We had the good fortune of connecting with Adrian McClanahan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adrian, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
Overthinking creates problems that don’t exist and ignores possibilities that do…this is a quote from a friend and coach, Adama Hamadi. I am famous for jumping to the extreme in my head, worry about all the things and how I can’t get something done or figure out a solution, when in fact I have help ALL around me, all I need to do is ask. Or just take a minute and breathe.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a Network Control Center Engineer by trade, and I absolutely love how IT is constantly evolving and changing. I’ve been in IT over 13 years now, and my path was a little non-traditional. I didn’t do the typical college experience, I did 2 years at a IT school (remember TESST College of Technology) for my Associates degree, then did an additional two years online to get my Bachelor’s in Network Information Systems. I did all of this while being a single mom, I was pregnant while getting my Associates. I pushed through schooling and work at the same time because my son deserved more and I was going to make sure he had it. Network Engineering isn’t the glamorous side of tech, it’s very much functionally focused, so I started dabbling and learning website design. I’ve been doing that for 4 years now, constantly learning new tools and software to elevate the experience and products I bring to my clients.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Soo even though I’m not much of a club going girl, I can definitely show them a good time as most of my friends love a good meal! So we’d hit all the good spots! KitchenCray Cafe for brunch, listen the food here is amazing! Oh and take them to visit The Spice Suite! They have amazing custom spices! Both KitchenCray and Spice Suite are black owned. Because I live right outside Washington, DC we’d go sightseeing, The African American Museum, MLK Memorial, biking downtown, Museum of Natural History (I’m a geek I can’t help it lol).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My Shoutout is dedicated to my Mom Squad and my husband. I know you said one but I legit wouldn’t be where I am without their support. My mom squad is an amazing tribe of women who are duh moms lol. But it’s a special sisterhood, like NO other, we lift each other up, lean on one another and support each other. They trust my expertise and tell everyone about my business. My husband, is my partner, like I wouldn’t be able to pour into my clients or anything else the way I do without his support and help.

Website: www.chicdivageek.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicdivageek
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-mcclanahan-648ba422
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chicdivageek

Image Credits
All photos by Amber Iris Photo

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