 Hey everybody, this is Christian Buckley doing another MVP buzz chat interview and I'm talking today with Deepi. Hello. Hi, Christian, how are you? So folks that don't know you, who are you, where are you and what do you do? Who am I? My name is Deepi Goguri. I'm a database administrator. I live in Frankfurt, Kentucky. I have been a database administrator since about like seven years. So all my life, I did my master's in computer technology here in the United States at Eastern Illinois University. And after that, I decided I fell in love with SQL servers and how to manage SQL servers. And that's how I, I plan to become a DDA. And then I am finally a database administrator and I fell in love with the community work that everybody is doing. And I started speaking two years ago and then here I am in a two years of span. I became a Microsoft data platform MVP and it's really a big honor. It's great. And I have to point out that you said one of the like the nerdiest things that you can possibly say, I fell in love with SQL server. No, it's, you know, it's actually a different conversation for a different time. But, you know, so I complained years ago is like, like, we're in the Microsoft ecosystem of all the DBAs. Like I worked in data warehousing for years and years and years and was surrounded by, you know, in support teams and analysts and, you know, DBAs everywhere. People that own the data, you appeared into the data, sliced and diced it for the org that organizations are internal customers around that. I joined get into the Microsoft ecosystem in the SharePoint world. And suddenly I'd like there's nobody that has the DBA titles like where did all these people go. But it's what's great. So let's talk about I know one of the questions I always like to ask is like what was your path to becoming an MVP. Like what was it something that you even knew about the program and that you pursued or did it kind of surprise you somebody submitted what was that journey like. Oh, if I share my story it's like, nobody will expect like, oh, I didn't even know like there are like data platform and the piece out there. At least like, so, so I have been a DBA for seven years right so until until I completely like couple of years being a DBA I realized that there is this platform like as professional association of SQL server that there is something going to pass from it. And once I came to know like what is this path from it and what what what goes on with it. And I came to know like there are several speakers out there and what are they speaking on. So like I said I fell in love with SQL server I saw so many topics that they are talking about the SQL server, the latest features that got introduced. So, that's how I need I came to know that there will be speakers in SQL server and then I started listening and then that's when I came to know that there are user groups associated with the path as association. So, I started checking those, and I register for a couple of user groups and then I came to know that every month, we have couple of meetings related to specific, specific topics, like for example the DBA or power BI. So, I registered for my interested user group like DBA, there is like database administration user group at that time. Now, it has been grown up to like, there are like several groups more than 100 user groups across the world. And every like most of them became virtual, which is a advantage for the people who are, we can join any way. And there really are there and there are events for people that don't know this too like I was very active for many years within the SharePoint Saturday, you know ecosystem around that we took the model from SQL Saturdays. And so there are these and that those that was a huge thing and they're so sometimes those events joined together but they're really are if you if you're struggling to find like a local user group that is like a DBA specific user group. I mean, there are groups all over the world and virtual groups as well as in person around this same aligned with this same skill set. Absolutely. So, so I was like very fascinated looking at the because talking about the technology very passionately. And I used to attend those, but I never in my life, I thought that I will be in the same states like them, speaking about SQL server. It was not in my mind. It was a dream to even talk to you and say hi to an MVP. It's a dream. It's a dream come true. That's that was my creation like two years ago. And then something, something happened like I went to dark times in my life where I like my previous company I faced. I faced like, how can I say I faced a little bit of harassment kind of thing in the previous company. So, it has happened for a couple of years. I went to dark times of my life. I lost all my self confidence. I, I thought like why I am even here, because they say like technology is not for women, you know, when you are trying to share a story and you are trying to say like, this is not the way you do. This is how we need to do that. And some people doesn't like it, you know, because you are being affirmative and you are saying that this is how we need to do things. That that started like that for a couple of years, and I lost all my self confidence. So basically, long story short, I have been through the dark times of my life for five years, and I stuck with the same company, because I lost all my self confidence