mixer. I wanted him for the SaaS 895 01:02:29.960 --> 01:02:34.079 event but he wasn't available. But if we ever run it back with sas 896 01:02:34.079 --> 01:02:37.159 again. I like, yo, you got to use my guy Rio So 897 01:02:37.320 --> 01:02:42.280 did the melanim mixer. Man, he was washing my car here because he 898 01:02:42.320 --> 01:02:44.679 has a car detailing service. He was like, dude, I don't know 899 01:02:44.719 --> 01:02:45.679 what you do, man, but I see you all the time, Like 900 01:02:45.760 --> 01:02:47.079 what do you do? It's like, yeah, I do this. I 901 01:02:47.079 --> 01:02:50.079 He's like, hey, man, I do photography. I saw y'all be 902 01:02:50.079 --> 01:02:52.400 having events. He's like, man, y'all ain't got to pay me. 903 01:02:52.440 --> 01:02:55.159 I'll come do it for free. I was like, you sure, because 904 01:02:55.199 --> 01:02:58.480 we want to support you. He's like, no, brother, let me 905 01:02:58.559 --> 01:03:00.159 just come show you what I can do. He came to the melan and 906 01:03:00.199 --> 01:03:02.639 mixing. Man, those photos that you see, man, that was all. 907 01:03:02.679 --> 01:03:07.800 That was all him. And from that event he's been booked and busy 908 01:03:07.880 --> 01:03:13.440 ever since October. That's nice. Ever since members use his services, other 909 01:03:13.559 --> 01:03:16.639 companies using services. The company that was hosting it, Ovalert, they called 910 01:03:16.679 --> 01:03:20.599 him for an event, a corporate event. He's been booked in busy ever 911 01:03:20.679 --> 01:03:23.599 since. So's and the last two events we made sure he got paid. 912 01:03:23.840 --> 01:03:27.719 He just all the photos from the Diversity Tech Connect mixing. That was all 913 01:03:27.760 --> 01:03:30.239 his photos, the video recap and every time I talk to him, Man, 914 01:03:30.280 --> 01:03:31.960 I'm booked me. I'm booked for the next three weeks. Man, 915 01:03:31.960 --> 01:03:35.159 If y'all got another event, they gotta let me know. And all the 916 01:03:35.199 --> 01:03:42.159 black owned businesses like they've gotten new business because of us highlighting them and people 917 01:03:42.199 --> 01:03:44.719 coming to our events. Oh, I've never been to bert because so oh 918 01:03:44.760 --> 01:03:46.960 wow, I'm gonna bring me, me and my girlfriend gonna come back here 919 01:03:47.000 --> 01:03:51.719 next week. So that's I wanted to make that a point as well, 920 01:03:51.760 --> 01:03:54.679 because that's another thing that I love to see, and I think that's another 921 01:03:54.719 --> 01:03:59.239 thing that we all on our leadership team love to see. You know, 922 01:04:00.039 --> 01:04:03.159 we support we support the black owned businesses here in the Rollydrum area. Every 923 01:04:03.199 --> 01:04:06.800 event for us is not gonna be a tech event. Sometimes it's just gonna 924 01:04:06.800 --> 01:04:12.199 be a community event. Sometimes it's just gonna be a gathering of like minds. 925 01:04:12.679 --> 01:04:15.039 That's that's what it's gonna be. And I think that's what people love 926 01:04:15.079 --> 01:04:17.440 about us, is that I don't have to be intech to come to an 927 01:04:17.480 --> 01:04:21.639 event. We tell Nesby hey Nesby is like our cousins. We tell them 928 01:04:21.639 --> 01:04:27.039 to pull up, come through, come through National Black NBA, Latina's in 929 01:04:27.079 --> 01:04:29.960 Tech North Carolina. They are new friends. We tell people to come. 930 01:04:30.000 --> 01:04:31.679 We want to be a beacon in the community, you know, and then 931 01:04:31.800 --> 01:04:35.360 somebody who's not in tech an event they come to may inspire them to get 932 01:04:35.400 --> 01:04:38.760 intech, and there you go, you got a new member, you know. 933 01:04:39.000 --> 01:04:42.039 So that's what we do. Not to be too long winded, but 934 01:04:42.039 --> 01:04:45.639 I had to say that, no, no, no, I love it. 935 01:04:45.679 --> 01:04:47.920 I love it, man, and I love you. Touching on having 936 01:04:48.000 --> 01:04:53.679 other organizations be a part of the festivities of the events as well, that's 937 01:04:53.719 --> 01:05:00.400 one thing that I wish there was more of in general. I think they're 938 01:05:01.719 --> 01:05:05.639 I think it's getting better, but I would like to see it get