I had to check out Brent’s LinkedIn account to see just how long he had been at Quest. Wow, 2.25 years.

It was only about a year ago that I became aware of Brent’s presence. I actually can’t remember if I stumbled across his blog first or heard his name mentioned in a conference call. Ahhh, as I type this, I now recall how I ‘met’ Brent. Via Twitter. @BetsyLM had compiled a list of Quest folks on the internet-sensation. I had decided to sign up to figure out what was in it for me. I quickly saw in @BrentO what Twitter could do for an individual who was properly motivated.

I’m not sure why I’m writing this blog. It’s not like Brent’s leaving ME, he’s just leaving Quest. And to be honest, the closet I ever got to meeting him was by 2 days when we almost crossed paths at Corporate. His work ethic and excitement left a huge impression on me. I guess it was contagious. It inspired me to try harder, not to waste idle moments, and to strive for excellence always.

So Brent, it’s been great working with you. I hope nothing changes in that regard except for your e-mail address. Maybe the best thing I picked up from Brent, it’s OK to say ‘No.’ I’m still trying to master that skill. Working with Sales does not exactly encourage that, but I’m trying!

What I’ve picked up from Brent, in a nutshell:

  • Plagiarism is bad.
  • Twitter is good.
  • Blog often, but not if you don’t have anything to say, or can’t say it well.
  • Don’t be afraid to fail, although I haven’t seen him do so yet.
  • Some of you may think I’m trying to suck up to Brent so I can someday join him and the rest of his Database Super Friends at the Hall of Justice. That is mostly just terribly cynical, mostly.

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    I'm a Distinguished Product Manager at Oracle. My mission is to help you and your company be more efficient with our database tools.

    2 Comments

    1. I’m mostly going to miss you. Mostly. 😉

      Ha! Good luck with the blogging. It’s cool that both you and Iain are cranking it up at the same time – it’ll give you a virtual peer group to bounce ideas around. And yes, I’ll keep following you on Twitter, hahaha – you’re a good guy.

    2. Pingback: Tweets that mention This Mostly Isn’t Goodbye, Mostly | 140,000 Characters or Less -- Topsy.com

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