Community Showcase: Chris Paxton McMillin

Luis Malbas  
All right. Hello, everybody. Welcome to the training, learning and development community. Thank you for joining us today. Happy Tuesday to all of you out there. Let's see, our guest today is a TLD C member who is a senior developer, you have your own company. You have supported TL DC for a while now you'd like speaking at events? In fact, you're speaking next week at our AI DC 23 conference, the accessible and inclusive design conference. Chris Anna Paxton Macmillan. And is it okay, I call you Chris. Right? Because I was

Chris Paxton McMillin  
gonna Yes, that is my preferred name.

Luis Malbas  
Okay, Chris. Yes. Thank you.

Chris Paxton McMillin  
That's easier to say. Yes. And

Luis Malbas  
I have like so many interesting questions for you. Because you have a very interesting background. One of the main things that's a you have a company called d3 Training Solutions.

Chris Paxton McMillin  
Yes. And that stands for design, develop, deliver. So that's kind of what we did.

Luis Malbas  
Yeah, yeah. And company has been around for

Chris Paxton McMillin  
how long? We just celebrated our eighth year in March.

Luis Malbas  
Wow. Congratulations. Very exciting. And I missed seeing you at DevLearn. In Las Vegas last fall. I was there.

Chris Paxton McMillin  
The past? Yeah. But hopefully this year?

Luis Malbas  
Yeah, I may go. I'm not quite sure. I may go. I probably will try. It's, you know, Vegas is just such a crazy place. But the event typically is does not to be missed. And so I'll have to, you know, I'll try to check it out. And maybe we can meet up then. Definitely. Until then, let's go ahead. And I'm just going to ask you, I've got a few questions for you about your background. Now. You have been in training for a long time. Yes.

Chris Paxton McMillin  
And I love that you said called me veteran versus old, sir. Thank you. That's great.

Luis Malbas  
So 90s It was in 1998 98 is

Chris Paxton McMillin  
when I first officially got into the field. Yeah.

Luis Malbas  
So now you and you found d3 Training Solutions eight years ago? What inspired you to make the transition into technology, and elearning? Because it looked like you have an IT background? Right?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
I speak the only foreign language I somewhat speak is it. And my it friends, I'm like they're brilliant. But I can take what they say hopefully and put it in English. So the rest of us can understand it. Yeah, because sometimes it's just way up there. My background before that, though, was journalism, and news editing. So I was from the yearbook and graphic design. And I feel like so much of that is what we do on a daily basis. And I was a former teacher. So I taught in the public school system here in Tulsa, and WorldCom, really dating myself now called me up for a technical trainer. And it was one of those that, you know, binary analog to digital, how, you know, voice over IP worked. And, you know, ATMs and not the telephone, but not money. But you know, automatic train, you know, it's in telecommunications and the internet. And it was amazing. And I loved it. And so that's what really kept me into technology. And the funny thing is, is Worldcom had a, what we call Distance Learning back then, and had a studio. And we had a team of about 25, across the United States, and everybody was teaching, but most of your soft skills, your leadership, your management and the technical stuff, I would travel around, and I'd never get through security now. But with all these cables and wires, and all the samples of things to show fiber optics and stuff, and I would get to travel and do this stuff, but it finally came to the point where they were like, sweetie, you need to start using in teaching either this way, you know, using WebEx or using our studios, we had our own TV channel, or you need to find another place. And so I decided, okay, not sure, maybe I can teach this way. And the funny thing is, I'm still in contact with a lot of them, and I'm the only one still doing it. And my old manager really laughs She's like you were the last one but you've stuck it out. I'm like, Well, I'm, I guess I'm stubborn that way.

Luis Malbas  
Well, you know, and that kind of leads to my next question, which is, you know, you have been a adjunct adjunct faculty at Tulsa Community College is that right? Tulsa Community College. And it's been I want to, if I recall, was like since 2000, or something.

