About Me

I am a SQL Server DBA and Microsoft Data Platform MVP that has managed databases in the healthcare, finance, e-commerce, and non-profit sectors. Since 2003, I have been supporting high-volume, highly-available OLTP environments with demanding performance needs. I am founder of BostonSQL, past organizer of SQL Saturday Boston, and speaker at many SQL Server user groups & SQL Saturdays.

My pronouns are he & him.

I’m lazy & impatient

I love scripting and automating repetitive tasks because I hate doing the same thing over and over. (I’m lazy)

I love looking at processes and figuring out a faster, more efficient way to accomplish the same goal. Sometimes this is performance-tuning a query, and sometimes it’s looking for fundamentally different ways to accomplish the same goal. (I’m impatient)

I work with a bunch of liars

My background in software tech support taught me to try to figure out the real problem first. Once you figure out the real problem, you can figure out the real solution. When people present a problem, they often have a preconceived (and perhaps subconscious) notion of how to proceed. They’ve gotten to a point where they’re stuck, so they ask for help based on where they are right now.

If someone asks, “How do I get to Whole Foods?” I can give them directions to the nearest Whole Foods. They’ll be there in 20 minutes and they’ll get what they want.

What if the real problem is the person needs a cup of sugar? I might be able to give directions to a closer grocery store. I might have a cup of sugar in my own cupboard.

People don’t mean to do it, but they bring their own bias with them to every problem and every solution (yes, sometimes I’m the problem). As part of really solving a problem, you need to step back so both sides can understand the real problem and get to the best solution. They don’t mean to be liars, they just can’t help it.