texas

Social Media Club in Corpus Christi with Holly Hoffman

Holly Hoffman is working to get Social Media Club going in Corpus Christi, Texas. She is undertaking a pretty big project, which is similar to what I want to do in the Rio Grande Valley. She has the advantage of having just one town to unify; but, it is still a big project for one person. I want to invite my friends in Corpus Christi to get in touch with Holly if you are interested in joining the Social Media movement out there in Corpus Christi.

I first met Holly at Freelancecamp San Antonio where we discussed some ideas on how to get a social media community going. I’m still working on my end, but have challenges with traveling over a larger region. What is exciting is that if she and I successfully get our projects off the ground, Texas will be the best represented state in the social media sphere. It is for this reason that I suggest you follow Holly Hoffman on Twitter or other social media sites if you are in the Gulf Coast area.

Job Detour: Joining South Texas Communications

I have been lax in announcing another change in my employment. Recently I announced joining up with RGV Helpdesk. Well, within a week, RGV Helpdesk was in negotiations to join South Texas Communications. As a result, I had to re-interview for a job I already had. I was a bit hesitant at first because the job requires full-time involvement.

I have worked to build multiple sources of income, so going back to a single source of income causes me to hesitate. Still, the project that South Texas Communications is currently involved in made me want to be a part. Currently, we are working on a project to connect all the hospitals along the Rio Grande Valley with a private network that uses microwave bridges. Some of these network bridges will cross a street while others will cross many miles. I’ve not worked on this type of computer networking, so this is cool.

South Texas Communications has historically been a radio company. It has been in business for over 60 years. Much of their business depends on servicing city, county, and other government radio needs. They have roughly 75% of the radio market in our region. Furthermore, South Texas Communications is the leader in selling and servicing Motorola products in the RGV. Having said that, I know very little about radios. I’m a computer guy.

Why would they hire me? Well, it turns out that radio is increasingly integrating with computer networks. Carrying voice over radios is down to a science. Now, there is increasing demand for radio that can carry data. The radios are physically the same, but the infrastructure at the ends of the radios is more IT centric. That’s where RGV Helpdesk and I come in. We are there to fill the void where radio meets computer networks. Therefore, South Texas Communications will broaden the meaning of the Communications part in the name.

It was a tough decision for me to finally agree to join South Texas Communications. It is a fine company with a good track record. I think a few years back I would have jumped at the opportunity immediately. My hesitation mainly came from being comfortable where I was working for a State Representative and doing computer jobs on the side. I had steady income and access to important people throughout the state. I was ready to turn the job down. I even asked for a raise and got it. In the end, being comfortable is what changed my mind. If you are comfortable, you aren’t growing. I figure it is best to move out of my comfort zone and try to grow into something else.

In the coming month, I’ll be working on a big project that is both physically and mentally demanding. Afterwards, I’m sure that more challenges will be thrown my way. I don’t know what lies ahead exactly, details were rather vague, something about a career and opportunities. I don’t know about all that, nor care. I’m going to pick up some skills and put them to work alongside my existing skills. The key here is growth.

HESTEC 2008 Update With Ernesto Villareal

The Hispanic Engineering, Science, and Technology Program (HESTEC) at the University of Texas Pan American is an annual event that aims to encourage hispanics to pursue careers in Science and technology by showcasing successful people in those fields. The event is co-organized through the office of Congressman Ruben Hinojosa.

Ernesto Villareal will join us and give us the latest on this year’s HESTEC planning. The event expands its horizons every year and has become a major draw in the region. Join us April 25 at 8:30 am CST on Blog Talk Radio. If you have any questions during the show, call in at 646-716-8227.

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No BarCamp Texas

Things have not worked out as planned, so my trip to BarCamp Texas at College Station has been scrapped. At first, I was a little bummed as I was looking forward to it. However, as the day wore on yesterday, things turned around. Many good things are happening as a result of my staying home this weekend. I’ve got several things going on this weekend after all, so it turns out to be a blessing in disguise. I’ll fill you in later as things develop.