Samara Donald’s Post

As I close and incredible chapter at AWS, I am filled with profound gratitude and appreciation for the experiences, relationships, and knowledge I’ve gained over the last 5 1/2 years. 🚀 Learning and Innovation: AWS has been a remarkable environment where innovation is not just encouraged but is at the very core of our daily work. The forward-thinking approach has allowed me to explore the latest technologies and push the boundaries of what’s possible. The constant drive for excellence here has truly shaped my understanding of what it means to be a part of an industry leader. 🌍 Global Impact: Being part of a team that makes a significant impact on businesses and communities worldwide has been a privilege. It reinforced the importance of scalability, reliability, and security in creating solutions that serve millions. The lessons I’ve learned here about cloud, customer obsession, and innovation will stay with me throughout my career. 👥 Incredible Relationships: More than anything, it’s the people at AWS who have made this journey unforgettable. I’ve had the privilege to work alongside some of the brightest minds in the industry. The camaraderie, mentorship, and friendships forged here are irreplaceable. Thank you to all my colleagues, mentors, and team members who have supported, challenged, and inspired me every day. 🌟 Gratitude: I am immensely grateful for the opportunities and experiences I’ve had at AWS. This journey has been transformative, both professionally and personally. I leave with a wealth of knowledge and a heart full of gratitude for the ways AWS has helped me grow. To my colleagues, friends, and mentors at AWS: You’ve been an essential part of my journey, and I am thankful for every moment we’ve shared. I look forward to staying connected and watching AWS continue to innovate and inspire. And now...onto the next great professional adventure...stay tuned! #AWS #Gratitude #Innovation #NewBeginnings #ItsalwaysDayOne

Time Flies - Reflecting on 6 Years of Growth and Challenges at AWS (3 roles, 2 countries, 2 continents) 😃 😃 It's hard to believe, but today marks my 6th year anniversary working at AWS! When I first joined the team, I could have never imagined the incredible journey that lay ahead. The last 6 years have been a whirlwind of daily challenges, steep learning curves, and incredible growth opportunities. From mastering new technologies to navigating complex customer requirements, each day has presented unique obstacles to overcome. But it's those very challenges that have made this experience so rewarding. With the support of my talented colleagues and the innovative spirit that permeates the AWS culture, I've been able to continuously evolve, expand my skillset, and deliver impactful solutions for our customers. Looking back, I'm amazed at how much I've learned and accomplished in such a relatively short period of time. The pace of innovation at AWS is truly breathtaking, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be a part of an organization that is constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the cloud. As I reflect on this milestone, I'm filled with gratitude for the opportunities AWS has provided, the relationships I've built, and the profound impact we're making for businesses around the world. Here's to more years of adventure, growth, and overcoming the next set of daily challenges! #AWS #WorkAnniversary #ProudAmazonian #CloudComputing #CareerDevelopment

Today marks the end of an era as I bid farewell to AWS after an unforgettable 4 years & 8 months journey! 🌐💙 I've worn multiple hats, shuffled through 4 roles, danced through 3 teams and 2 orgs – a journey that can only be described as a rollercoaster of growth, learning, endless AWS acronyms and incredible people. 🎢💻 It's been an absolute privilege to work alongside some of the most brilliant minds that turned each day to a masterclass in innovation, resilience, and the power of teamwork. 🚀 To my incredible colleagues at AWS: you're not just coworkers; you're a powerhouse of talent, and I've been fortunate to learn and grow with you. Thank you for being my mentors, my collaborators, and my partners in crime. As I step into the next adventure, I leave with a heart full of memories and a brain full of knowledge. Until we cross paths again – keep rocking the AWS world, stay quirky, stay fabulous, and always remember to Ctrl+S your happiness. 🤟 Here's to the next chapter, new challenges🌟 #aws #lastday #farewell #amazon #cloud

After 4 years, and 8 months of Day 1s at AWS I've decided to accept a position that will challenge me and allow me to serve students in my city through program management and operational excellence. When I joined AWS as an educator, I was intentional about what I wanted to gain and how I intended to contribute. Careers are yours to own. Your path should align to Your values and Your goals. Here are some lessons I'm taking into my next chapter that I've learned on my wild, exciting, career journey thus far: 1. Be clear about what you Enjoy, are skilled at, and areas you want to develop. This will serve you well when vetting roles and interviewing. Thanks for teaching me this Jacqueline Kennedy, Ed.D. 2. Set clear goals and milestones for your personal and career plans. I use FutureMe to send 6 month and 12 month letters to myself to celebrate milestones I plan to accomplish within that time frame. FutureMe 3. Choose a manager that you admire. Managers are so important to your success. Ask questions to understand who they are at work and if they make time for play. Thanks Mayce Blackmon Heather DeJong Angel Duncan, MBA Brooke Spearmon, MBA Kirsten Blair and Marianna Holiday. 4. Nurture your network. I tend to prefer deep personal connections rather than transactional relationships. Make time to talk to people within and outside your organization that have common values and varied roles. My network encourages me to Dare Greatly. Thanks for being a safe place to rumble Farzin Nickman Jamica Bush, MBA ☁Brad Burnett kevin Simon Cassandra Babilya Alexis (Alie) Sanders, MA Hatun Kruger Travis Butler Tia Barnes, MBA Jonathan Lewis☁ Farhin H Kimberly V. Bethany Bell Amanda L. Sargent, LMSW Desalyn Swank Eddwina Flowers Lakendra Simon 5. Do work your way. I have a unique approach to solving problems and getting work done. I've stopped apologizing for being an ISFJ, Learner, mother and wife who's deliberative, and sometimes awkward. These are my super powers and have served me well. There are so many colleagues and friends that have made me better and I'm forever grateful for all AWS has been to me. It has truly been one of the best career decisions I've ever made.

