Happy New Year to all my fellow blog readers! Welcome to my 2023 Year in Review! You may have noticed a few things changed around on the site. It was time to consolidate, and instead of managing several different technologies and having each site have its personality with no cohesiveness, I now have the entire site run off one main technology. For those who are curious about what technology I used on the site before the change, aside from using WordPress for the blog. I used Hugo for my resume site and static HTML/CSS for my main page.
Now, on to the roller coaster that was 2023, starting with…
Life
In July of 2023, I lost my dad to cancer. He has been battling cancer on and off since mid-1995. It started in his esophagus and found its way throughout his entire body when he did pass. He was not sick for all of those years, but as he found out he had a new form of cancer and had it “taken care of,” we thought he was in the clear. Unfortunately for us, there was only so much he could take, and he ultimately passed from liver, lung, and stomach cancer.
My father and I were not as close as I would have liked us to be, but I tried to make it work for our dynamic. I am glad I got to see him one last time with my oldest, Grayson. I took Grayson on a day trip to NYC because now that he is older, I wanted him to see where I grew up, taste some of the food I loved, and spend time with Dad. Yes, I now know that a day trip to NYC from St. Augustine with a 12-year-old is a long day for the both of us, and I would probably do it differently this time. It was the best of both worlds; I got to show my oldest where I grew up while spending time with Dad.
I am glad I got to spend that day with Dad. He was still there and understood what was happening, but you could tell he was getting tired quickly. Shortly after this trip, his health slid downhill. When I returned to pay my respects, my brother and I honored him the best way we knew; we went to all his favorite places to eat, and boy, did we eat enough for the three of us.
The Food
Health and Exercise
I hit a few exercise goals that I had set out for myself. I have a Peloton that was collecting dust. At the beginning of 2023, I said I at least wanted to try to ride it for two months straight, and in January and February, I hit that goal. One goal I am the proudest of, and if you have a Peloton, you know how difficult this is. Being able to sustain an 80 resistance while going with a cadence of high 50s to low 60s.
Also, I decided to participate in every monthly Peloton challenge. This was the outcome.
The biggest improvement, though was the frequency with which I was on the bike,
| Year | Rides |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 31 |
| 2022 | 1 (Embarrassing I know) |
| 2023 | 256 |
If you want to connect on the Peloton, my handle is Mr_ThePlague
Professional
Never in a million years would I be where I am to close out 2023 at the start of the year. But first, let’s recap the end of 20224
2022 Leftovers
I started the year in my job that I had since 2021, a Technology Consulting Manager at Ernst and Young. I was well respected among my peers and clients, but something needed to be added. Over six months, yes, you read that right. This all happened in 2022. I was jerked around to the point where I had five interviews and was ghosted two times. This is the first time interviewing for extra-large organizations being treated this way.
I emailed the recruiter weekly. When he felt like replying, he would say, “Oh, we should have something for you by Monday, or Tuesday at the latest.” That vicious circle kept repeating. Finally, I told him I was withdrawing myself from the position. He apologized and said, “If you see anything on our site, just email me directly.” Thanks, but that is a big no from me, dawg. But as they say, things happen for a reason…
Starting 2023, looking “Forward”
In January of 2023, I was doing research for an engagement I was on and ran across Forward Networks. I remembered a buddy of mine telling me about them, and I looked at their job site. Found something I could do and applied. I got a call from the recruiter, and after we talked, he let me know that the job I applied for I was overqualified. No biggie. Surprisingly, he gave me a choice: I could go on the sales track or step out of my IT box and go for a Technical Product Marketing role. I opted for the Marketing role. On March 20th, 2023, I started with Forward Networks as their Technical Product Marketing Manager.
Aside from all the cool things I accomplished, the most incredible thing I did was present at Security Field Day. I have always wanted to be a delegate for Networking Field Day. To have had this opportunity to be a presenter topped off my 2023! If you want to watch our presentation, click “The Game Changer: Network Digital Twin for Network Security.”
All in all, this has been the best career move I could have made. I am looking “forward” to my future with Forward Networks.
Florida Network Users Group
In 2021, I started the Florida Network Users Group (FLNUG) with one of my old customers at Versa. Due to some logistical issues with my job, I had to step away. Thankfully, Forward fully supports me in doing this, and I am back in the swing of things. We are currently planning our Winter meetup! Stay tuned for posts on this!
The Blog
This is the part of the story where I say, “I will be more conscious in posting” or “Look out for all this great content I am going to try to put out on {{Insert Technology Here}}.” With the complete overhaul I have given the site, I will approach it differently and post more here on interesting things. This could be technology-related, talking about my change from technology to marketing, helping out someone looking to get into technology, related to any conferences I go to, or anything off the wall that I do at work that I can share with everyone here :).
If you want to see how I ended up where I am, I was on a podcast called “Breaking into Cybersecurity.” You can read about the experience here, and listen to it on your preferred method
Wrapping Up
Overall, 2023 was terrific despite losing my dad. It made me grow more as a person, both professionally and personally. What did you accomplish or wish you could have done differently in 2023? What are you looking forward to getting done in 2024? Let me know below or on my socials!