Autistic Child Story

 I dare you not to cry.  My son Andrew will never get married, have his own children, drive a car, so many things, BUT he is happy & healthy.  That is all that matters to me.  When a stranger waves back at him it makes my day.  When pretty girls smile back at him you can see the joy in not only his face, but his whole body.  It does't take much to be a good human 💜

Now the Story:

At a party organized at a school for children with special needs, the father of a student delivered an emotional speech that will never be forgotten by those who heard it.

After congratulating the school and all those who worked there, this father made the following reasoning: "When there are no external agents interfering with nature, the natural order of things reaches perfection." "But my son, Herbert, cannot learn like other children do. He cannot understand things like other children. Where is the natural order of things in my son?"

The audience was stunned by the question. The father of the child continued: "I believe that when a child like Herbert, physically and mentally disabled, comes into the world, an opportunity to see human nature arises, and it manifests in the way other people treat that child."

He then told a story about one day when he was walking with his son Herbert near a park where some children were playing baseball. Herbert asked his father: -"Dad, do you think they'll let me play?"

His father knew that most of the children wouldn't like it if someone like Herbert played on their team, but the father also understood that if they allowed his son to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and the confidence of being accepted by others despite his special abilities.

The father approached one of the children playing and asked (without expecting much) if Herbert could play. The child looked around for someone to advise him and said: "We’re losing by six runs, and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can join our team and we’ll try to put him at bat in the ninth inning."

Herbert slowly made his way to the bench with a big smile, put on the team’s jersey, and his father watched him with tears in his eyes from the emotion.

While Herbert sat among the players waiting for his turn, his father kept watching. The other kids noticed something very evident: the happiness of the father when his son was accepted.

At the end of the eighth inning, Herbert’s team managed to score a few runs, but they were still trailing by three runs. At the start of the ninth inning, Herbert put on a glove and played in right field. Although no ball came to Herbert, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, smiling from ear to ear while his father cheered from the stands.

At the end of the ninth inning, Herbert’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the chance to win the game was a possibility, and Herbert was the next to bat.

With this opportunity, would they let Herbert bat and give up the chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Herbert was allowed to bat. Everyone knew that a single hit was impossible because Herbert didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less hit the ball.

However, as Herbert stood at the plate, the pitcher realized that the other team was willing to lose to give Herbert a great moment in his life. He stepped forward and threw the ball very softly so Herbert could at least make contact with it.

The first pitch came, and Herbert swung awkwardly and missed. The pitcher stepped forward again, throwing the ball softly toward the batter. This time, Herbert swung and hit the ball so gently that it fell right in front of the pitcher.

The game could have ended there. The pitcher could have picked up the ball and thrown it to first base. Herbert would have been out, and that would have been the end of the game. But, the pitcher threw the ball high over the head of the first baseman, out of reach of the rest of his teammates.

Everyone in the stands and both teams began shouting, "Herbert, run to first base, run to first!" Never in his life had Herbert run that distance, but he made it to first base. He ran right along the line, his eyes wide open, startled. Everyone shouted, "Run to second, run to second!"

Herbert, catching his breath, ran with difficulty to second base. By the time he reached second, the right fielder had the ball. He was the smallest boy on the team and knew he had the chance to be the hero of the day. He only had to throw the ball to second base, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions and threw it too high, over the head of the third baseman.

Herbert ran to third base, while the runners ahead of him circled home. When Herbert reached third base, the children from both teams and the spectators were all standing, shouting, "Run to home, run to home!" Herbert ran to home plate, stood on the base with his arms up in triumph, smiling widely, looking at his father... while, strangely, the players from both teams cheered and hugged him like the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

"That day," the father said, with tears running down his face, "the children from both teams conspired, giving this world a display of true love and humanity."

Herbert didn’t survive another summer. He passed away that winter, never forgetting that he had been the hero and made his father very happy, having gone home to see his mother crying with joy, hugging her hero of the day!

A LITTLE NOTE FOR THIS MESSAGE:

We all send hundreds of jokes via email without a second thought, but when a message about the wonderful lessons life teaches us arrives, people hesitate.

If you’re thinking about forwarding this message, maybe you’re considering which people in your contact list are the 'right' ones for this kind of message. Well, the person who sent this to you believes that together we can make a difference, and therefore everyone is eligible to receive it. We have thousands of opportunities each day to help bring about "the natural order of things," this is just one of them. A wise person once said, "Every society will be judged by how it treats the least fortunate."