I didn't know what I will do if I leave the job. I tried to stood up for myself. It didn't work. Everybody, everybody tried to support the other person, other people out there who tried to support me in the work environment so it's a very toxic environment. I am telling this in public. It's a very toxic environment I finally decided to move out of the company. And while I was still in this company, I was like, in the dark moment like I, I felt like I don't want to do anything. I don't want to do anything. I just want to sleep. I can basically a little bit business of what I was going through. I thought like, how many, how many years should I stay like this? Is it serving me in any way? It's not serving me. It is taking me more into the dark places where I couldn't spend much time with my kids. I don't want to talk to anybody, not even to my husband. I felt like I wanted to be alone all, all the time. So something happened like I finally decided to do something about it. I want to shift that negative thought. I want to come out of there should be some light out there. But until I decide to see the light, light is not going to come to me. So I have to travel. I have to take the steps to see the light. So I decided that day to open up the, to open up the Twitter account just to, just for the sake of Brent Ozar. I'm sure you know about him. He's a lot about SQL server because I love SQL server. I used to follow his blog post and everything just for him to see what he's speaking about. I opened up the Twitter account and then I started looking at him, looking at his post and everything. So one day, Brent Ozar actually promoted the new stars of data conference, which is an online conference, encouraging the new speakers to come to the stage and speak for the first time as a speaker. So that, that post actually changed my whole, whole career. And it made, it made me become a speaker. So what I did was like I, like I said, I was made depressed moments. I did not have the courage to submit, but then I thought like somehow I have to, I have to take that first step. So I decided to submit the session. I submitted the session and I contacted the organizer. I told them how much it is important to me. How can that actually change my life? They saw the abstract and they liked it and they accepted it. And, and the beautiful thing about new stars of data is they provide you the mentor because it is very first time you will not have the energy and you will not have the confidence to even present for the presentation. You know nothing about presentations, right? So they, they provided me with a mentor with Deborah Milkin. She's a wonderful speaker and she's a data platform MVP herself. She, she just gone through all of the preparation with, with me and then she supported me as I prepare for my presentation. And during the actual day, that is my first day as becoming a speaker, I'm a speaker for the first time. So that day she was there with me, supporting me because I need someone to be there beside me while I speak in the conference. That has given me the immense confidence because somebody else is there with me along with me. She know about me, right? She's looking out for you and right. Yeah. It seems to be simple, but it means a lot. It means a lot. I just, I was going to say, so having organized a number of events and a number of times where we've tried to do like similar to that, that event where we've made room specifically for brand new people and offered mentors. And it's always, I'm always sad to see how few people, I realize it's scary. It's something that's new and a lot of people. It's one of the most common phobias, fears of public speaking and there, but it's, it's not as hard as we build it up to be. It's not that it isn't scary to go and do that and put yourself out there like that. But there is such a great within all of these sub communities within the Microsoft ecosystem. There is so much support, so many mentors willing mentors to help people. If somebody is interested like yourself in moving down this path, there are many people that are willing to help. So I'm, so it's great to hear that you took that first step. I mean, obviously it's, it's worked out. Yes, it will take you to places where you would not have been even imagined before. So that was my first presentation. I think I did. I didn't do terrible. I did okay on my first presentation, but then what I thought was like if I stop there, if, if I feel like, okay, this is good. I did my first presentation and I'm done. I'm not going to do that because it was terrifying. Believe me, it was like speaking in front of people. They don't know you. They don't know your story. They don't know how much knowledge you have about SQL Server. But then you are putting in a vulnerable situation where like I have something to say that I have learned I want to share with you. So that feeling to be very sincere. It is terrifying. I felt like something is going like my heart is my heart was bouncing hard and then but after that presentation, I decided I still decided to do that more often. So I did it like I did with intense like in the span of the eight months, I did like more than 300 sessions, more than 300. I was speaking everywhere because the pandemic has actually made all the events to go virtual and that has given me the opportunity. I took my time and I, so you might be asking me, how come you