Hey, everyone! Happy Sunday! I almost completely forgot about doing this for the past week, but I didn’t! 😜 With only working two days in the office last week, being remote on my usual Wednesday, and attending a conference virtually on Thursday and Friday, it was quite easy to lose track of what day it was. I can pretty confidently say that I’m not the only one who has experienced this before. In my experience, this seems to be especially true the older I become. Days seem to just blend together, especially when they are filled with doing something you enjoy, or even when you are taking time for yourself. I digress.
This past Thursday and Friday was the SANS security awareness summit, of which I am no stranger to. If memory serves, it was the very first conference I attended, virtually. It was also during the height of the pandemic, when conferences and such weren’t really happening in person. I fell in love with it — learning from so many experts in the field, but also giving me the ability to meet and connect with others via Slack. This whole new world opened up to me. From that point on, I tried to find and attend as many conferences as I could. In 2023, I was able to make my dream come true of attending that SANS summit in person in Las Vegas. That experience was like NO other, and likely one that I’ll never forget. Having a chance to meet (in person!) these people that I had built connections with online — not to mention connecting with the industry’s foremost experts — was incredible. At the end of the conference, SANS announced that the summit next year was returning to Las Vegas, and I am RESOLVED to find a way to make it back there next year.
I almost forgot: I am sad to report that I will not be able to do my customary Project Runway recap posts like I had done in the past. I place the blame squarely on the producers of this season in particular. In their “infinite” wisdom, they had decided not to show who was eliminated each week until the next new episode. That basically makes it impossible to recap what happened, when the show doesn’t show you EVERYTHING that happened until the next episode. This change both saddens and angers me, so sadly I will be sitting out this season, and possibly may watch it when it finishes airing and all episodes are available to stream. I truly hope that this isn’t the format they plan to stick with for future seasons. Also, from the couple of episodes I did watch, it seems that the show is also trying to promote and create as much drama between the designers as possible — and even to try and promote drama between the judges and designers. Not a fan of that one bit.
This Got Me Thinking
On the subject of conferences, summits, etc., I’ve been thinking about how much it means when conferences make room for both in-person and virtual attendance. Being there physically has its own rhythm — the hum of the crowd, those chance hallway chats, even the feel of walking into a session alongside everyone else. But sometimes, showing up in person just isn’t possible. For me, there have been times where cost, logistics, or simply energy levels made it hard to be there.
Having the option to attend virtually kept me connected. It wasn’t the same as sharing a meal or having drinks with someone new, but I still walked away with insights, new names, and ideas worth carrying forward.
That matters.
When events open their doors to both kinds of participation, they’re saying: you don’t need to be in the room to be part of the community.
The spark is still there — it just glows a little differently through a screen. Maybe that’s the reminder: inclusion isn’t about one format being better than the other. It’s about making space so more of us can belong. Sadly, it seems that virtual offerings are starting to become rarer and rarer. I feel that it should remain a staple, especially for the bigger venues that can afford the costs associated.
Finally, here’s a look back at the two outfits I wore to work last week. I hope you enjoy them. I’m back to my regular work schedule this week, so I’ll actually have my usual FOUR outfits. 😁
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and have a great week!
-Terry
August 11
August 12
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