Chris Paxton McMillin  
I taught my first one and I started teaching back then again and analog to digital binary, the Cisco certifications. So right

Luis Malbas  
and the thing It's fascinating is when I looked at your I actually copied and pasted them. You're the classes that Utah they're all business intro to business intro to ethics business issues Small Business Management, Intro to operatorship computer concepts MS Office PowerPoint, multimedia, and then telecom classes overview, telecom, telecom analysis, one telecom and now to, but there's nothing there that has anything to do with elearning or anything like that. I mean, maybe, you know, PowerPoint multimedia, but how did that happen?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
We are a community college. And so it is truly, again, more of that community college. So it's just that freshman sophomore courses, we don't prep. I'll come in and do special sessions every once in a while for the continuing ed side, or the community ed side, for companies on distance learning. And I'm using new terms again, on elearning. And things and I do a lot within the state of Oklahoma, I'm on a couple different committees where we're helping with incorporating virtual reality and training and safety things and that kind of stuff. But yeah, I'd love to teach one to the front line. But demand isn't there yet.

Luis Malbas  
Guys, wow. So retire. Yeah. And it's more than a couple decades doing that. So kudos to you. That's amazing. I do want to hear though, you know, I'm going to I want to ask you some questions about d3. It's a certified women owned business. How about some unique perspective or chat perspectives or challenges that you've encountered? Having a woman owned business? I know I can see Vanessa, who owns her own business too, in, in the audience, but how does the identity shape your company's mission and operations?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
For me, it actually came from one of my clients, a fortune 100 oil and gas company here. Again, probably well, they were one of my first clients. So a few months after my business started, and needed me to certify, because they were trying to be more diverse, and like, you know, women owned health. So I self certified with them. And I actually just got through the state of Oklahoma. My women own certification, probably two months ago. But that is something I think, loose we can talk to on I'd love to do a whole session on this, because so many in our fields, are women owned minority owned different things. And I don't know, but a lot of the people on the call, but they will get these primary bids for government work, and they'll contract it out who contracts and who contracts out. So I may be down here on the seventh level, doing the actual work. And it's like, okay, wait a minute, how can I get a bigger piece of the pie. And so part of that is getting your actual SBA certification, and there's places out there that charge for it. SBA does not and so I'm learning all about that. And then there's all types of of a women own programs that actually flipped to Chicago last week for a session, all about women helping get other women into government contracting. And I think our field is just obviously primed for that. But then they're, you know, there's so many more than just women on there's HUBZone. There's disadvantaged minority owned eight, a, I mean, there's so many things that can help us get that foot in the door, to get some of these contracts and stuff. Sometimes maybe some of the big companies, although I love my big company, they do work for some but

Luis Malbas  
right. No, absolutely. That'd be wonderful. I mean, just sharing that information, or, I mean, that that would be absolutely amazing. If you want to do anything on that, I'd be happy to help facilitate something like that. And, but as a woman and running the business, is there any any particular challenges you've encountered in this space? Or?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
I don't know. For me, the biggest assumption is always that it's a male owned, right, especially probably doesn't help going by Chris. So I was thrilled when it was okay to start using our pronouns. Because I've always been misgendered in that sense, being again, in technology, that kind of stuff, too. But it's it really, I don't think it's hindered much, except that, you know, I've often been to meetings, and I remember sitting at a meeting once and they were doing a new kickoff, and I'm like, Well, I left a message for him. And everybody in the room kind of started laughing because it was a kind of a new guy. And if obviously, he didn't leave a message on my phone because I don't sound real masculine, I don't think. And so it was like it's killing DevOps to people down. I was like, Hi, I'm Chris. I'm sorry, I didn't get your message. But it I don't think it's really hurt. And I think if anything, it helps because we can see things Use, I think often from different experiences and different views and maybe a little more empathetic than others.

Luis Malbas  
Yeah, no, absolutely. I see. Vanessa posted it in the in the chat that, that she's starting the official process to certify the businesses, woman and minority that that her businesses, women and minority owned. So

Chris Paxton McMillin  
I'm curious, are you doing it through the state or SBA? Because I started with the state level, because it's easier to kind of practice with the paperwork, and then working on that. So yes, I'm working on that to holler if you have any questions. I've got all kinds of notes behind me on getting it done and who to contact and you don't have to pay to get it done. And because there's so many companies out there, as soon as you Google about this, they're like, oh, yeah, pay us. $7,000. And it was what One lady said, to get it done. And it's like,