presented at 300 events? Like how did you even know there are the events, right? So I was like I said to come out of that depression state to come out of the dark phase of my life. I need to have a way like I need to focus my energies completely 100% of my energy into something else. So I choose I choose public speaking as a way out as a therapy for me to come out of that. And it has changed my life and I will never go back into that phase back again into the dark ends of my life. Now I understood like how can I navigate those those negative energies into the positive energy. So what I did was to make that happen. I, I contacted all the organizers, like I went to the past or I took the list of all the user groups. Right now we do not have that but we have that Azure data community in meetup where you can find all the details of the user groups and then you can contact the organizers. So I literally went ahead and send the emails to each of the organization asking like I'm the new speaker. I want to speak at your event. Please give me the opportunity. And none of them like none of them told me like you are a new speaker we don't want to give it to you. Everybody was welcoming. They are looking for speakers they are looking for the woman speakers, especially. And from the they wanted to also improve the diversity so they are also looking for the diverse set of speakers so everybody was like, Oh please come and give it to us. Once I spoke to them they they called me like twice or twice off the back. So, so sometimes I spoke like three to four sessions in a day. Like different locations. He asked me like why did you do that much of speaking. Like I said, I need, I need, I need a therapy. Right. I don't want to go to the therapist. I need to be my own therapist. Public speaking has become my therapy and in the span of two years, like I in the span of two years I became a stronger person. I, I could understand who I am and why I am here that public speaking has actually helped me in many ways. I have become a therapy to me in the first place and it gave me peace because I am trying to learn something and share something to the, to the community across the world, because other person is learning from my content. All, all the videos are posted on YouTube. Other people started commenting on how much that content has helped them solve the problem that gave me like immense amount of peace. Yeah. No money can give me that. No money. I can share your back. Yeah. And I'm sure you know that. Yeah, no, it's like it. So I used to run and did a lot of half marathons, one full marathon, which I hated. It's not for me. It's too far. Half marathons, but you'll get that runner high and trying to explain running to people. And it's very much the same going when you're able to share your own experiences and finding your tips that you that you've learned through your own work, your own development and be able to share those with somebody. And it just suddenly you see sometimes I'll share some things and people like I've done that. I've done that. Share something else. And they're like, whoa, wait a second. That changes things for me and have those discussions with people. It is like having that runner's high. I don't know how else to explain it. And so it's it is fantastic. And it's not having been like a formally like a like a teacher, you know, professionally, I've done trainings and things, but there are things that I really liked about training. What I what I didn't like about being a trainer, I did that for different roles throughout my career is all of the time and the work that it takes to build the content to be able to go and do like a full day or multi day workshop. And it's a lot of work. I'm not a fan of that part. But then leveraging your work and sharing that out is fantastic. Again, that runner's high. So I love that aspect. Yeah, it will give you the dopamine like if you have an espresso espresso. Yeah, after completing each session I used to have a feeling like having a full cup of espresso coffee. It used to give me that high, you know, like, there's a health warning there if you drink a monster or drink some coffee right before you go and speak, you know, that could cause heart issues that should be a warning to speakers. Yeah, it's a it's a wonderful like sharing shared the story of mine to other people because it's not like people think from outside people they always think like becoming a speaker these people might be magical they have they have some abilities which they don't have, which is like completely nonsense like we are the normal people and everybody can do that right. Like, you can't be the perfect speaker like the, like, like a speaker who never do any mistakes, you can't be an expert speaker on the first session. We need to make hundreds of sessions. We need to do hundreds of sessions. And you need to stand on hundreds of platform and still the learning journey continues but it's not like a destination. Right. Hey, today you became a expert speaker. It's very much like we're so we're so obviously public speaking is difficult, as I said, for a lot of people to get up the nerve the courage to go and do that. But so much of it is I like the phrasing the working out loud. So it's it's like when you're in elementary school and the teacher says like show your work. And all you're doing is you're just speaking to that I'm showing my work this was my