Who 'Dis Woman?
More About Sumaiyah and the Bootstrapped MTC Podcast
Who Is Sumaiyah Wysdom Yates?
Author. Coach. Educator. Weaver of Wisdom…
I have over 30 years of experience in the information technology industry. Tech is a field I love (thus 30+ years and going). It can be challenging and complex, but - who doesn’t love a good challenge? During my career in corporate America (retired since 2018), I worked mostly in End User Support. Many people use their job on a helpdesk as a “foot in the door.” They want to do technology and they want to work for that employer, but they don’t want to help end users.
End User Support is considered an entry-level position, or at least it was in my day…
Most accept the position on the helpdesk to get in the door with their eyes set on some other place within the information technology department. Me? I was lit up by helping end users with their technology. The joy I felt when I helped someone “fix” a technical problem they were having (and most were user error) made my heart sing. I would walk into an office and the staff member was yelling, swearing and pulling their hair out. Asking them to breathe, I would take over and evaluate what was going wrong, resolve the issue, and then show the end user how to do it themselves.
And it wasn’t an entry level position for me…
When I walked away from my job in 2018, I was making a six figure salary. Black. Female. No college degree. But my knowledge and my skill in the field commanded a salary that is usually reserved for those with all manner of degrees and certifications. I loved what I did for the companies I worked for and my experience taught me that it was something I wanted to continue doing. Just not in corporate America…
Fast forward to the present and I am still helping “end users.” However, my end users are now Creative women who are in business for themselves. Artists. Painters, sculptors, mixed media mavens - all manner of Creatives are who I seek out. Why? Because I am a Creative myself and a member of an AMAZING community of creative women, many who are in business.
Most creative people are usually not tech savvy. They are too busy creating to learn technology! But with the need for businesses and brands to have an online presence - even if they are a brick-and-mortar establishment - created a deep need for Creatives to become proficient in the use of technology. Swiftly. Not only did they have to learn quickly, they had to keep up. Technology changes by the minute and it you do not keep your knowledge and skills relevant, you will be left behind.
With the quickness…
This is where Wysdom (me, the person) steps in. I stand in the gap between a Creatives’ ability to have time to create and their need to have a dynamic and up-to-date virtual presence. And I step in with heart. No staunch “it must be done this way because it is status quo.” No following the “rules of business.” I was born to break the rules…
Breaking the rules is something I do well! First rule broken: I take a heart-centered approach. Both to technology and teaching it to others. My clients choose the tools they need with heart - feeling into what works best for them. They don’t choose their technology because it’s “the best of the bunch” - they choose their technology by evaluating what is best for themselves. They may choose a free or extremely cheap platform for their business, and that’s perfectly fine!
The technology they use simply needs to meet their business needs.
We don’t hop on the latest and greatest bandwagon. Yes - the newest technologies do the coolest things. But to someone who is not tech savvy, the free or cheap tools do cool things in their eyes too. It’s true that the latest tech craze usually is a great improvement upon yesterday’s greatest tools. But that doesn’t mean yesterday’s tools aren’t suitable. I encourage my clients to choose from their heart when it comes to the technology they implement in their business.
Will I speak up if their choice is not suitable? Absolutely! I am not here to set them up for failure. If a technology they select doesn’t hold water, I will tell them so - WITH a recommendation for a different platform that is not only more suitable to their needs, but also one which is sound and stable. One which can be put into place without worry that it will be obsolete in a month. Every day new technology appears on the scene to take the place of the top tools. It’s a fierce and sometimes ugly fight between technology competitors. Having heart at the center removes you from the “fall out” that happens when tech companies try to position themselves for the top spot.
WHEW! Wasn’t I supposed to be talking about me??? LOL I am always drawn into the tech talk tizzy! But I think you get where I’m coming from. I am coming from a place of heart to be in service to creative women entrepreneurs. I don’t want to provide “a service”… There is a distinct difference and this difference is where the heart comes in. I will never leave a bunch of “how-to” videos and leave you to go off by yourself to try and figure it all out. I am a creative woman in service to creative women; one who will stand beside you and help you through the tech matrix until you are able to navigate on your own.
For those curious about the more mundane aspects of Who I Be, this is for you:
Executive Director, MUSEA Intentional Creativity Foundation - current
Director of Curatorial Design, MUSEA Intentional Creativity Museum - current
Director of Digital Infrastructure, MUSEA Center for Intentional Creativity (2 organizations) - current
Director of GLOW Entrepreneur Certification Training, MUSEA University - current
Audio-Visual Coordinator, 10+ years - past
Senior Support Analyst, 20+ years - past
Why this, why now
In an industry heavily dominated by males, there is an energy in the information technology field that is not necessarily negative - but causes the field to remove “heart.” It is very corporate. Very staunch. Very unbending.
That isn’t how creative women work…
Creatives want to create. They don’t want to fuss about with CRM, integrations, automations, digital graphics (well - maybe the digital artists do), video editing, social media marketing, and the host of other technologies needed to build and maintain and online presence. For most, it’s akin to fitting a square peg into a round hole. This creates overwhelm, and nobody wants to be overwhelmed - especially someone who just wants to create.
Divinely created to be a helper of women, I was called to this Path. And I have answered the call. This is Passion - to assist women with the technology to run their businesses without frustration. It is my Purpose in this life, and I am Proud to walk my Path with Passion and on Purpose!
A community of Creatives…
I invite all to join me for a discussion on technologies. Most of all, I invite creative women in business. Women entrepreneurs who want to take command of their technology. Creatives who want to set their technology on autopilot so they can do what they do best: Create.
General discussions regarding technology will be posted twice a month. These are my Technology Tidbits and they are freely available. More in-depth discussions of specific technologies, how they work, and how they integrate into your digital infrastructure will be posted once a month. These Tame Your Technology discussions are designed to instruct and clarify. Quarterly, I will have a guest join me - a creative businesswoman - for a discussion of her specific tech challenges. During these Tech Talkz, we will try to resolve my guest’s biggest roadblock to using technology in her business.
Let’s Talk Tech!
If what I have shared so far has peaked your interest, I invite you to subscribe to the Bootstrapped MTC Podcast. I am rolling out the red carpet to welcome creative women in business. Time (a man-made construct, but that’s a different discussion for a different day…) is precious! If you would rather be creating than pulling your hair out trying to figure out what technologies you need and how to make them work together for you and your business, this podcast is for you.
See you at the keyboard!