Luis Malbas  
wow, okay, I guess I would need I should look into that being minority owned since it's Yeah, exactly. It's interesting. What, I'm just curious kind of what are the benefits of that? I know,

Chris Paxton McMillin  
a lot of the bigger companies. And again, I'm hearing some things where they're not focusing, I mean, that we've we've seen on the news too much recently, where they've, they're starting to lay off their Dei. But still, hopefully, they still have a dei focus, and maybe they'll realize what they're doing is wrong. Or maybe I would love almost where it eventually incorporates dei and accessibility to where it's all in, it kind of puts ourselves out of business. But I don't see that happening anytime soon. But a lot of whether it's your fortune 100, your corporate businesses, they have a goal to spend a certain percentage of their monies, hiring contractors that meet this qualification. So it helps their stockholders I guess, when they send out their Oh, yeah, we did this. On the government side, they actually, again, will give preferential hiring, that there's a thing that we learned about two clubs, something like something at a class of two, and unfortunately, so many may just be one. So the more of us it team together, we can actually go back and say, um, you excluded us, and there's more than one of us. So it's not that you can say you were just giving it to them, and skip over and they will, you know, it helps you get those those bits in those contracts.

Luis Malbas  
Nice, fascinating. Yeah, let's get together. And we can Yeah. I know that, especially with like freelancers, altogether, would love to have that information. Now, I'm d3 Training Solutions. I saw that you provide unique and customized experiences for each client. How do you do

Chris Paxton McMillin  
that? I think the biggest thing is just to listen, and and be aware of what they're asking for and what problem is trying to solve. And I think for myself, which a lot of people kind of might be shocked at training. And elearning isn't always the answer. And I will be the first to tell them that because I think in the long run that helps create that relationship. I mean, sometimes it can just be done with a, you know, an instructional manual, or a poster hung up in the hallway. And if they want me to create it, I can. But it, but training and elearning isn't always the answer. So we've got to figure out kind of, again, that analysis part and what is the problem? And then how are you going to check to make sure it's fixed?

Luis Malbas  
Yeah, yeah. And also you partner with, you know, other elearning companies, other elearning leaders, I saw that, like you have a thing going with beyond where I can't remember, it's maybe it's like an affiliate type of thing. How does this help you and d3, it helps

Chris Paxton McMillin  
me because I am so small, I am a one person show role of Oklahoma. If you can see outside, there's my pictures I posted once of these two Bob Cats walking in front of my office window. So. So for me, it helps because again, I can hopefully find out about some of the later technologies and things going on. But I can also again, work with the clients. I am a firm believer in if you do you work with that client, you know, if someone has given me a client to work with, I'm representing, you know, I see I do a lot of training for interactive Vantage Corporation out of Atlanta, and I do some work for them too. When I'm doing their work, I am I see. And I tell people's like, I just happen to be the one employee that's not in Atlanta. If I'm doing stuff for DTR out of Wisconsin, I just happen to be there autumn for you know, I don't I'm not d3. And I think that helps build those relationships, which again, helps. So I'm not out hustling and trying to find work all the time. Nice.

Luis Malbas  
And you provide like services to corporations, nonprofits, government agencies, all across northern North America, right. How do you So how do you manage the diversity of organizations that you serve? different sectors? Yeah,

Chris Paxton McMillin  
yeah, I keep a lot of notes I have, if you can see my office, I've got whiteboards on my desk, my office is kind of messy. Like I had a Garfield poster that said, a messy desk is the sign of a creative mind. And then someone posted something about Einstein, or one of them always had a messy desk. And it was, you know, because there were smart, and I'm like, I will take either of those. But I keep lots of notes. I take very detailed notes, I got kind of in trouble in college because I took too detailed notes. Part of that has to do with was recently diagnosed with ADHD, I've always had dyslexia, where I've always known about the dyslexia. And again, the vision issues. And so that just helps me remember and keep track. And so I'm always okay, what Who is this client? What are they doing? How do I need to look them up? And address?

Luis Malbas  
Wow, so Okay, so you've been able to manage those challenges and, and still successfully run a business?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
I almost think that helps in our field, because we are doing so many different things. You have to be able to multitask. And I had some great teachers that taught me that it is a talent versus a disability.