experience. Here's what I have one thing I was going to say is that another thing is that I've seen people who have been in the audience of sessions a couple times in my so I know one individual who went on to become an MVP, but started out he would just get very involved and ask questions and share insights of his personal experience and there's a few of us that it turned out like you should be presenting on these topics as well and like no no no I'm not an expert like nobody's an expert in all things. We have depth in certain areas, share that depth be you have to be a little bit humble about the things that hey I don't know that question. The thing about being an MVP is, if I don't know the answer, I probably know somebody who does know that answer and can help connect people. But that's another great way of for people to get involved and to kind of find their path is participate actively in the sessions that you're attending and reach out and connect with the speakers around that, at the very least, you build your network, you make connections to help help you solve other future problems. And also that getting that feedback as you and I as speakers, I love it when people comment ask questions, because I will I will look at and say, I need to make sure that I have the answer for that in my in that slide I need to fix that I need to add to that, or that takes it and that's another entirely different topic and idea for content. And maybe I should even partner with that person who was asking and sharing that that feedback and create that content. So it just opens up a lot of other opportunities for solving problems and serving the community. Yes, absolutely. And, and nobody's an expert at anything right if you know like this, this is something I want to tell to the new speakers who want to enter into the speaking. It doesn't have to be in a 300 level session. It can be the basic level session because there are hundreds and thousands of people who wanted to learn those basics and enter into the technology. And I see like 200 and 300 level sessions, the attract the people who are attracted more to the hundred hundred level session, they always wanted to learn from the basics, even though they are an expert, they always wanted to go back to the basics and then brush up their, you know, fundamentals. Right well that's so my my philosophy is most of the sessions that I now present are the 100 level they're meant to be broad audience. When questions are asked and when I have the follow up conversations after the event, they're always at the 200 or 300 level is what that's that's the thing is that there's the content there for that. Like I've got a Viva session and I do that's an overview it's meant to be broad. But you know when people have specific questions into each of the modules like hey I'm prepared I'd love to have those conversations, but I'd rather cast the wide net have those broad conversations that lead to those more specific so there's there look there's certainly an art to your presenting full time going out and doing these and and I you know congratulate you on on your path to doing that and you did a smart thing too is when you have core content maybe even two or three abstracts of different sessions that you're prepared to talk about for an hour is then go and shop those around there are user groups that are always looking for speakers. They're around the world. And they're of course in person events that are starting up again but there are so many opportunities user groups local and regional events, of course the big marquee events, Microsoft events and other things they're always looking for new people so never be afraid to submit to those events. And also most of them are free. You do not have to pay anything. Right. Yeah. It's it's with so much that having because of the pandemic moving to online there, there are hybrid options. And so you don't have to worry about expensive flights and hotel and to travel around the world to participate. There are opportunities from your, in my case, basement office. So to participate. Steve, they really appreciate love this story. Congratulations again on becoming MVP and it's exciting to hear the stories and kind of overcoming adversity story as well. In that case, but for folks that want to reach out to you and connect you to what are the best ways to reach you. I'm on Twitter. It's DBA nuggets is my user ID for the Twitter DBA nuggets.com is my website where I usually blog about the SQL server, SQL server features like very store as your SQL database, those sort of things. I still continue to blog blog on my website if you'd love to learn more about it like please visit my website DBA nuggets.com and you can subscribe to my website as well. And you can also contact me on LinkedIn. I'm very active on LinkedIn and Twitter. But if you would like to contact me on LinkedIn, deep tea goguri type by my name, you'll find me and I'll be an all of the kind of people. Yeah. And we'll of course have all the information the contact information out on the buck the planet on the blog post and in the YouTube. And so if you're listening in on the podcast and head over to buck the planet.com, you can find the blog post and deep these info. So thanks so much for your time and hope to see you at one of these in real in were in person events real world in person events. Thank you so much Christian for having me today.