Clint Tuttle: Finding his niche in life after tech

I’ve been spending some time lately developing the content for a custom Excel course I’ll be running for a local manufacturer. I have to admit, at first, I was not especially enthralled about teaching Excel. I don’t t typically think of it as my wheelhouse. But as I dug into the content, I started to get into it. Like really get into it.

It turns out there’s an almost cult-like community out there associated with Excel and other applied tech skills. And when you really think about it, it’s pretty amazing how many complex problems you can solve with a tool as accessible as Microsoft Excel. From inventory management and budgeting, to taxes, loan calculations, data visualizations, and dashboards, to maps and layouts, knitting, cross-stitch, and needlepoint patterns, and even online games, there seems to be no end to the practical and dare I say even fun, applications of this tool.

And then late one night, down a YouTube rabbit hole about the Excel World Championship (believe it or not, this is actually a thing!), I stumbled on the YouTube channel of Clint Tuttle.

Clint was a tech consultant for ten years before he hit the proverbial consultant’s wall. A self-described “Excel Geek,” He discovered something interesting about himself while volunteering to teach Excel at his local women’s shelter. It turns out that he had a passion for helping people reach their life goals, for being their champion, and helping them grow as human beings. Oh, and he had a weird fascination with Excel, too.

So Clint did something most of us would never consider doing. He tried something new. He continued to work part time in consulting, but he also picked up a part time-gig teaching tech skills to college students at his alma mater, University of Texas.

And while he went into the gig with plans to teach things like Excel, SQL, and Project Management, he quickly recognized that his students were also in need of support in another area: fear of failure. He says their frantic calls and emails would arrive in his inbox at two in the morning. They’d tell him they were “freaking out,” the stress of building a life complete with exams, internships, and jobs, was just too much. They didn’t know how to learn from failure, to use it to grow stronger and more successful. So he naturally weaved this lesson into his curriculum, too. Because this is just what a guy like Clint does. He sees a need and then applies his skills, knowledge, and expertise to fill it.

Now a full faculty member, Clint has dropped the consulting work in favor of full time teaching. But imagine if, instead of branching out, Clint had buckled down on the known entity and decided to stayed in tech 15 years ago when his career was “going up in smoke“. How many lives would not have been shaped into such successful members of society if he’d just decided to “quit and stay” at his tech gig, putting in the hours and taking home the paycheck, but otherwise just doing the bare minimum?

After all, isn’t this where we’d all like to be in life? Doing work that has purpose and is fulfilling, that contributes positively to our community, and allows us to use our talents and skills for good?

Perhaps what is most fascinating, though, is that he does it all with such passion and energy. Between his end-of year “gifts” (song parodies), to his interviews, and even a flash mob for his wife’s birthday, the pure joy and earnest care and empathy Clint Tuttle has for his students shines through in everything he does.

Full disclosure: I’ve never met or even spoken with Clint Tuttle, although I definitely wish I had. He strikes me as an incredibly humble and generous man, determined to serve those around him with whichever of his skills are most likely to help others reach their potential. His story makes me want to be a better person. He shows me that all of us can step away from the hellscape that is the tech industry and rediscover ourselves in a niche that not only serves us as individuals but also serves our communities.

Clint has definitely succeeded in “Life After Tech,” but not only that, he’s provided a blueprint for so many others who are ready for the next stage in their lives. Whether we are lucky enough to be one of his students or just a run-of-the-mill fellow tech worker, Clint has provided us with the map and the tools to find our “Career Nirvana.” We just have to get past the fear of failure and take that first step. And then the next one. And the one after that.

So the next time you’re staring at the ceiling at 2am, “freaking out” about whatever fresh hell awaits you in the office this week, remember that we learn our most important lessons through failure, through trying something new, screwing it up, and then figuring out where to go next. And take Clint’s advice: “Don’t be afraid to fail.”

More about Clint Tuttle (and a few of his parodies):