Luis Malbas  
Okay. No, that's great. That's great. And let's talk a little bit about your participation next week in AI DC 23. Like, why why is it that that that is a conference that you want to speak at?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
I, to me, it's one of those again, I'm trying to put myself out of business, I would love for that conference to go away because we don't need it. Because everybody realizes that when we build for diversity, and when we build things where people can see themselves in it, and they feel safe, and they want to take the training, everyone wins. And when we build for these things, it's not just we don't have anyone that works here that's blind, or deaf, you know, do you really know? Because it doesn't sound like it's a safe place for them to to feel comfortable? That even still, how many of us wear glasses, right at the moment, you know, how many of us have gotten older how many people are colorblind, how many people's English not their second language, so many people help. And again, through basically the curb cut effect. Curb cuts were created for wheelchairs, but many of us benefit from them. We can do the same with with elearning, we can all benefit and not just elearning, which is PDFs and all kinds of things. We all benefit when it's was done for all and we consider all.

Luis Malbas  
And now how about just your motivation for creating inclusive experiences is that is it because you have ADHD and dyslexia or anything else?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
Hard, it's that I also I've got family members that are marginalized. My grandfather and my aunt were blind. And so I kind of always grew up thinking everybody knew how to work. And so it was really shocking, you know, when I realized that everybody wasn't used to that. But it's just, I've always, I grew up in a lower social economic area, in the largest school district in Oklahoma. And my mom got me out because the teacher said I wouldn't graduate otherwise. But to me, it was just, it just, I had a great mom that told me it's the right thing to do. Yeah. And

Luis Malbas  
yeah. Fair enough. I mean, my father was the same way with my motivation, or at least my awareness was because I remember seeing my dad doing sign language for the first time with one of his employees. And my dad was a farm worker, and he was doing sign language. And I was like, what, how does? How do you know how to do that dad, and he's like, you know, a pig got to work to it. He's, like, I so I learned it, and I, you know, I want to be able to help them. And, and he did, he would find, you know, marginalized folks and make sure that they were getting, you know, they were able to experience things that I don't know that they would normally be, you know, excluded from so, you know, I was kind of raised in that way too. So that, you know,

Chris Paxton McMillin  
in college, we had a program called a common intercollegiate legislative, and it would basically be representatives from all the colleges around the state that would go to the capitol and write these bills. And after we were done, the actual legislative and Senate would look at our bills. And I found out after I graduated, I moved out of state that one of the bills I proposed, which was a sign language be considered a foreign language was accepted, and it is now it's not then in every state, but at least in Oklahoma, it is now considered a foreign language.

Luis Malbas  
Oh, congrats. Nice, but well done. Um, I'm also curious. I mean, I know I'm kind of backing up a little bit, but you had this these classes that you teach at Tulsa Community College, that are basically telecom and business. But why not stick to that with as far as career stuff is concerned? Why did you get into elearning and learning and development altogether, business

Chris Paxton McMillin  
went away, like so many in what 2002 ish. MCI WorldCom, the technology field crashed. And that was my second layoff. And I was 30 something, I think at the time, being in training and development, it happens a lot, a bit, especially being in such a focus field of training and development and technology. It definitely happened. And so that's when I went to grad school, and got my master's in occupational education, focusing on technology and distance learning. And it was like, let me still have that where I love it. Except when it doesn't work. But it still lets me be in the classroom. Because again, I work so remotely, so I'm still in the classroom and still see people without, you know, and there's some, I think most of us, I would hope, there's a high that you get, when you see the light bulb go off. And they're like, oh, my gosh, I get it. Yeah. And I love the community college in the sense that it is. I have some concurrent students that are in high school, but I have a lot of non traditional students. So those who are just now going back to school who are in their late 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s. And if we can inspire them and get them excited, it just so I still got my teaching fix. Yeah. And that was where they moved me over is they had a need. And so I moved from the technology I didn't I went to computers, like Word, PowerPoint, things like that. And it's like, you know, you've got your own business, could you possibly do this? And I was like, Sure. So

