The Super Duty Tough work, 90-day Challenge changed my life!

This year has been a blessing. Would you like to know how and why? Well, I will tell you. I participated in a 90-day challenge set by hosts Blueprint and Illogic of the Super Duty Tough Work podcast. They drop endless gems and advice for independent artists and professionals of all areas.

If they charge for consulting at some point, you will be mad that you did not soak up all the free game dropped every week.

The challenge consists of choosing three tangible goals and completing them within 90 days.

My goals were (1) to be CompTIA Security + certified, (2) to complete ten daily pushups, and (3) to be able to do a pull-up. I've always been on the heavy side, so being able to do just one is a big deal.

Regarding the physical goals, I did 60 days of pushups, and I could do half a pull-up by the end of the 90 days. But getting certified was my goal that I put a lot of attention on.

The challenge officially started in July, but I started the online course for Security + in March of 2022. I finished the online course the first week of July, and now all I had to do was study and pass the exam. When I sat down to study, I constantly had to refer back or relearn the online course material. I only retained a little of the information I had learned due to inconsistently watching the videos. After three weeks of studying, I decided to schedule my exam. I took it on Friday, and I failed. Wack! I arrived home after my exam sad and frustrated but still determined. I studied that weekend, called in sick that Monday, and rescheduled my exam for that evening. I passed the second time around.

Dude, I was hella happy and excited.

To give you some context. A year ago, in 2021, my mentor/friend IT Professional Willie told me about Security + and that I should work on getting certified. I told him I would look into it. I did some light research, but nothing too serious. In July 2021, I got a new job at a managed service provider(MSP). The gig was a remote work-from-home job with occasional on-site service visits to clients. Only working from home was intriguing and a motivating factor to apply. The MSP focused on Security. So after eight months at the MSP, I decided to get the certification.

I worked as a desktop tech for years. I was getting frustrated only helping end users with computer issues. I was confident in this position and had excellent customer service skills. My performance review reflected how well I helped clients. The performance review was helpful and necessary for what I did later on. A huge reason why I wanted to get certified was to work towards a better position within the company and move up the IT hierarchy. I dabbled in some networking, but I felt I needed the proper credentials to pursue a job in networking. At my previous job before the MSP, my friend Jay constantly told me I should get more familiar with networking, and he even went as far as to bring network books for me to read. But just like the situation with Willie, I did not take the initiative to learn more.

So after I became Security + certified, I reached out to the company's president and asked for a raise. I was nervous about our meeting because it was all new land. I never really formally asked for a raise. During our conversation, I used my performance reviews and my recent certification to help prove my case. I was successful, and I was on another high.

I was only a month into the challenge, and I got certified. August came, and I decided I wanted to pursue the CompTIA Network + Certification. With a Network +, I would be a certified network technician. I wanted to do things differently this time. I did not want to spend months sporadically studying. I set up a schedule to take the online course after work at the local library on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in the first three weeks of August. By the fourth week, I had completed the online course and was to only study for the exam. That fourth week of August, I crammed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I felt ready, so I scheduled to take the Network + exam Friday evening. I passed on the first try. I called Jay to let him know your boi was now a certified network tech! Yee!

This one felt special. I had been ducking networking like an ex-girlfriend.

I let my current job know.

My job at the MSP offers professional development. They reimburse for the cost of study materials and exams. They also let you study on company time. However, that time was only an hour per week. Realistically that wasn't enough, and that never sat well with me. More hours to study during work should be available, especially if it helps the employee gain a new skill set to help better serve the clients of the company. The fact that they only offer an hour a week to study felt like a deterrent not to try. An entire workday is 8 hours, and taking an online course after is a lot, especially if you have family or other obligations. But I understand it's their business, and they cut the check.

I worked within those set parameters, and I still managed to get certified.

I genuinely believed that with two certifications, the company would need to take me more seriously and put me in a position where I could learn.

I voiced what I wanted to do, but in retrospect, they did not know what to do with me. Maybe I had expectations they could not realistically meet, or my expectation wasn't aligning with their plan. Who knows?

I know this: My duties were only that of a desktop support tech going into October. I could be more than that, and I wanted to get into networking.

At this point, I came to terms it was time to look for a new job.

Present day I'm now a Systems Network Administrator at one of the most prestigious universities in the nation. Maybe the world. They say that, not me. I made it. I'm proud of myself. I'm even happy to acknowledge that I'm proud. Doing that has always been difficult because I fear that the minute I recognize a small taste of success, I'll get complacent, comfortable, or fearful that by acknowledging it that it will never happen again. Fuck that!

I take Bart to get to work. The other day after I got off the train( by the way, my commute is sweet. I get to work in 15 minutes or less), I paused for a second. I took a deep breath and soaked in how far I'd come. Reflecting on the 90-day challenge, I realize it became a catalyst for a new beginning. I followed thru on my goals and got rewarded. I'm still in shock.

In 20GreatTeen (2018), my friend Paavo introduced me to Super Duty. Blueprint and Illogic share their mistakes, lessons learned, and successes. Hearing them speak about how important stability is, normalizing days jobs for artists, and reminding me that I ain't missing shit is priceless. These guys are staples in their profession. They share their experience and give you tools to help navigate your journey. What they have to say holds value. But the cool thing is that you get a sense of sincerity and honesty that is hard to find in the Hip Hop community.

Before I leave, I'd want to tell you what I did the minute I was offered the new position. I quit. I called the MSP and told them I was out. We left on good terms.

So now I was off for a month. That month, I finished the last two songs and shot a music video with SacCentric.

I'm dropping a new album, "Trial and Error," early next year. The project is produced by Paavo and with a special feature from Illogic.

A big thank you to my mentors and friends, Willie and Jay. Big up to my wife, who cared for our three and five-year-old babies while I studied. Big up to Super Duty Tough Work!

Keep pushing and go for yours!

Peace,

Hugo Monster