Making Good Decisions - Richard Kenyon

Richard, who has a history with SMB Nation and a fondness for Microsoft memorabilia, is currently job hunting. He emphasizes the importance of job satisfaction and happiness in one's career. Harry invites Richard and his wife to visit Austin for a future podcast and to enjoy the local culture.

Richard Kenyon's Move to New Mexico

• Harry Brelsford introduces Richard Kenyon, mentioning their long-standing relationship dating back 20 to 25 years.
• Richard shares that he moved from Michigan to New Mexico 10 years ago to escape the snow, humidity, and mosquitoes, and to be closer to family.
• Richard expresses his love for the perfect weather in New Mexico, highlighting the blue skies and sunshine all year round.
• Harry comments on Richard's wife, who is also a geek, and inquires about her current role.

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Richard's Wife's Career and Harry's Nostalgia

• Richard reveals that his wife is a project manager at a data warehouse in Las Lunas, New Mexico, for Meta (formerly Facebook).
• Harry jokes about Richard wearing a Microsoft accounting 2007 jacket and reminisces about his own similar experiences.
• Richard recounts attending the SMB Nation in Seattle and receiving the Microsoft logoed accounting jacket as a giveaway from a session.
• Harry and Richard discuss their shared appreciation for variety and their diverse interests and experiences in the IT field.

Richard's Current Professional Status

• Harry notes that Richard is currently between jobs and is looking for the next big opportunity.
• Richard agrees with Harry's sentiment that senior professionals often prioritize happiness over other factors in their work.
• Richard emphasizes the importance of enjoying one's job and being happy about going to work, as opposed to viewing it as just a job.
• Harry invites Richard and his wife to visit Austin, Texas, and suggests doing another podcast together, which Richard looks forward to.

Harry Brelsford  00:01

Hey, nation, nation. I'm here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Good Lord, good Dolly, Miss Molly. It's a beautiful place, mountain, sun, no humidity. We had that talk. I'm with Richard Kenyon, uh, old school. We, we go back. I, I'm scared to say in 20 maybe 25 we go back to the day. And so let's, let's talk about you recently. You know your trademark is house life. Someone asked you, how's life? You moved from Michigan, where you had your thriving. It practice consulting. I like the fact you, you never really self identified as an MSP, you were a little bit higher level. You moved 10 years ago. So how is life down here? So I'll

Richard Kenyon  00:46

start with a how's life everyone go from there. But we did move down here 10 years ago to get away from the snow, the humidity, the mosquitoes, even family and came down here and started over. And we love it down here. Blue skies, sunshine, perfect weather all year round. Yeah, absolutely.

Harry Brelsford  01:03

And your lovely wife is also a geek. You share Well, quickly. What's she doing? That's

Richard Kenyon  01:10

great. She is a project manager at the data warehouse in Las Lunas, New Mexico for Facebook now. Meta,

Harry Brelsford  01:19

yeah, right on. Man, that's a dual income couple. I love it. Hey, I got to give you a hard time, because just today, before I got on the road from Los Alamos, that's a whole other podcast, but I posted up some old school stuff. I found a backpack from dado cup and so on. And then you show up wearing the the Microsoft accounting 2007 jacket. I have one of those back in Austin quickly. What was the story there?

Richard Kenyon  01:49

Well, Leon and I went to the SMB Nation in Seattle, many, many years ago. So, you know, yeah, history, 7007 and we went to one of the sessions, and one of the sessions gave away the Microsoft logoed accounting jacket, and we love them, and still have it today, and it's perfect jacket.

Harry Brelsford  02:08

Yeah. And then finally, you're a man, after my own heart. You like variety. I like variety because I basically can't keep a job, and that's why I became an IT, dude and but you know what I'm saying? Me in a cubicle at a government job, that's not Harry. You know? That's nonsense. So you do a lot, you know, you know a lot about a lot. You do a lot of different things. So where are we at today? You're, you're you're out looking at different opportunities. Yes,

Richard Kenyon  02:39

I'm between gigs again. So I'm looking for the next big gig, the next big item to make me happy for, you know, however long it's going to take for me to work,

Harry Brelsford  02:47

yeah, and I think I'll end on that. You know, I've had more conversations and I mean this, and maybe you have that when you become a senior professional. I'm not going to say mature, but when you become a senior professional, I'm in more conversations in MSP that I really respect back home in Anchorage, Alaska, our age. And he said, you know, he said, Harry, I just want to be happy. Any any thoughts on that? I

Richard Kenyon  03:14

concur 100% with that. The bottom line is, is that if I'm going to go into work, I want to be able to enjoy going into work. I want to be able to get up and be happy about going into work. Into work, and as soon as it becomes a job, it's no longer work, and it's time to move on to something else. Yeah, I

Harry Brelsford  03:28

agree. So I'm gonna cut you a deal. Love to have you and your wife come visit Austin sometime short flight on Southwest air. You know, hub to hub, so to speak. And we'll do the do I mean, the music, the barbecue, the this, the that, but we'll do another podcast. How's that sound? Sounds awesome. Looking forward to it. All right. Thank you. Bye.