The year 2018 was about amplifying. Amplifying my message, thoughts, ideas, inspiration and passion. My energy and stamina are not what it once was. The journey ahead of me is smaller than the one behind me. I have been purposeful and deliberate about spending my time on things that would help me have a louder voice, align to a collective voice, for change and leadership. Unleashing the power of diversity and inclusion to deliver global products in a digitally connected world. I believe this has the potential to create a highly engaged workplace that can keep up with the rate of change of our ever growing fickle customer base. Teaching companies the importance of innovation and the courage to disrupt themselves before someone else does.

It starts and ends with people. You do not change an organization, people change the organization. They are the spark, energy, healthy scepticism, creative, forward-thinking drivers of these organizations. I love people — employees — customers — people. I want to talk with all of them, but only have a finite time to do this. I did not waste time in 2018.

This year Scotiabank and Scrum.org have given me a platform for teaching over 500+ people in Product Ownership, Leadership, and Scrum (a catalyst for change). I cherish spending each moment with them. Hearing their struggles, successes, and learnings. Creating agents of change. When they leave the class — the people they will inspire when they return to their job. I have got to see people change career paths as they got a sense of who they wanted to be in that moment. I thank them for inspiring me. I thank my awesome team of Sandra, Matt, and Aaron.

Scotiabank and Scrum.org enabled me to travel to Boston and work with Joshua Seiden, Erik Weber, and Gary Pedretti to collaborate on a future course designed specifically how to learn customers, opportunities, and validate them in 30 days or less. I thank Scotiabank and Scrum.org.

Early this year I was invited to be on the Digital Advisory Panel for Waterfront Toronto to help voice digital usage, governance, and innovative opportunities to better serve people in communities. The panel is comprised of super smart experts, academia, legal, and business. Fortunately for me, I get to be the dumbest person in the room to be able to learn, challenge, and ensure we are serving a greater cause. I could not ask to work with two more amazing people then Kristina Verner and Alaina Aston. These ladies help inspire, motivate me, to do more to better everyone. I am grateful to all of them.

I was able to achieve a major bucket list item in 2018. I was selected to deliver a Ted Talk in May. After the initial selection, I was super excited, followed by the anxiety of now what do I talk about?.

My parents worked so hard to allow me to have a voice in a world that was not ready to listen. I wanted to talk about agile, leadership, and courage. Courage to be the change. Sep Pashang was a huge champion and supporter of what I had to say. I cannot thank him for his continued campaigning of why I had to be on stage to be he heard. Marisa Tam was an incredible teacher and provided tools for me to be the best speaker I could hope for. Lastly, I cannot thank Aaron Sampson for all of the hours we spent before work, after work, and weekends creating a compelling talk that got an audience of 1700 people to stand from a speaker who struggles to stand himself. Aaron is my true example of how a follower can become a leader. I hired and mentored Aaron for the last four years…he is the Leader that I want to report to. The student became the teacher, friend, and brother. My love for you is undaunting and real. Thank you for continuing to remind me that my view of the world and life need to be heard.

I spoke at numerous conferences on topics on Product Ownership, Agile in Marketing, and Agile and Inclusion (Agile is a Catalyst for change, Inclusion is ensuring we bring everyone along with the change).

In 2018 I Had the most thought-provoking, reflective interview I have ever experienced in my life. It did a great job in helping me articulate me. Gregory Boyd was amazing to allow me to realize that the passion of what I do is a reflection of who I am.

Man on the move | Scotiabank Perspectives
Here are three things you need to know about Dave Dame:He has Cerebral Palsy, so he uses a wheelchair to move…perspectives.scotiabank.com

This year would not have been possible without my never-ending support of my wife, Kelly, my tribe, family, and all my friends past and present, near and far, and the audience that inspires me to do more.

What do I have planned for 2019? I want to write a book. The book will be everything not included in my Ted Talk and Scotiabank interview. I will also be keynoting the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Townhall, keynoting the Cerebral Palsy Gala in my hometown in Windsor, and hopefully numerous other speaking engagements that allow me to share my passions and experiences. More teaching classes. More social media, not for vanity, but to share…and hopefully inspire.

Looking forward to struggling, growing, experiencing, sharing and living in 2019!

www.DaveDame.com

My first week in the city has been an awesome life experience.

Monday morning rolled around with Kelly getting me up and ready for work. This was the start of a new chapter for us.

What do you worry about the first day of a new job?

I did not have concerns about my job, rather concerns that the environment would be suitable to my special needs. I know I will rock my job… It is my passion, talent, and I'm not afraid to work my ass off. My biggest concern was whether I could go to the bathroom independently. Using a new bathroom, going through this basic routine in a new environment is about as high risk as you get being a crip. I have a love for dry pants. To prepare for this, I started reducing my fluid intake on Sunday night. I only drank 5 ounces of water between Sunday at 8 PM until I went to the washroom my first time at work. Once I went to the washroom in the new environment for first time… I drank as if I just came back from a month long journey in the desert. These are the type of details I have to worry about when making a job change. Who will help me with my coat? Who will help me getting my water glass refilled?

Thanks to a good friend (my work sister) she made sure that the environment was going to be accommodating as possible. All the specific details that most people have to worry about were taken care of. She put the fear of god into building management to ensure all my accessibility needs were met. With this taken care of… I could focus on the task at hand… Just doing my job.

Empowering Moment

On Wednesday, for the first time in my life, I was able to get to work (6 KM) independently to the office. I have accomplished a lot during my life, but this was truly one of the biggest life events I will cherish. For as long as I can remember I have been a slave to depend on people bring me places. In Toronto, I've experienced of freedom that I did not think was possible.. I'm able to get anywhere in the city (wherever the subway goes) completely on my own. I have trouble navigating the swipe card for my subway pass, but there are always people there to help me swipe the card to get through to the train.People don't think the subway is glamorous...but I feel like a star.

On Thursday, my brother-in-law invited me to attend the Raptors game in his company's executive suite. I was able to travel from work to the ACC completely on my own. Nobody had to pick me up… I can just get there on my own. Although the raptors did not win the game… I was a winner! The winner of independence.

Rebuilding

Moving cities meant that I had to say goodbye to my current support workers and begin hiring a new staff in Toronto. We have had for interviews for people within this week. Our strategy is that we will hire all of them and said the weakest amongst them. Kelly has done an awesome job in training as we onboard them. Hopefully, in the next month, life will return to a new normal.

My wife has been phenomenally supportive from orchestrating our big move in 5 weeks (3 weeks with me out of country for work) and providing me love/support/care during this transition before she resumes her career. I love her with everything I have.

People Don't Always Suck

The common thread in this first week of living in Toronto was the awesomeness of people. The news tends to highlight all of all the horrible and terrible things that people are and do. We seldom hear about how awesome people can be. This week was awesome because of all the support from my wife, family, former colleagues, and new colleagues.

New colleagues quickly began helping me with my coat in the morning in the evening. These new colleagues were checking in to make sure everything was okay.

Change is hard for everyone. I have to be more concerned about basic needs than most. However, it doesn't mean that I should not embrace change and move forward. I can let the fear of change relating to my basic needs hold me back...or I can have the courage to trust that I can be resilient within the community of awesome people to move forward.

I read somewhere that a community can be measured by how they treat their members. So far, in the first week, I am in an awesome community.

Stay tuned, as the journey continues.

A Look Back on 2018 and Thank You!

Week 1 - Crip in The Big City