Holiday Countdown 2020 - The lost days part 3 - Adam Fenton - Andy Barker
Due to the article size limit, older days have to be removed from the main article.
Here are day 4 and 5:
Song of the day: Mis Deseos / Feliz Navidad - Michael Bublé & Thalia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK7cpuhwoP0)
Let's travel from Canada to the South and say hello to Adam Fenton! He’s hosting Community events in Mexico City - this year he already hosted eleven events!
Adam is originally from Watford, United Kingdom. He’s living in Mexico City for the past eight years.
(Watford picture by Nigel Cox, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13431620)
Looks quite similar, Watford and Mexico City :-) - Maybe the weather is better in Mexico...
Hello Adam, welcome to day four of this year's Holiday countdown - this is your day! Nice to meet you!
How did it happen that you became one of Atlassian’s Community Leaders?
My business partner is from New York and commented on how great the Atlassian community events were there. This was about 3 years ago. I got in touch with the organiser and ended up launching the community here in Mexico City.
What motivates you being a Community Leader?
I like building communities, helping people and connecting people.
Do you remember your first contact with an Atlassian product?
Yes, I think it was Jira about 15 years ago, when I worked at a bank in London.
What is your fondest Holiday memory?
I quit my job in London in 2011 and went travelling in Latin America for a year. That whole trip was amazing, but the highlight has to be meeting Ellie on a tour in Costa Rica. I arrived in Mexico City, where she lived, 3 months later and never left! We are now married with 2 kids.
Ah, very nice - that's the best reason for moving to Mexico, except for the weather of course.
Adam, please tell us more about your country. What makes living in Mexico so special?
Mexico has a much more laid back approach to life than UK. At the same time, Mexico City has so much to offer in terms of food, culture and amazing nature outside the city.
Here’s your chance to give a special shoutout to someone - who is it and why?
Ellie, my wife, for supporting me in building a business and of course in hosting the Atlassian events (looking after 2 small kids one evening a month is hard work!)
Thank you, Adam for being our number four this year. I wish you and your family a wonderful Holiday season and a happy new year!
Song of the day: Ringing of the Bells by the Muppets (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysIzPF3BfpQ)
“Fun Man” Andy Barker is our number five. He won this year's Leader’s Choice Award - this is an audience award given by the other leaders. He’s kind of sunshine in our Community, always in a good mood, and sooooo creative.
Andy is not only present on the online community, he is hosting Community events in Rotterdam as well together with “The Ever Glamorous Miss Atlassian” (see https://ace.atlassian.com/rotterdam/). - I think “Miss Atlassian” is Tzoe Keat Chiam, she’s hosting events in Rotterdam with him - and is certainly glamorous. Together, they organize incredible events. You can read more later.
Andy Barker - this does not sound like a Dutch name… And that’s true, Andy is originally from the UK.
Hi Andy, nice to meet you here at door number 5. When did you become one of Atlassian’s Community Leaders?
Fun but long story, so here’s the short version: October 2018 – Queen Mo tricked me into it. No regrets! I love it.
What motivates you being a Community Leader?
Sharing knowledge and really helping each other optimise the way we work and live, even if that doesn’t involve Atlassian products.
Most people remember their first time using an Atlassian product. What is your story?
I used Jira Software many years ago… went to work for a new company and it got dumped on me with a “we use Jira” message. No training, no explanation just a go-with-it mentally. The teams of that company had no idea what they were doing so it was a real baptism of fire.
Andy, what were your favorite Atlassian memories to date?
Two-fold: winning the Atlassian Community Leadership Award for ‘Leaders’ Choice’ and the Trello Halloween Party Virtual ACE. Both epic moments; one personal, the other as a group!
If you could go back in time to give yourself an advice, professional or personal. What would it be?
Definitely: “Follow your heart, think with your brain, but always talk to your colon! “Sixth sense and intuition is powerful stuff. Ultimately do what makes you happy and what you are passionate about.
What is a Fun Man doing for fun? What makes you happy?
Music, both listening as well as making and producing! Follow us on @urbangorillaboy and @nda.band on Instagram to get to know the stuff I’m involved in! I also love keeping fit no matter how and then spending as much time as possible with the family
Oh, you love music, great - what was your best song in 2020? Why?
