March 31

Blogging Buddies: Meet Alex of “It’s not about the cell”

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Each month, we’ll introduce you to up-and-coming and new-to-the-scene Excel and data analysis blogs. We know how hard it’s to start a new blog, particularly in this space. So with this series, we want to give new bloggers a platform to help spread their message!

Below we’ve asked Alex Powers, owner of Itsnotaboutthecell.com, answer some questions for Excel.TV! Read on to learn about Alex and the wonderful work he’s doing for the community. (emphasis ours)

Tell us about yourself. What’s your professional experience? Why do you love data and Excel?

Alex

My story starts post-highschool, when I spent three years in a factory cutting industrial chain. Now I’m automating the reporting division of a Fortune 500 corporation. For those seeking opportunity, Excel is there for you, you just have to be willing to do the work. The application is unapologetic in that it’s very easy to use and very difficult to master. Every step of the way, from the factory to the cubicle, I have been self-driven and the one thing that has always provided me major career advancements has always been my ability to use Excel.

I also want to add that I give immense credit to my teammates, who through their own hard work, constantly challenge me to think outside of the box to provide solutions.

 

Why did you start blogging? Tell us about your blog.

The blog was an honest, hard look in the mirror. I knew that I was “good” at Excel but I wanted to be “great” at it. I realized early on the true measurement of someone’s ability is not in what they can accomplish, but in what they can help others learn to accomplish. My personal goal is to achieve the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award through hard work and integrity in my craft.

Your blog is called “It’s Not About The Cell,” what does that mean? What are you hoping people take away from your blog?

My best friend was talking about Lance Armstrong’s impressive work of fiction “It’s Not About The Bike” long before controversy struck and how much it helped him when it came to his own personal quest to master cycling. The title always stuck out to me; it was a strong statement, but also full of mystery and ambiguity. When people visit “It’s Not About The Cell” my intent is to show them that, similarly, Excel is not about the tools you are given – but what you choose to do with them. Continuing that theme, I wanted to provide a blog experience that was aesthetically simple and devoid of the constant noise and bombardment often found on the internet. I also like to infuse some pop culture in my writing, melding Excel educational materials of the past and all things /r/Excel and Pickle Cat of internet present.

Ultimately, the blog should serve as a tribute to some of the pioneers who I thoroughly enjoy: John Walkenbach, Michael Alexander and Dick Moffat. It was through their contributions that I found an appreciation for incredibly dense, and sometimes very opinionated, learning material. It’s material that when you got to the end of a chapter, post or article you felt the need for a stiff drink as a reward for the amount of time and effort it took until it finally “clicked.”

How can people find you?

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-powers-357a8a57
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsnotaboutthecell/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/notaboutthecell
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/alexmpowers/

Anything else interesting you want me to know?

Behind every great post is an incredible woman who corrects my grammatical errors, context and apostrophes.

***

We’re so glad Alex agreed to be one of our blogging buddies! Have a question for Alex, you can post it here! Make sure to follow all the great Excel work Alex is doing with Excel!

Do you want us to feature your blog? Let us know in the comments below. 

 

Jordan Goldmeier
Latest posts by Jordan Goldmeier (see all)

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    • Thanks Rick! It’s a cold dark world of typing, deleting, retyping the same thing, deleting it again, writing 5 pages worth of material in 20 minutes and then failing to write a decent opener and closer for the next week. But when you finally hit publish, man is it rewarding.

  • Hello Alex! I love your blog. It is very well designed and also very “meta.” What I mean is that it doesn’t just dump Excel tips and tricks, it really gets you in the mindset of a good analyst. One of the best lines in all of Excel literature had to be the opening line of a recent post:

    “This is not an Excel Lesson… This is a Lesson About Excel.”

    Check it out, everyone!

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