That's great! For your LinkedIn post, you could write something like: "Excited to have completed the AWS Tech 4 Her program hosted by Aspire for Her! Grateful for the opportunity to enhance my skills in AWS and contribute to diversity in tech. #AWS #WomeninTech #AspireforHer"

🚀 Exciting Update: Scheduled my AWS Solutions Architect Associate Exam! 🎉 A year and a half removed from active-duty military, and I'm on the path to my dream job as a Solutions Architect. Who knows maybe with AWS 😎 🌐 Didn't know what I wanted to be at first, but I know it has to be a job where I collaborate with the best and brightest minds pushing me to my limits daily. Life threw me a few curveballs, but I'm back on track! 🎯 Followed some advice from some AWS gurus— Trevor Spires and John Culkin - scheduled the exam first, now backward planning is in full swing. Step one, done! 📅 Scheduled for next month. Hip Hip Hooray! 🙌 ⚖️ Balancing life's priorities—family, business, medical, school—can be a juggling act. 🤹 This week, my 4-year-old is out of school. Yikes! 😅 He's my bright spot, though. 🌈 How am I managing it all? Playing to his strengths—dinosaurs! 🦕 While he builds his Dino Army and read his books, I sneak in an hour of study. 38 days and counting! ⏰Wish me Luck!🤞 How do you balance life's curveballs and ambitious goals? 🤔 What's your secret to staying on track amidst the chaos? Share your wisdom! 👇 #ITLife #AWSJourney #DadLife #LifeBalance 🚀

Last month marked my 5th anniversary at Amazon Web Services (AWS). After 5 years, you get a yellow badge aka upgrade to gold tier from the blue badge that everyone gets joining Amazon. In true Amazon fashion, here are 5 learnings I would like to share: 1. My favorite leadership principle is Bias for Action aka Hustle. In my previous life I spent so much time doing analysis paralysis (which subject to pick, which college to pick, which programming language is best, which IT domain should I learn to get the highest advantage, should I try this new thing…), it is liberating to act fast on two-way door decisions. I firmly believe, the more shots you take, the higher your chances to win. 2. I never dreamt of working in projects with such widespread impact. I often joke, if you live in the US you have certainly used at least one application that I have helped design. I am both humbled and energized by that. 3. Almost everyone, including myself, suffers from imposter syndrome right after joining AWS. From being THE rockstar in your previous company, you join a company where everyone is a superstar. Trick is to keep learning and keep rolling with the punches, and before you know it, you’ll start making an impact. 4. Amazon is truly a customer obsessed company. It actually makes life simple - when choosing between tasks, you work backwards from the customer and select the one which helps the customer the most. 5. I still can’t believe I switched from mainframe to the most cutting edge technology company in the world. So here lies the lesson - if you feel stuck in a career, or in a legacy technology you don’t like, you also can transition to cloud. As long as you stop analysis paralysis, show Bias for Action (told ya, it’s my fav!), and get started. Keep learning and keep rocking 🚀 ————- If you want to know how to switch career to cloud along with no BS tech tips, subscribe to my free newsletter https://lnkd.in/eJevzpeM #aws #hustle #career

A landmark day at AWS, as Matt Garman begins as CEO. His note to AWS employees: 1- customer obsession remains #1, 2- generative AI has enormous promise, and 3-innovate and take risk! Excited to see what this next chapter brings. 👇 In terms of goals, we feel the same way here CloudFix - we help our customers save on their AWS bills using AI, automation, and a huge amount of experience in AWS cost optimization! I'm proud to be part of an AI-first company, and feel like every day I get to work with technology that will play a role in bringing about the "Star Trek"-future I've always been looking forward to! If you want to save on your AWS bill, the first step is to find out exactly where and how much you can optimize. To do this, get a free savings assessment. We can scan your Cost and Usage Report and other usage information, and give you valuable insights on exactly which resources can be resized, snapshotted, which ones are idle and can be deleted, and much much more! Ping me or any of my CloudFix colleagues if you have any questions!

It’s great to see this post from Matt. Key two words in that post… “building blocks”, which means you’ll always need expert teams in assembling them into business value! Looking forward to seeing what comes next from AWS and Generation AI!!

They say that we work peculiarly #HereAtAWS. Why? Our culture and Leadership Principles guide us to break through limitations with what we think is possible, or even what our work is "supposed" to be. Learn about what others say about careers at AWS 👇