#autismacceptance  #andrewjoseph #kindessmatters #autism #spreadloveandpositivity

10 rules for negotiating a job offer

 https://haseebq.com/my-ten-rules-for-negotiating-a-job-offer/

AWS Partner Tiers

 

Services Path - tier guide

Introduction

This guide is intended to provide partner engaged in the AWS Services Path with prescriptive guidance on tier requirements. Included in this guide is a detailed description for each tier requirement, steps to achieve, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Engage your AWS Partner Manager with any specific questions.

Services Path Tier requirements

Requirement	Select Tier	Advanced Tier	Premier Tier
Knowledge
AWS Accredited Professionals	4 Required (Minimum 2 Technical and 2 business)	8 Required (Minimum 4 Technical and 4 business)	20 Required (Minimum 10 Technical and 10 Business)
AWS Foundational Certified Individuals	2	4	10
AWS Technical Certified Professionals	2 Required (Can be Associate, Professional, or Specialty)	6 Required (Minimum 3 Professional or Specialty)	25 Required (Minimum 10 Professional or Specialty)
Experience
Launched Opportunities*	3 Required (Total estimated MRR of at least $1,500)	20 Required (Total estimated MRR of at least $10,000)	50 Required (Total estimated MRR of at least $50,000)
Partner Business Plan*		Required	Required
Technical Program Validations			3 Required (Must include MSP or DevOps Competency or Cloud Ops Competency)
Sustained Attainment of Premier Tier Criteria			Required
Executive Business Review			Required
*Represents time-bound requirements that must be refreshed every 12 months

Steps to achieve

1. AWS Accredited Professionals

Applicable Services Tier: Select, Advanced, Premier

Employ a specific number of individuals that have obtained the AWS Technical Accreditations and AWS Business Accreditations. An individual can count under each of the three Knowledge-related requirements (1. Accredited Individual, 2. Foundational Certified Individual, 3. Technical Certified Individual). For example, if an individual holds the Technical Accreditation, Cloud Practitioner Certification, SA – Professional Certification, and the Big Data Specialty Certification they will count toward the following Services Tier requirements:

Accredited = 1

Foundational Certified Individual = 1

Technical Certified Individual = 1 (at the Professional or Specialty level)

→ Steps to achieve:

Individuals registered for access to your AWS Partner Central account complete the required AWS Business or Technical Accreditations.

2. AWS Foundational Certified Individuals

Applicable Services Tier: Select, Advanced, Premier

Employ a specific number of individuals that have obtained the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification or AWS Certified AI Practitioner Certification. An individual can count once under each of the three categories of Knowledge-related requirements (1. Accredited Individual, 2. Foundational Certified Individual, 3. Technical Certified Individual).

→ Steps to achieve:

Individuals registered for access to your AWS Partner Central account obtain required AWS Foundational Certifications.

3. AWS Technical Certified Individuals

Applicable Services Tier: Select, Advanced, Premier

Employ a specific number of individuals that have obtained AWS Certifications at the Associate, Professional, or Specialty level. If an individual has multiple certifications, only one certification (the highest certification) will be counted towards tier eligibility & compliance. An individual can count once under each of the three categories of Knowledge-related requirements (1. Accredited Individual, 2. Foundational Certified Individual, 3. Technical Certified Individual).

→ Steps to achieve:

Individuals registered for access to your AWS Partner Central account obtain required AWS Associate, Professional, or Specialty level Certifications.

4. Launched Opportunities

Applicable Services Tier: Select, Advanced, Premier

Maintain a total number of newly “Launched” opportunities via APN Customer Engagements (ACE) Pipeline Manager in AWS Partner Central over a rolling 12-month period with a minimum combined total of estimated monthly recurring revenue (MRR).

→ Steps to achieve:

Track and manage opportunities to "Launched" status via ACE Pipeline Manager in AWS Partner Central. Eligible opportunities include AWS Partner and AWS originated launched opportunities.

5. Partner Business Plan

Applicable Services Tier: Advanced, Premier

Identify and track specific objectives relating to your organization’s AWS partner journey via a documented business plan. Business plans must be validated and signed off on by your AWS Partner Manager, and reviewed at least once per year.

→Steps to achieve:

Your organization’s AWS Partner Manager is responsible for confirming this requirement on your behalf.

6. Technical Program Validations

Applicable Services Tier: Premier

Obtain a designation, or designations, from one of several different AWS programs. Options include an AWS Competency, the AWS Managed Service Provider (MSP) Program, or AWS Well-Architected Partner Program. For Premier Tier application, at least one of the three required designations must be either the AWS MSP or AWS DevOps Competency or AWS Cloud Operations Competency designation. designation.

→ Steps to achieve:

Successfully complete an audit or review for eligible program validation options.

