It’s Sunday evening…

Normally I would be preparing for the week ahead, contemplating challenging tasks that lie ahead and making sure I have everything I need to be “the best I can be”.  Starting the week on the right foot for me is something I take pride in.

I find tonight my mind drifting to the near future… 13 sleeps into the future to be precise. In 13 days, I depart these shores of Aotearoa on the journey of a lifetime.

My destination – The Microsoft Ignite conference in Orlando, Florida. Not just an attendee, but a speaker!

I still pinch myself that I have been invited to stand on stage with Dona Sarkar and Blair Glennon (along with Eddie Leonard and two of his colleagues from the First Citizens Bank in North Carolina).

This incredible journey started many years ago when I challenged myself to do Windows 10 for my org better than an outside partner.  I challenged the way things have been traditionally done with the focus on my customer, the end user.  Much of this took many out of their comfit zone leading to me earning the nickname “Rouge Warren” (which, by the way, I wear with pride).

A huge career highlight  was attending MS Ignite New Zealand in 2016. Dona Sarkar was the keynote speaker, and during her keynote, it was as if she was talking directly to me.  Dona essentially validated the approach I had taken and encouraged me to continue.

She gets me!! I was also fortunate to attend an insider’s dinner Dona hosted along with a few other Redmond based Microsoft people. What an experience.

Fast forward two years and this story comes full circle.

I can’t wait to get over there and meet all of these awesome Windows Insider team people – Jen, Brandon, Jason and many more

My session at Microsoft Ignite can be found here.

More Ignite blogs to follow

P.