much 939 01:05:05.639 --> 01:05:10.800 better. And I say that because with this, like the Cincinnati chapter, 940 01:05:10.920 --> 01:05:15.760 we we we just co hosted an event with with the road Pitch, a 941 01:05:15.880 --> 01:05:18.960 young lady who's actually here. She's been going to different various different cities and 942 01:05:19.599 --> 01:05:26.840 having like this traveling like uh pitch competition. One of the things that you 943 01:05:26.840 --> 01:05:29.679 know, I kind of spoke a little bit, but one of the things 944 01:05:29.679 --> 01:05:31.880 that you know, I said was like, this is this is something that 945 01:05:31.880 --> 01:05:34.920 we need to do more of, like this level of support for one another 946 01:05:35.519 --> 01:05:40.440 because this DEI, this attack on de I is real. I just read 947 01:05:40.960 --> 01:05:46.719 a a an article today that talked about how they were about to try to 948 01:05:46.840 --> 01:05:55.280 use like civil rights era laws, uh to go against what they consider anti 949 01:05:55.400 --> 01:06:00.119 white racism, right, and I was just like, it's it's it's it's 950 01:06:00.199 --> 01:06:03.840 at a point that I haven't seen it before. And I don't know if 951 01:06:03.840 --> 01:06:08.760 it's because it's like social media and all that stuff being but it's still like 952 01:06:08.840 --> 01:06:14.239 at a fever pitch right now that this attack. Like over the past couple 953 01:06:14.280 --> 01:06:18.119 of years, they've they've taken words like woke and made them into something negative. 954 01:06:18.360 --> 01:06:24.239 They made DEI into something negative, anti black racist, like they made 955 01:06:24.320 --> 01:06:28.559 that into negatiwit anti, like all this stuff like to attack. So I 956 01:06:28.559 --> 01:06:34.599 think it's important for for for organizations like ours to support one another, you 957 01:06:34.639 --> 01:06:39.159 know, the nasbys, the b d p as, the efforts like I 958 01:06:39.199 --> 01:06:45.079 really do. And it's been hard over the over the years to do that, 959 01:06:45.519 --> 01:06:47.800 but I would like to definitely see more of it. So it's good 960 01:06:47.800 --> 01:06:53.000 to hear that already US is doing that and and and kind of and making 961 01:06:53.000 --> 01:06:57.599 sure that you all maintain those, uh, those type relationships with those organizations. 962 01:06:58.920 --> 01:07:01.639 Before we get out of here, let's let's talk about like what's next. 963 01:07:01.679 --> 01:07:06.440 For you, and let's talk about what's next for RDU, Like what 964 01:07:06.519 --> 01:07:11.280 are some of the things you all are putting together for the spring and the 965 01:07:11.320 --> 01:07:15.199 summer that you that you feel people should know about. Yeah, for sure. 966 01:07:15.760 --> 01:07:17.280 You know, for me, I'll spend a short amount of time on 967 01:07:17.320 --> 01:07:19.719 me when I'll spend most of my time on the chapter. You know, 968 01:07:19.760 --> 01:07:24.280 we just mentioned the book, so I'm I'm writing that I got a deadline 969 01:07:24.320 --> 01:07:28.400 coming up. So you know, that's very exciting being the first time author 970 01:07:28.440 --> 01:07:31.559 getting ready to you know, just experiencing all the things that you didn't know 971 01:07:31.559 --> 01:07:36.559 when to authoring the book. So that's next to me speaking at Dreaming and 972 01:07:36.639 --> 01:07:42.880 Color in uh in New Orleans in June. And I think we're actually in 973 01:07:42.920 --> 01:07:46.440 the process of myself and also some other big leaders forming a partnership with them 974 01:07:46.480 --> 01:07:50.679 as well, you know, for for for our entire national member base, 975 01:07:51.679 --> 01:07:55.159 and you know, just you know, continue to forge a way at my 976 01:07:55.280 --> 01:07:58.480 you know, my talent acquisition career, continue to grow. But for the 977 01:07:58.599 --> 01:08:01.000 chapter, you know, we got a lot of exciting things coming up. 978 01:08:01.039 --> 01:08:04.719 MetLife is expressed, you know, a minse amount of interest in being a 979 01:08:04.800 --> 01:08:08.599 chapter sponsor, and I think I talked to one of my vps today, 980 01:08:09.119 --> 01:08:12.280 Uh, Tanisha, I think she said that they confirmed. So she's been 981 