304: Become An Effective Storyteller and Focus On Your "Why" with Slater Victoroff

In this week's show, Phil talks to Slater Victoroff, who has been building AI, machine learning and deep learning solutions for the enterprise for the better part of the past decade having worked with everyone from the federal government to two-person startups to the Fortune 100. He has also educated hundreds of business users in the successful implementation of deep learning through a simple framework that helps executives rapidly accelerate the adoption of the technology in their businesses. Slater talks about the importance of effective communication, and how your skills as a storyteller can inspire and motivate others. He also discusses the importance of reflecting upon the "why" that drives us onwards.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP Regardless of the field that you are in, so much of your ability to drive change will depend on the way you communicate and are able to create narratives that will inspire and lead others to go the distance.   WORST CAREER MOMENT Slater was a CEO, and while he did not underperform in the role, he found that his skill-set was not what the company deserved. Sometimes we need to recognize when we are not the right person for the job.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT Slater marks out the "feeling of togetherness" he experienced when bringing together a team, and the sense of high spirits and camaraderie that he helped to construct along with the team.   THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The idea of building shared spaces where non-technical subject matter experts can contribute to the technical solutions being developed – a broad church of skill-sets and backgrounds that combine to enrich the IT sector.   THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – When Slater realized that empires can be built through technological means. What's the best career advice you received? – Slater has always found that the best way to advance his career is to not follow too much advice. What's the worst career advice you received? – That control makes you successful. What would you do if you started your career now? – Slater would still tread the path he's walked, as he believes his company has always been his calling. What are your current career objectives? – Growing Indico and helping their customers to be able to tell their own stories. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Acting and performance have helped Slater to deliver presentations more effectively. How do you keep your own career energized? – Talking to interesting people, and continuously improving his outlook, is the best way to keep the creative juices flowing. What do you do away from technology? – Martial arts, vegan baking, and reading science fiction..   FINAL CAREER TIP Don't forget the "why" and focus on the foundational reasons behind what it is that you're doing.   BEST MOMENTS (1:47) – Slater - "I never want to be doing something that I believe will get done without me" (4:52) – Slater - "So much of your ability to be effective and drive change in your organization is going to pegged to how well you can story-tell" (6:10) – Slater – "The further you go in an organization, the bigger the problems you're solving" (18:26) – Slater – "So many of our limitations are self-imposed. You can do so much on a laptop!"   ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions.  Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.  And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.   CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/_PhilBurgess LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/_philburgess Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer   ABOUT THE GUEST – SLATER VICTOROFF Slater Victoroff has been building AI, machine learning and deep learning solutions for the enterprise for the better part of the past decade having worked with everyone from the federal government to two-person startups to the Fortune 100. He has also educated hundreds of business users in the successful implementation of deep learning through a simple framework that helps executives rapidly accelerate the adoption of the technology in their businesses.   CONTACT THE GUEST – SLATER VICTOROFF Slater Victoroff can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/sl8rv LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/slatervictoroff/ Website: https://indico.io/