7. Executive Business Review

Applicable Services Tier: Premier

The process of obtaining the Premier Tier Services designation is application-based. Partners with Advanced Tier Services can apply for the Premier Tier designation after they have met the initial Knowledge and Experience requirements for Premier Tier and maintained these requirements for six concurrent months. Upon sustained attainment, the Partner Manager needs to prepare for an Executive Business Review (EBR) which includes a data-assessment and a written narrative. The data-assessment is on revenue growth and top customer revenue distribution. The narrative will include a review of your organization’s relationship with AWS, such as key business and technical milestones. The EBR is a one-time process to apply for Premier Tier.

→ Steps to achieve:

Engage your organization’s AWS Partner Manager regarding next steps and documentation for the Premier Tier application process.

8. Sustained Attainment for Premier Tier Upgrade

Applicable Services Tier: Advanced

Partners with Advanced Tier in the Services Path must meet and maintain Premier tier requirements for at least six consecutive months to be eligible to apply for Premier Tier. The Sustained Attainment for Premier Tier Upgrade is a one- time requirement to apply for Premier Tier.

→ Steps to achieve:

No additional steps required to meet this requirement. Upon completion, ask your Partner Manager about the Premier Tier Application process which includes a data deep dive and a written document.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

1. How can my organization track its progress toward upgrade eligibility for the next Services Tier?

Your organization's Alliance Lead can track upgrade eligibility for the next Services Tier at any time via the Partner Scorecard Overview in AWS Partner Central.

2. When will my organization be billed for the $2,500 annual APN Membership fee?

Your organization will be billed for the annual APN Membership fee when you Confirm your membership. You can select to Confirm Your Membership at any time to access the benefits offered at the Confirmed stage. If you wait until you complete the Select Tier requirements, you will need to confirm your membership to get to the Validated path stage. Annually, the

$2500 APN Membership fee is billed on your organization's APN Fee Renewal Date.

3. How can I find my organization's APN Membership Fee Renewal Date?

The Alliance Lead and Alliances Team Users for your AWS Partner Central account can find the APN Fee Renewal Date listed on the home page upon login to AWS Partner Central.

4. I don't see “Registered” as a Services Tier? Has this changed?

Yes. Registering for access to AWS Partner Central is your first step with AWS. The first official Services Tier is Select. Registering with AWS provides you with access to certain training and enablement materials to help kick start your journey with AWS.

5. How are Premier tier upgrade requests processed?

The Premier Tier application process consists of two steps: (1) achievement of minimum Premier Tier requirements for six or more concurrent months, and (2) the Executive Business Review for final approval. Your AWS Partner Manager will work with you throughout each step of the Premier Tier application process, including the completion and submission of the Executive Business Review.

Knowledge requirements

1. How are AWS certifications calculated for inclusion in my organization’s Partner Scorecard?

The foundational and technical certification requirements are based on the count of unique certified individuals for each requirement. In the event an individual has obtained multiple certifications, only the highest certification level will be counted. For example, an individual that has obtained the Cloud Practitioner certification and holds an Associate, Professional, and Specialty level certification will count once as a foundational certified individual and once as a technical certified individual at the Professional or Specialty level.

2. Can the same individual count as an accredited individual as well as a foundational or technical certified individual?

Yes. The same individual can count as an accredited, foundational, and technical certified individual. However, the same individual can only count once for each requirement. For example, if an individual has an AWS Business Accreditation, is a certified AWS Cloud Practitioner, and has obtained the AWS Certified Security Specialty Certification, they will count once under each Knowledge-based requirement.

3. How does my organization receive credit for the accreditations and certifications of our employees?

All users that support your organization's AWS-based practices must be registered for access to your organization’s AWS Partner Central account. Your users should complete the secondary training & certification account email field in the event they originally registered for their accreditation or certification exam using a personal email address. Your Alliance Lead can view which users have registered against your organization’s account, and which have completed the secondary training & certification account email field from within AWS Partner Central. Additional guidance on how users can update their AWS Partner Central profile can be downloaded here.

4. How often is the count of accredited or certified individuals updated in my organization's Partner Scorecard?

Net new accreditations and certifications obtained by individuals that have registered for access to your organization’s AWS Partner Central account are automatically updated at least once per week. Please see the question above for information on how to accurately capture accreditations and certifications for your AWS Partner Central users.

5. What certification options are available to fulfill the foundational certified individuals requirement?

Individuals have the option to obtain the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification or the AWS Certified AI Practitioner Certification to fulfill the foundational certified requirement.

6. What certification options are available to fulfill the technical certified individuals requirement?

All Associate, Professional, and Specialty level certifications are eligible options that can be used to fulfill the technical certified individuals requirement.