01:08:12.360 --> 01:08:16.960 really vital in spearheading and cultivating that relationship with MetLife here locally. They got 982 01:08:16.960 --> 01:08:21.279 a big campus just like probably twenty minutes for me. They've expressed interest in 983 01:08:21.359 --> 01:08:26.880 doing three events with us, so I'm really excited about that. That's what's 984 01:08:26.880 --> 01:08:30.000 coming up for us. I know we we have with our calendar, our 985 01:08:30.039 --> 01:08:33.720 program of calendar is pretty much already booked up. We know we're gonna do 986 01:08:33.720 --> 01:08:39.359 an event with Cisco, Like I said, three with MetLife. I think 987 01:08:39.359 --> 01:08:43.159 we got an event with UBS also known as Credit Sweet coming up, you 988 01:08:43.159 --> 01:08:46.520 know, starting to plan with that. I know Lashanda she just forged a 989 01:08:46.520 --> 01:08:49.600 relationship with Durham Tech Community College, so we got some things coming up with 990 01:08:49.680 --> 01:08:57.000 that. Just a litany of things, you know, you know, just 991 01:08:57.119 --> 01:09:00.359 it's just so much going on, but those are the key things. The 992 01:09:00.399 --> 01:09:05.119 met Life chapter sponsorship is going to be huge for us. You know Lenovo 993 01:09:05.359 --> 01:09:08.760 there, they're gonna do some stuff with us as well. You know, 994 01:09:08.840 --> 01:09:13.720 Durham Tech. You know what Lashonda was able to forge for us, Cisco. 995 01:09:13.800 --> 01:09:16.119 I think we're going to do something later on yeah, got a lot, 996 01:09:16.119 --> 01:09:19.439 and I'm probably forgetting something because we're doing a lot of incredible things. 997 01:09:19.479 --> 01:09:23.720 But you know, but yeah, that's that's really what's it for the chapter. 998 01:09:23.760 --> 01:09:27.920 I'm really proud of the chapter. I'm really proud of this, this 999 01:09:28.079 --> 01:09:30.119 kind of community and nucleus that we that we forged. And thank you for 1000 01:09:30.159 --> 01:09:33.000 your vision and starting all of this. None of that, none of this, 1001 01:09:34.039 --> 01:09:36.720 none of this, none of this happens if you don't have that vision 1002 01:09:36.760 --> 01:09:41.279 and that passion to start all of this. So appreciate you. I appreciate 1003 01:09:41.359 --> 01:09:45.520 that. Yeah, yeah, it's it's funny, man. I've always done 1004 01:09:45.600 --> 01:09:48.279 audio podcasts, I've done like some video here and there. One of the 1005 01:09:48.319 --> 01:09:51.880 things that one of the reasons and this is not me, like I don't 1006 01:09:51.880 --> 01:09:56.199 I don't have an ego, Like I feel like I'm the same old Greg 1007 01:09:56.239 --> 01:09:59.399 I was from you know, before I started bit. I know that, 1008 01:09:59.640 --> 01:10:02.159 you know, it's it's it's different now, you know. Wait. But 1009 01:10:02.319 --> 01:10:08.000 at the same time, like I don't want people to uh, there's I 1010 01:10:08.119 --> 01:10:11.319 just I feel like I'm a I'm like a servant leader. Like I don't 1011 01:10:11.359 --> 01:10:14.720 I don't need the accolades, I don't need the you know, the spotlight 1012 01:10:14.760 --> 01:10:18.720 and everything like that. But someone was telling me that they felt like it's 1013 01:10:18.720 --> 01:10:23.319 important that you show your face, right, It's important that people see you. 1014 01:10:24.720 --> 01:10:28.359 Because I go to like bitcoin, like and this happens every year. 1015 01:10:28.560 --> 01:10:30.800 I'm walking around, people don't have an idea of who I am, right, 1016 01:10:30.840 --> 01:10:34.079 and I just which is cool because I like being able to just sit 1017 01:10:34.159 --> 01:10:38.520 down with people and get like they're true out there. Not saying that people 1018 01:10:38.560 --> 01:10:41.319 are fake around me, I'm not saying, but I'm saying like people might 1019 01:10:41.439 --> 01:10:44.760 change. They might change up depending on you know, who you are or 1020 01:10:44.840 --> 01:10:46.680 whatever. So I'll go and I'll talk to people and they'll be like, 1021 01:10:46.760 --> 01:10:50.119 yeah, so you know what brings you to bitcoin. I'm like, yeah, 1022 01:10:50.119 --> 01:10:54.000 I'm the founder, Oh yeah, the founder of what like a bit 1023 01:10:54.279 --> 01:10:58.760 And they're