THIS ONE….! Because I’m singing on it: https://soundcloud.com/user-831715329/lunacy-tales?in=user-831715329/sets/ndaband-repetitions-v2
Here’s second place: I both sang it and wrote the lyrics: https://soundcloud.com/user-831715329/take-time?in=user-831715329/sets/ndaband-repetitions-v2
Hopefully next year we get into a proper studio and the album gets a formal release!
Wow, that sounds awesome. The dark side of Fun Man Andy - cool! Good Luck with the album release!
Did you have a New Year's resolution for 2020? Did you achieve it?
Nope. Don’t set resolutions anymore. Check out why HERE -> https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Off-topic-discussions/Miscellaneous-Monday-How-s-it-going-with-your-2020-resolutions/td-p/1289929
What is your fondest holiday memory?
I know its not Christmas but… New York City, October 2013. Not only is NYC amazaballz, only was it the first time I had been the furthest away from home whilst also being the first time I left the European continent, it was where we conceived our first child and only daughter. EPIC!
We then informed the Grandparents to be at Christmas, so by extension, this one!
What is your favorite holiday drink and meal?
Champagne at 9:00 o’clock in the morning with fresh home baked Sausage rolls!
Do you have a favorite childhood Holiday memory?
Theoretically it would be the one when I was no longer a child but still at home aged 18… it was the first time away from my parents and their traditional same old Christmas year-in, year-out. I went and stayed with one of my sister’s and it was complete and utter different experience! So special and different. I will never forget it.
And of course my first every mountain bike when I was super young… my stocking had only one tiny package in it, and I was bummed because the other siblings had their stockings exploding with gifts. But the package contained the message to go to the lounge by the Christmas tree and there it was. I was so excited I dragged it up the stairs back to the bedroom. HAH HAH!
Is there a holiday song that you love or can't stand?
Love = nearly everything. Hate = the Crazy Frog Christmas remix hits. Good lord they are BAD!!
What is your favorite holiday movie and why?
Long story short - A religious tradition of:
December 1st = The Nightmare Before Christmas
You should meet with @Jack Brickey next year on December, 1st!
During December: Office Christmas Party
Christmas week = The Snowman
Christmas Eve or Day = The Muppets Christmas Carol
I love this one!
Are there any unique holiday traditions in your family?
For anyone not living in the Netherlands, or Dutch this is quite unique: we celebrate Sinterklaas, starting end of November when he arrives in NL and stop on “Pakjes avond” the night before his birthday, December 6th!
Please share a heartwarming moment from 2020 with us
It’s a bit corny, but every moment with the wife and kids – what a blessing! Although the stand-out has to be celebrating our sister’s birthday via Zoom. She turned 50th and we were all bummed we couldn’t be in person for it. But everyone maxed out decorations and the Zoom call was legendary!
No no, that’s not corny at all - absolutely not! I wish you a lot of these family moments in 2021 as well!
What are you grateful for?
Amazing family! We’re happy and healthy and working for a company that always survives any global situation, means that we are so comfortable. Also, all my friends both near and far. This life is blessed.
Andy is decorating his house for the Holidays. Look here:
Grinch or Santa?
Grinch… he badass and COOL and is remorseful at the end and becomes the hero. Santa was a marketing tool made up by Coca-Cola. He has nothing on Father Christmas or Sinterklaas. LOL
If you could change something about the way we celebrate the last days of the year, what would it be?
Full two weeks paid vacation. Hah hah!
A typical Fun Man Andy answer :-)
What was the most unsual thing you did this year?
Cancel all the holidays and business trips one by one: Summit, Apple visit in the Spaceship, South Korea, Ski Trip… all got canned slowly but surely. What a bummer. Never experienced that in my life and I guess I never will again.
Oh yes, we all hope that we will never have a year like this one again…
Here's your chance to give a special shoutout to someone - who is it and why?
The missus… I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her! 💖
Thank you so much, Andy. Our Community would only be half the fun without the Fun Man. And thank you for telling us so many other, personal things about you. I hope to see you soon, not only at door 5 but in person again. Enjoy the Christmas Party and the Snowman and most of all: have a merry Christmas with your family and friends.
2 comments