7. Where can I learn more about AWS Cloud Practitioner and AWS Specialty certifications?

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam is the first business-focused AWS certification intended for individuals who have the knowledge and skills necessary to demonstrate an overall understanding of the AWS Cloud, independent of specific technical roles addressed by other AWS Certifications (for example, AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate, AWS Certified Developer -Associate, or AWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate). Specialty certifications validate advanced skills in specific technical areas, such as Advanced Networking and Big Data.

8. What type of technical certification is required at the Select Tier?

Any individual registered for access to your organization’s AWS Partner Central account with an Associate, Professional, or Specialty level AWS certification will count toward the technical certified individuals requirement at the Select Tier.

Experience requirements

1. What constitutes a “launched opportunity?”

An opportunity is defined as a net new individual workload deployed for an AWS customer. What is traditionally known as a closed/won opportunity in many organizations is what AWS refers to as a "launched" opportunity. You will receive recognition for launched opportunities submitted by your organization (Partner Originated) via APN Customer Engagements (ACE) Pipeline Manager and opportunities referred to you by AWS (AWS Originated) as a participant in the ACE Program. Refer to the ACE Pipeline Manager Guide for additional information on best practices and requirements for opportunity sharing and management.

2. How can I track the number of launched opportunities my organization is receiving credit for?

The total count of launched opportunities is made available to your organization’s Alliance Lead via the Partner Scorecard Overview in AWS Partner Central. This total includes both Partner Originated and AWS Originated opportunities. The total count of launched opportunities your organization is receiving credit for may exceed the count of launched opportunities in ACE Pipeline Manager. As a benefit of participation in the ACE Program, you may be given additional visibility into AWS Originated opportunities in addition to the opportunities that were submitted by your organization.

3. How is the estimated monthly recurring revenue (MRR) component of the launched opportunity requirement calculated?

The estimated MRR component is the cumulative total of the estimated opportunity or deal value associated with launched opportunities to which your organization is tagged. This is not based on actual billed revenue from the AWS accounts influenced by your organization. Similar to the count of launched opportunities, this includes estimated opportunity values from both AWS and Partner Originated opportunities.

4. Is the estimated monthly recurring revenue (MRR) component of the launched opportunity requirement a per opportunity minimum?

No. The MRR component of the launched opportunity requirement is an aggregate minimum total across all opportunities your organization has launched over the previous 12-months. It is not a per opportunity minimum requirement

5. Can multiple AWS Partners receive launched opportunity recognition for the same AWS customer opportunity?

Yes. Multiple AWS Partners may receive launched opportunity recognition for the same AWS customer opportunity. All AWS Partners involved in the same opportunity should follow the sharing and management best practices outlined in the ACE Pipeline Manager Guideto receive recognition.

6. Is Channel revenue, or revenue based on the AWS Solution Provider Program, included as part of Services Tier eligibility?

Select and Advanced Services Tier eligibility and requirements do not have a revenue component. Partners in the AWS Solution Provider Program that are delivering net new workloads to AWS customers will receive launched opportunity credit by submitting, tracking and managing AWS opportunities via ACE Pipeline Manager. The Premier Tier application process does review revenue trends, but it is not limited to AWS Solution Provider Program.

7. Do AWS Marketplace transactions contribute toward the launched opportunity requirement?

AWS Marketplace transactions are independent of opportunities submitted by AWS Partners in ACE Pipeline Manager. Your organization should submit all opportunities you are actively engaged with via ACE Pipeline Manager to receive launched opportunity recognition.

8. How often is the launched opportunity count updated in my organization's Partner Scorecard?

The count of launched opportunities and associated monthly recurring revenue (MRR) totals are updated each business day.

9. Will I have visibility into the opportunities my organization is tagged to by a member of the AWS sales team?

You will have visibility into AWS Originated opportunities that have been shared with your organization through the ACE Pipeline Manager.

10. My organization focuses on a smaller number of strategic customers and workloads. How can we meet the launched opportunity requirement?

The launched opportunity requirement is not focused on the attainment of net new customers. This requirement is inclusive of all the individual workloads you deliver for current or net new customers you support. This allows you to benefit from delivering AWS-based workloads of all types with AWS customers of all sizes.

11. My organization is concerned about the privacy of the information we provide AWS about our opportunities. Where can I learn more about this?

You should not disclose any information to AWS that is confidential, sensitive, or would be considered personal information from an individual unless you've obtained clear and affirmative consent to provide that information to AWS. Please see the AWS Privacy Notice and AWS Partner Engagement Principles for more information.

12. My organization is in the AWS Solution Provider Program. Do we need to continue to provide end user reporting information for the opportunities we submit via ACE Pipeline Manager?

