Why in-person events matter: insights from the community

When 2020 happened, a lot of things came to a standstill. Working at the office, going to a bar or a movie, and attending in-person events. Before we knew it, everything went online. Work from home became the standard, services like Netflix and movies at home boomed, and data events were available through Teams or … Continue reading Why in-person events matter: insights from the community

Speaking experiences at Data Céilí

This month marked a new experience for me, as I spoke at the Data Céilí event in Dublin. I had never been in Dublin before, nor in Ireland. As the weather turned warm and sunny in the Netherlands, I looked forward to lush green hills, glorious views, and amazing people. Rain Well, that idea quickly … Continue reading Speaking experiences at Data Céilí

T-SQL Tuesday #184: Mentoring

This months invitation is from Deborah Melkin, she invites us to write about mentoring experiences and being a mentor. How it all started My first real mentoring experience was when I signed up for New stars of Data. If you don't know this conference, you should. It's aimed at new speakers who haven't gone beyond … Continue reading T-SQL Tuesday #184: Mentoring

Blogging and Community: A Journey of Self-Improvement and Learning

For a change, this won't be a technical blog but more of personal one. I'll write about my experiences writing blogs, presenting sessions and the effect it has had on my career. How it all started When I started in my current job in September 2011, I had no idea about anything community, SQL Saturdays … Continue reading Blogging and Community: A Journey of Self-Improvement and Learning

T-SQL Tuesday 170 write up: learning from abandoned projects

When I thought of this subject last year, I was really on the fence if it would work or not. Part of me was convinced it would elicit some response from the community, part of me was convinced people would be looking for a 'happy' start of the year and might not want to think … Continue reading T-SQL Tuesday 170 write up: learning from abandoned projects

2023 in review, 2024 in preview

It's the end of the year and we've all been bombarded with lists. From november on, things like Spotify wrapped started appearing (even though the year hadn't ended yet). It feels like the last month doesn't count anymore, even though there's a lot that can be done in december. That's why I'm waiting until the … Continue reading 2023 in review, 2024 in preview