just like really, yeah I am. And they're just like I 1024 01:10:58.760 --> 01:11:00.800 would you know, I've had to the number of people I would have had 1025 01:11:00.840 --> 01:11:04.239 no idea, Like you're just walking around here like you you're just a regular 1026 01:11:04.279 --> 01:11:09.159 person, Like I am a regular person, Like that's how That's how I 1027 01:11:09.199 --> 01:11:14.359 am. But you know, doing the video podcast is more so for you 1028 01:11:14.399 --> 01:11:18.359 know, like I just I would like for people to recognize me a little 1029 01:11:18.399 --> 01:11:23.000 bit more. Uh, and just to put a face to the name, 1030 01:11:23.239 --> 01:11:26.439 so to speak. Right, It's not you know, I don't I don't 1031 01:11:26.520 --> 01:11:29.880 need you know, news cameras around me and hey, you've done this, 1032 01:11:29.960 --> 01:11:34.039 you've done that, Like that's really not me. But I like the visual 1033 01:11:34.119 --> 01:11:40.720 aspect of what of this and not just the voices, so that other people 1034 01:11:41.239 --> 01:11:45.640 in our community can see this conversation, see two black men talking, you 1035 01:11:45.680 --> 01:11:48.760 know, and as I'm interviewing more and more chapter leaders see a black man 1036 01:11:48.840 --> 01:11:55.079 or a black woman talking about the tech industry, about community, about all 1037 01:11:55.119 --> 01:11:59.920 those things and and and can see themselves in us. And I think that 1038 01:12:00.000 --> 01:12:03.119 that's important. So yeah, I definitely agree, Like, especially in our 1039 01:12:03.239 --> 01:12:10.760 in our community and our culture, images matter, but most importantly positive images 1040 01:12:10.840 --> 01:12:14.159 matter. And a lot of our young brothers and sisters coming up, they 1041 01:12:14.520 --> 01:12:19.000 they need to see positive black men, positive black women, and not only 1042 01:12:19.039 --> 01:12:21.880 like you said, not only hear their voice, but see them. So 1043 01:12:23.520 --> 01:12:28.319 yes, they can see us in themselves and vice versa, right, because 1044 01:12:28.319 --> 01:12:30.960 I think, yeah, I one hundred percent think like the imagery is one 1045 01:12:30.000 --> 01:12:33.520 hundred percent important, So I love it. Yeah, well, Bobby, 1046 01:12:33.560 --> 01:12:38.279 this was fun. Man. I'm really excited that you were the first person 1047 01:12:39.239 --> 01:12:42.119 that I interviewed coming back to the podcast, because, like I said, 1048 01:12:42.119 --> 01:12:45.760 it's been man, that might it's been months since I did a podcast. 1049 01:12:46.079 --> 01:12:50.000 Uh and it's been like the first video bit Tech Talk podcast. You know. 1050 01:12:50.039 --> 01:12:55.199 I'm glad you were the first person I interviewed, really excited about what 1051 01:12:55.479 --> 01:12:59.159 already you was doing, really excited about you being the leader there. Hope 1052 01:12:59.159 --> 01:13:00.239 to see you a bitcom Are you Are you coming to Big hone? Oh 1053 01:13:00.319 --> 01:13:03.560 yeah yeah, we definitely gonna be a big con. Yeah yeah, we 1054 01:13:03.960 --> 01:13:08.760 yeah, yeah, we definitely gonna we definitely gonna pull up. It's gonna 1055 01:13:08.760 --> 01:13:12.520 be this year. We definitely come. Yeah yeah, yeah, that's gonna 1056 01:13:12.520 --> 01:13:15.399 be exciting. Man. So so yeah, Man, I appreciate you. 1057 01:13:15.439 --> 01:13:20.000 Appreciate everything that you all are doing, all the you know, AREDU leadership. 1058 01:13:20.479 --> 01:13:24.079 Uh and let me know about that book when it comes out, hit 1059 01:13:24.119 --> 01:13:28.079 me up. I'm gonna put it everywhere. I'm gonna promote it, you 1060 01:13:28.119 --> 01:13:31.319 know. Uh So just let me know. Man. Yeah, appreciate you, 1061 01:13:31.359 --> 01:13:34.840 Greg, Thank you, Thank you man. Definitely appreciate having you take 1062 01:13:34.880 --> 01:13:42.520 care of all right. Thank you everyone for checking out this episode of the 1063 01:13:42.560 --> 01:13:45.600 Big Tech Talk podcast. If you like and saw what you heard. Smash 1064 01:13:45.640 --> 01:13:49.319 that like button and subscribe to our channel and stay in tuned with us for 1065 01:13:49.399 --> 01:14:00.279 our next episode. Until then, keep stopping the divide. Yeah,