Yes. Your organization is still required to provide end user reporting details via the Channel > End User Information tab in AWS Partner Central as an AWS reseller. The opportunity submission process is designed to provide visibility into the workloads your organization is delivering to AWS customers early on in the sales lifecycle. End user reporting is a post- engagement function designed to support the financial benefit you receive as an AWS Partner in the Solution Provider Program.

13. What should my organization do if our customer does not want their personal contact information disclosed to AWS?

AWS Partners assume responsibility for obtaining the clear and affirmative consent from a customer to share their information with AWS before submitting an opportunity to AWS. However, personal contact information (name, email address, phone number) of a customer is not a required field when submitting an opportunity. You should not disclose any information to AWS that is confidential, sensitive, or would be considered personal information of an individual unless you’ve obtained clear and affirmative consent.

14. What qualifies as a technical program validation for AWS Service Tiers?

Technical program validations are programmatic designations that require your organization’s service, solution or product to meet a minimum technical bar of some kind. Technical program designation options include the AWS Managed Service Provider Program, AWS Competency Program, and the AWS Well-Architected Partner Program. For Premier Tier eligibility, one least one of the three required validations must be either the AWS MSP or AWS DevOps Competency or AWS Cloud Operations Competency designation.

15. Where do I upload my organization's business plan?

Please work with your AWS Partner Manager to confirm and upload your organization's partner business plan.

16. Are existing Partners with Premier Tier required to complete an Executive Business Review and/or sustained attainment of Premier tier criteria requirements every year?

No. The Executive Business Review and sustained attainment of Premier Tier criteria requirements are intended for net new Premier Tier applicants.

17. How do I read my Service Path Scorecard?

There are two columns on the Scorecard, the first is a summary of your achievements since your last Tier Review Date. This view helps you understand what needs to be complete before the next Tier Review Date to retain your current tier. The second column is the previous 12 month rolling count. This view is what is used to determine your eligibility to upgrade to the next tier. On the Scorecard itself there is help text that explains the two columns, and encourages you to address gaps prior to your tier review date. Alliance Leads and Alliance Team Users can see your Partner Scorecard and Tier Review Date.

Story Telling for Techies

Pre-req:

From Trainer Mahesh Bellie

1. The pre-training questionnaire, and   

2. A TED talk on the Science of Storytelling (talking about the Why of storytelling; the program covers the How part)  
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj-hdQMa3uA based on https://www.productleadership.com/the-science-of-good-storytelling/

Request you to fill up the questionnaire at least a few days before your training.  Thank you! Go through this Tedx 

Tips:

• Keep lower body stationed
• For important talks, script and rehearse multiple times

Converting Your Experience into Growth with Storytelling

Day 1

• Storytelling for techies was 4 part session
• We all know that grabbing the attention of your audience in the first 3, 5 and 8 seconds is important. The two-day session will prepare you for that.
• 
  
• A good story has a structure, substance and style

We were presented with 6 short videos (3 from fictional and 3 from business environments) approximately 1 min each and asked to write a story about that in 3 sentences and in one minute. 

S-C-R Rules 

when to break it

More simpler and straightforward to streamline the business communication

The elements of a good business narrative

 Structure + Substance + Style = Value for audience's time

Learnings from Aarti - Wardrobe Orphans

What can you do with your wardrobe orphans?

Imagine buying clothes because they are the current fashion trend, only to realize later that the trend is gone. Now, what do you do with those clothes?

Fashion trends sound exciting. They are a great way to refresh your wardrobe, try something new, or experiment. 

But are they reliable in the long run?

They make you feel stylish for a short period, and then...they become Wardrobe Orphans, clothes you don't want to touch because they no longer serve you or make you truly happy. 

Wardrobe orphans are items in your closet that you don't like to wear or that don't fit your personal style.

So what should you do? Well, throw them away! 

Just kidding! 

Here are a few ways you can utilize the wardrobe pieces that don't serve you:

• First, determine the pieces that don't fit well. Put them for alterations or adjustments to make them work.
• Use wardrobe orphans as the centerpiece of new outfits. Combine them with newer items to create cohesive and stylish looks.
• Transform orphans into something new, like turning a long skirt into a dress or an oversized shirt into a trendy crop top.
• Be creative with accessories. Use accessories like belts, scarves, or jewelry to give old items a new lease on life.

By rethinking and reintegrating wardrobe orphans, you can enhance your wardrobe's versatility and discover new looks without always purchasing new items. This approach helps you make the most of what you already own and fosters a more sustainable and creative approach to fashion.  

Save both your time and your money!

Until Next time...