Say "Yes!" to bbcon
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This blog was submitted by our Community blogger, Austen Brown!
My bbcon whirlwind started out with Blackbaud University Day classes covering a wide range of topics related to my position as Database Manager.
Over the course of the conference, I expanded beyond my initial chosen areas of learning by seeking out opportunities to increase my knowledge; speaking to peers who worked in different non-profit fields and attending sessions that had nothing to do with my current organization or the software systems we use.
Each class/session/conversation afforded a new spark, a new “ah-ha!” moment, a new realization. Breaks and lunches were gradually forgotten, spent talking and listening, learning new things, experiencing moments where a simple idea manifested in an action item to bring back to my organization.
In the end, I gained something more than knowledge; I gained empowerment. In the words of Bill Connors, “empowered to join the conversation, to be a part the decision process, to be a data leader not just a data manager…” bbcon is about meeting people doing exceptional things to change the world for the better and being inspired by it all.
My career will be forever impacted by the wisdom gained, contacts made, and action items realized. My organization will be impacted by the knowledge I acquired at bbcon. When possible, I will be attending bbcon again (hopefully next year).
My bbcon whirlwind started out with Blackbaud University Day classes covering a wide range of topics related to my position as Database Manager.
Over the course of the conference, I expanded beyond my initial chosen areas of learning by seeking out opportunities to increase my knowledge; speaking to peers who worked in different non-profit fields and attending sessions that had nothing to do with my current organization or the software systems we use.
Each class/session/conversation afforded a new spark, a new “ah-ha!” moment, a new realization. Breaks and lunches were gradually forgotten, spent talking and listening, learning new things, experiencing moments where a simple idea manifested in an action item to bring back to my organization.
In the end, I gained something more than knowledge; I gained empowerment. In the words of Bill Connors, “empowered to join the conversation, to be a part the decision process, to be a data leader not just a data manager…” bbcon is about meeting people doing exceptional things to change the world for the better and being inspired by it all.
My career will be forever impacted by the wisdom gained, contacts made, and action items realized. My organization will be impacted by the knowledge I acquired at bbcon. When possible, I will be attending bbcon again (hopefully next year).
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10/17/2018 1:52pm EDT
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