A good friend, colleague, and mentor of mine recently commented in an email thread that with all the focus on technology, many fail to realize that it is the people who are our most important asset. I could not agree more. With all the AI, machine learning, and automation out there, we still need real people to manage that technology to ensure that it is used effectively and, more importantly, appropriately.
As a certified geek, I love technology. And whilst technology forms an important part of my life, professionally and personally, there is something so much more basic and organic that I love that ties in with everything I do around technology: talking. After recent life-changing events, such as the loss of my beloved Dad and seeing my stepson get married, I have realized that the art of conversation is SO important. So many of us are texting, iMessaging, and WhatsApp’ing with our heads buried in our phones and our screens. We are not directly ENGAGING with each other and are becoming reliant on technology to communicate and learn. I often ask myself, “Is the art of real conversation dead?”
Origins
The word “conversation” has a Latin origin, "conversatio," which comes from the verb "conversari". This verb is a compound of "con-" (meaning "with" or "together") and "versare" (meaning "to turn"). It literally means "turning together”. The verb “conversari” is a Latin verb meaning “to associate with others,” “to live or dwell,” or “to converse.” In ancient Rome, conversari referred to engaging in friendly, informal conversation or social interaction. It implied spending time with others, exchanging ideas, and participating in intellectual discourse or debate.
Conversari is where I want to be. As a member of the Autodesk Community and an Autodesk Expert Elite, I want to talk to my peers face-to-face about everything in our Design and Make industry. I also want to talk to others to help them move forward and empower them to learn more and work smarter, not harder, with Autodesk applications.
Ethos
As an Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI), I follow a straightforward ethos – people learn from people. My learners learn from me; they can learn from each other and from themselves as they move forward. Peer-to-peer learning is also incredibly valuable, whether it be talking to each other in the office or talking through a specific workflow or methodology at a round table at Autodesk University (AU). One of the things I love about AU is the people I teach. I love the conversations after an AU class, that human connection, where we talk about a specific need or requirement and how we can satisfy that to help them move forward and become more empowered in what they do.
All of these conduits involve one fundamental element in gaining and retaining knowledge for learning: the people. As human beings, we are conditioned from birth to integrate, talk, learn, and develop. If you have young children, watch them with their playmates and how they interact. Humans have been doing that for millennia, and no particular piece of technology can ever replace human contact and interaction.
And so it began....
So, based on this, and with a huge amount of encouragement from the Autodesk Community, I made the decision to create the Not Just CAD podcast. A podcast is a superb medium for people to connect, talk, and make that connection. Conversation is SO underrated. I have lost count of the number of lightbulb conversations I have had in my career. These range from brief water-cooler chats that form the catalyst for an exciting project or joint venture or an in-depth group conversation that might change a company's or organisation's direction. It all comes down to the talking, the conversation, and the people involved.
Wikipedia states, “A podcast series usually features one or more recurring hosts engaged in a discussion about a particular topic or current event”.
For all of you who know me, I love to chat and, as Wikipedia suggests, discuss. I love that interaction, and I decided that a podcast would be an excellent way for me not only to indulge in conversation with my peers and colleagues but also to talk with people I admire, who have inspired me to be who I am and what I have done in my career to date. The podcast provides a platform for me to get these conversations out there to the masses, and I don’t just want these podcasts to be the two people talking. I want them to be an insight into the guest on the podcast so that the listeners can listen, learn about the guest, and understand what drives them. In a perfect world, I hope the guests inspire the listeners to aspire to be better, do more, and (perhaps) investigate and learn something they might not have otherwise considered learning.
In my career, I have been incredibly fortunate to meet so many different people, ranging from CEOs of billion-dollar corporations to CAD technicians who work at the coal face, creating the designs we are all familiar with worldwide. These meetings and conversations inspired me to create the podcast and talk with these fantastic people, discussing their careers, passions, and what drives them. Sure, the primary content will be about CAD, BIM, and emerging technology, but not just CAD, hence the podcast name, right?
Even though we started the podcast in early 2024, the podcast is still new, and I am still learning. This ranges from effective microphone placement to using AI for post-production. It’s a steep learning curve, and as one of my mantras is “always be learning”, I am doing just that. Over time, I hope to keep improving the podcast quality and keep the content as enjoyable as possible so that the listeners remain engaged and enjoy the podcast experience. As we develop the Not Just CAD brand, the podcast will also be part of a larger Not Just CAD platform.
Where?
You can find the podcast on the Apple and Spotify platforms.
Apple: https://apple.co/3YO3ZEX
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4fOdfin
We have already had some fantastic guests. Our inaugural podcast episode was with the amazing Shir Rustici, a fellow Autodesk Expert Elite Member and Global Program Manager at Symetri USA. She has just launched her YouTube channel, AEC TECH GIRL. Another fantastic guest was Laura Jane Clark, a celebrated UK architect who has appeared on numerous UK TV shows, such as Channel 4’s “Amazing Spaces” and “Your Home Made Perfect,” available on BBC and Netflix. We have also had a conversation with Steve Blum, COO of Autodesk, and Jessica Langston, Senior Director of Autodesk Community, as well as many other pioneers and visionaries in the Design & Make world.
As of now, Not Just CAD is only available on Apple and Spotify, but we hope to expand further as time goes by. In the meantime, I hope that you sign up and enjoy hearing me and my guests talk about anything and everything. Remember, it’s all about the conversation, not just about CAD!
And if I could ask a huge favour, if you enjoy the podcast, please sign up to get notified as soon as new podcasts are available and share it with your friends and colleagues who might enjoy listening, too. That would be much appreciated.
Happy Not Just CAD’ing!
SCB.
*A version of this blog was originaly published on Shaun Bryant's "Not Just CAD!" blog on Dec 9 2024*
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