People Powered

My entire life, my dad has owned a small business as a custom home builder. I am so proud of his reputation as a trustworthy and honest builder, that I tell everyone who is even considering building a home that they need to talk to my dad. I’ve learned that people who are looking to build a home are primarily searching for two things: someone they can enjoy working with, and someone they can trust. I never expected that this would be a life lesson that I would one day apply to my career in the technology industry. 

We live in a world where trust is more critical than ever before. With a wealth of information readily at our fingertips, we may be the most informed we have ever been, but that raises a thousand more questions. What should we believe? What should we trust? What’s the best decision for me personally? So many options, so many opinions, so many potential ways to go right or go wrong. In my experience, it boils down to who you can trust. Simply put, it boils down to: people. 

As humans, we have an innate desire to be connected to other humans. It’s one of our most basic needs and instincts to survive and thrive. This is an extremely agreed upon point in the world of biology, psychology, sociology, and so on. We connect with people every single day in a variety of ways. Specifically, we have a tendency to want to connect with like-minded people who share our same values, or passions, or interests. Personally, I see this play out daily amongst members in my technology community at Experts Exchange. 

Our members are the most generous, kind, and humbly intelligent people that I have ever known. They have taught me more about business, technology, community, and the value of relationships than I can adequately express in words. 

On a daily basis, I watch our members connect and collaborate specifically around technology. They tackle challenges for one another. They teach and mentor each other. They genuinely want to see each other succeed. It’s one of the most inspiring experiences to be a part of and to witness. These connections between members start because they may be looking for support, solutions to problems they are facing at work, advice, research, learning material, and so on. However, when people connect with each other over a shared experience that provides them immense value or utility, it’s human nature to revisit that experience over and over again. At EE, this is how relationships and a deep sense of community are formed. 

Those very same members who I trust to mentor me in technology and business have become my friends who teach and inspire me in life outside of work. Rob Jurd, my Australian colleague and friend, has taught me practical lessons about data and business intelligence. But more importantly, Rob has taught me what it means to truly value people and community. And I am now more knowledgeable about Australian culture than I ever thought I would be as an American. 

Andy Hancock has been an incredible example of a technology leader and a successful business owner. But my favorite conversations with Andy these days are learning about his beekeeping skills and how to grow tomatoes and peppers in the UK climate. He is one of the most accomplished individuals I know, and his work ethic along with his love for people have had a lasting impact on me. 

Humble intelligence. Continuous excellence. Collaborative challenge. These are the core values that members of the EE community embody, and they are the foundation on which I have grown professionally and made lifelong friends.