[GIVEAWAY] Win 1 seat to a Multi-Day Smartsheet University course

I'm a Smartsheet nerd so I've loved all of the Smartsheet courses I've taken to earn the Smartsheet Core Certification and Smartsheet Project Management certification. Outside of Smartsheet, I'd say a medicinal plants class I took was the most interesting. I learned, and continue to learn, how to treat our body's aches and illnesses completely naturally. I'm getting back into it and beginning my own herbal garden to grow my own natural medicines.

Twenty years ago I took part in an SBA program for single moms to help us develop job skills. They gave us a laptop and worked with our employers to select online courses that would add value in our professional environments. We were also able to select two courses related to our personal interests. The business courses I took were selected by my supervisor (Event management, business writing and computer troubleshooting). The two personal interest courses I selected were grant writing and how to start a non-profit and I went on to co-found a non-profit in my community with two other women as a result. What began with this SBA program eventually led me to complete a degree through my company's tuition reimbursement program. Knowledge is power and is why Smartsheet's investment in both self-guided and classroom instruction is such an important part of what the software has to offer.

U. S. Army Basic Training- Ft. Knox 😁

My favorite training course to-date was a six-month data analytics bootcamp. I don't use everything I learned there every day but every day I use something from that course.

One of my favorites, and there are many, is Project Management Essentials by Franklin Covey. I appreciated the focus on Foundational Behaviors (Listen First, Respect, Demonstrate Accountability, Clarify Expectations) as "people" are the most critical and important part of any project. It shifted my approach to projects from being 80% scheduling and tasks to 80% people and communication.

One of the most eye-opening courses for me was when an internal trainer to our company showed me how to create Pivot Tables in Excel. I have used that skill so many times over the years and have shown others as well. I'm so glad the Smartsheet has a similar tool because it can be so valuable.

I spent a number of years coaching my son's hockey team and benefited greatly from taking coaching level courses. Unbelievable when you use some of the techniques learned from the course to connect with kids who have learning disabilities. My biggest insight came from a technique where you explain the drill and then ask the child who has ADHD to explain what they are supposed to do which I realized they can't. Tell them again, and then ask them to repeat which they usually now can. World of a difference and what a great feeling knowing you are getting through to these kids.