I'm a serial entrepreneur with deep roots in technology and a passion for music. A kind of Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde, if Hyde can be a rocker chick/song writer/author instead of a lunatic!
I started my career as an engineer at NASA and a stint in Silicon Valley as a Quality Assurance Manager, then started my first company, which eventually became Vettanna. Our first job was to setup the QA department at eBay and train testers. During the last few years Vettanna has expanded to provide IT Staffing, Strategic Communications and Team Training.
I recently started Vettanna ToGo to help executives, entrepreneurs, authors and speakers be calm, confident, concise and relaxed when they are in front of the camera - whether it's for a vlog, teleconference, social video show or even an online job interview.
I sing in the Bay Area rock band, Urban Fiction, do public speaking and have written two books. Use the menu on the left to find out more and get the links to the business, band and book sites.
In 1996, a fledgling eBay asked me to start their QA department. I did that very first project and then handed this client over to my brothers to manage while I started to work to build the company.
During my days as a QA manager and consultant, I noticed three core deficiencies in the industry and set about creating a training curriculum to address those problems.
Today, testers that are trained by Vettanna are 80% more productive and find 5 times as many serious software defects than testers who have not been trained by us.
We've expanding now into IT Staffing; providing engineers, testers, writers, project managers and even a librarian to high tech companies around the world.
We also provide strategic communications expertise including messaging, social networking, social videos and cross cultural communications.
By 2006 more and more entrepreneurs were inviting me to coffee and seeking advice on social networking and promoting themselves in the media.
They wanted to know not only how to build their following but also how to be relaxed, confident and authentic in front of a camera or behind a microphone. So, I spun off a new division, Vettanna ToGo, to meet the need.
The highlight of 2009 was partnering with Saks Fifth Avenue and Savor The Success to do a three hour media training workshop that included two camera crews, hair and makeup artists, fashion stylists, interviewers, an actor and myself all giving advice and tips for conveying your authentic image on video.
I grew up in the arts: acting, singing, shaking my booty (by no means can we call it dancing!), playing guitar, flute and french horn. I was even drum major and band conductor.
But my musical destiny got put on hold when I abandoned the arts and began a career in software development thats seen me work on projects from NASA to eBay.
In 2005, I decided that the music had been on the back burner long enough and began studying, song writing and performing again.
Now I'm singing with my band, Urban Fiction, and rocking out to AC/DC, Led Zep, The Scorpions and The Stones just for fun!
One night I sat down to write a song and the book started tumbling out. At first it was written from my perspective and to help my sweetie succeed at evoking my happiness.
As he read the book and followed the recipe for bringing out my best, I realized just how powerful the clarity and communication aspects of this book are.
So, I tweaked it a bit, so you can use it too! It's due out later this year!
Video is everywhere. Video helps people get to know you; whether its on a video conference call, a video job interview or a social video to market yourself or your business.
Before you press record, take a moment and discover how to use video to build positive relationships, increase clients, and understand how people perceive you on video.
Video is everywhere. How do you want to be remembered?