Luis Malbas  
interesting. All right, so and I got a few more questions for you. Um, you've been in l&d for, you know, a few decades now. But what do you see? I mean, how about the field of instructional design? Do you see it changing? Now?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
Do I want to say it's for the better? Okay. We have a lot of people moving into the field, which I think is great. I, I would hope we never become gatekeepers, or those wanting to come in. Which kind of goes to one of your other questions. I think I saw something about certifications, which I love certifications in those programs, because that kind of helps show that yes. You know, I know what I'm talking about before they even speak with me. But at that same time, I think there's there's a lot of future when we think about things like VR, creating, I was teaching at TCC, I think had been in my 16th year, when a student from the Bahamas was like, am I going to die in a tornado here? Because in Oklahoma, they're so bad. And I'm like, Oh no, Sweetie, you're gonna freeze to death. Because you think it's cool that 60 Tornado, you're gonna I mean, the chances are very small. But that's my daughter, me. I've been here 16 years, I've never been a tornado drill. And I know we have them. So created a virtual Detroit tornado drill, working on active shooter drills, things like that. But then the whole idea of AI to me is also exciting and inspiring, because we're already using it. So many of us are using things beyond brown insome AI, many of us are using things like well said lab or mer for Amazon Pali voices, I mean, that's all really AI, grading this voices. So if we can look at that has a tool to save us some time. Is it real, really any different than the rapid development tools that we're currently using? So we think, and that's part of our responsibility, as those of us who've been in here for longer is to calm people down and realize that no, this is a good thing. Well, it's this can make us all better. Yeah,

Luis Malbas  
yeah. Yeah, I asked because I, you know, it feels like I witnessed conversations that are happening in our Slack groups, and, you know, and just online on LinkedIn of people feeling like that there's a shift. And some people are like, you know, I, a couple years ago, I decided to get into instructional design, but it's no longer like, a field that, you know, that's that, that seems to be growing and the competition is intense, and, and that type of thing. I mean, what would you have any advice for folks like that?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
I would say, to look at all the entire field. And so maybe it's not just instructional design, maybe it's training and development in general. Maybe you're going to be a stand up instructor. You know, whatever it takes to kind of get your foot in the door. For the instructional design to me, it's again, it's part of a, I think we've got to evolve with it. In that, yes, it's getting competition is getting better. But is competition a bad thing? I mean, would I be upset if I only had one choice and doctors to go to instead of my favorite doctor or dentist? So if we can do that, and and hopefully have that help us be our best and constantly improving, then I think it's a good thing. And I think it's part of our job to help others hopefully see that.

Luis Malbas  
Yeah, yeah. And let's talk a little bit about the certification thing. So how do you maintain your professional development? Do you like constantly look at certifications? And, and, you know, and completing them? What's your strategy there?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
Um, if I was starting out, I'd probably be getting more certifications. Since many of these came about, after I'd already had 10 or 15 years in the field. I haven't just because like, don't want to go the Time Expense me I'm, I'm 54 I retirement hopefully, is coming soon. That I'm constantly looking at those just because, again, we have a lot of people on LinkedIn on the TL DC channel. They're like, what do I need to do? What's my next steps? And I always want to offer those as alternatives. Because that can be one of those things that sets them apart from every other person that may have come along. And depending on who they're interviewing with some fields really love certifications, but then it also depends on Okay, who's this certification from?

Luis Malbas  
Right, right below? So how about you? How about how do you stay on top of your professional development? Currently,

Chris Paxton McMillin  
part of it is to conferences. Okay, you know, joining things like TL DC DevLearn, a TD being your members, again, part of that set community. I just got a chat with Cindy. Yes, no certifications, creating it for 20 years. And I recognize your name. So I need to look closer at your face. But because I so know your name. Because back 20 years ago, there was just a few of us. And we're getting larger, but I think the conferences and then hopefully seeing again, I'm going to send like my grandmother younger people come in, regardless of age, but experience wise, will help us again, stay on our toes, because hopefully we're helping them.

Luis Malbas  
Right. Right. Right. Now Cindy is a rockstar. I'm sure that you you you know Cindy? Yeah, so um, so it feels like a lot of the younger people that are coming in at like, I see a lot of focus on ELearning Development, and focusing on technology and, you know, and and just building things, versus the theories and methodologies of instructional design. Is there what is like, do you have an emphasis, I know that you're like a Lectora. Expert, you've done work with the elearning brother or ELB? I guess they're called now. That's everything. What is What do you tend to focus on?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
Well, and I tell people, I mean, I own all three, I was on the Adobe project charm for the new Captivate. I have I am the Adobe articulate 360 suite. I prefer Lectora. Because again, my primary emphasis is making sure we can meet with tags accessibility for double A and that is so much easier to do in Lectora than it is in Storyline. But if I don't have to build accessible then sure. Although I mean, it really kind of depends on the client to it. It's gotta fall. You've got to have that foundation, though. Yeah, you've got to understand the foundation and how to do the research and how to write it up. And and part of that, again, goes to the whole DNI and what language are you writing? It has a journalism major and undergrad, we were told to write at an eighth grade level. And it's not that people aren't smarter than that, because you say that people get upset. But it's because back then, that was a nice level to read it for you hit easily comprehension. The world's getting smaller. And so now it's sixth grade level. Okay, so are you using these? I'm gonna put my mom 25 cent words when a five cent word will do. You know, why can't add a level on that, again, I think goes so often to understanding that basics where they're not trying to prove themselves. Theories and stuff are huge. And it's as far as which theory I use. Well, once you learn them all, I think many of us kind of just combined them all in our head.

Luis Malbas  
Yeah, yeah. Nice. All right. Well, Chris, thanks so much. I got one last question for you. What's next for three?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
Good question. I'm working on I've, I've written Gosh, in the past, I was challenged by a couple people to start paying it forward. So I have three ebooks. out right now, I have a regular book out behind me. I'm working on a new book that hopefully will be out sometime next year that kind of, again, takes journalism simplifies things a bit. And then hopefully just again, get out and inspire people to do that next generation of stuff. You know, women own minority own eight a HUBZone. You name it. Because the pie is there. Yeah. And there's enough work for all of us.

Luis Malbas  
Yeah, yeah. Those are big, you know, women owned, that is something that I haven't run into at all. So I think within our space, that is definitely something that would be that people would love to hear. So yeah, let's set something up. So are you going to be speaking at DevLearn or stage

Chris Paxton McMillin  
I not, I think I missed stage inside the expo. And then I did send a proposal in for demo fest, which I've never done before. But I'm kind of excited about this project. And then I am going to actually submit some proposals for the new training. They've done the new training conference, the build towards like training in HR, and since HR for so long, and my training, I figured that I'll be be nice, so

Luis Malbas  
nice. What are you submitting to demo fests?

Chris Paxton McMillin  
Demo fest is a program called plan my ride, and it's not a driver's ed program, but it's a program for 14 to 22 year olds, created by these, they all PhD psychologists to give them the tools to be able to say no, if someone is marijuana, or using their cell phone, or whatever, I mean, it's got mines, it's got virtual reality. You name it all kinds of animation, we it's a really cool program. And again, 100%, accessible, nice and responsive. So because

Luis Malbas  
you build it in Lectora. I do

Chris Paxton McMillin  
in Scenario VR, although some of the animation, I'm not sure what they did when they hired additional animators, because way more than what I could do and beyond. Awesome, very cool.

Luis Malbas  
Well, I'm looking forward to maybe seeing you in Las Vegas, give it a try and, and head over there. But with that, Chris, I want to just thank you for participating supporting to DC I really appreciate you being a part of our, our, our strong little community. And and we will see you next week, I don't have my ADC calendar in front of me, but so I don't know which day and time that you're going to be Monday, you're gonna be opening up the conference for us.

Chris Paxton McMillin  
And I want to say thank you, because you have done I love this community. I love the Slack channel. It helps again, those remotely, we can still chat and you have done so much for it. And it is a great role model for all of us. So thank you. Thanks.

Luis Malbas  
Thanks, Chris. I appreciate that. All right. Thanks, everybody. Thanks for jumping in everyone in the in the live audience. And I believe it's tomorrow that we have the ID Lance founders, in Parker grant, and Andrea dartlang are going to be in so I think that's early tomorrow morning. 8am Pacific time, so join us if you can. And with that. I'm going to go ahead and close out the session, and we'll see you next time. Thanks. Bye, everybody. All right.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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