Earlier this week, our Community team brought members of Jamf Nation together for a special event — an hour of inspiration, celebration and gratitude. World-renowned keynote speaker, author and all-around good guy, Chris Schembra, led the conversation: Jamf Nation 2026: The Power of Human Connection.
As the largest online community of Apple admins in the world, Jamf Nation members understand the power of connection. They’ve been using it to move mountains in the Apple space for the better part of two decades. But as the environment around us changes, Chris challenged the group to consider mindset shifts that could lead to even better outcomes.
He encouraged them to move both fast and slow, referencing the Emilia-Romagna mindset of “holding the tension of opposites to achieve world-class excellence.” He asked,
- Where in your life do you need to go slower?
- Where in your life do you need to go faster?
- How do you hold the tension between those two?
The chat lit up.
Thoughtful, deeply meaningful ideas filled the space. Things like:
Slower: Patience with my kids; conversations with my wife; things that build others up
Faster: Completing projects; decision making; doing the boring, but necessary, stuff
Yes — all of that.
Chris led the group through tactics to move through life, both fast and slow. The first is to be more mindful about your choices. Another…let people help you along the way.
The founder of 7:47, Chris also touched on the thousands of dinners he’s hosted, with the intent of bringing people together through gratitude. His dinners have a few rules, one of which feels a bit awkward. You can’t pour your own wine. Chris shared this rule represents the act of service. In communities, even the smallest actions can make a big impact for others.
Successful communities, like Jamf Nation, see this every day. Someone asks a question. Another person answers. But what may feel small could be the reason patients have access to technology in their hospital rooms or why students are safe on their classroom devices. Small actions matter. Chris encouraged everyone to lean into the reality that service toward others has a multiplying impact that can truly change lives.
His gratitude dinners also come with a signature question. He asked it to us, too. But then he made a slight tweak — a necessary adjustment to show the power of Community.
Chris leaned in, and calmly questioned, “Who is one person in Jamf Nation who’s helped you?” Again, an active chat illuminated the session.
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@rich.trouton -
@ktrojano Kim Trojanowski -
@Armin Armin Briegel -
@ThijsX Thijs Xhaflaire -
@talkingmoose Bill Smith -
@MischaB Mischa van der Bent - The overall Jamf Nation/Mac Admins community have all been collectively instrumental in getting me to where I am today.
- Without the Heroes…no clue where I’d still be
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@BrysonTyrrell Bryson Tyrrell -
@jeroenbremmer Jeroen Bremmer - Charles Edge (times a million)
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@denimA Denim - Peter
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@macmule -
@jared_young -
@brock_walters Brock Walters, my CJA instructor -
@ThomM Thom Martin - Mike Holliday
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@daniel_ross Daniel Ross - Jamf Heroes
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@Chubs Jarred Wheeler -
@GregBobbett -
@leecacioppo -
@Behlmer Stacy Behlmer -
@takumi_n Takumi - But one or two person(s) is not fair… it’s the whole community! Because we are better together!
- There are so many. So so many. I couldn’t begin to name just one. Everyone that I’ve rubbed elbows with - either at Jamf or a Jamf customer - has been an influence.
- 100% so many!
- Appreciate all y’all and have so much love for the Jamf Nation community. Take care everyone!
Yes — some of the names were repeated over and over (as expected). And it wasn’t lost on me how much everyone thanked my team. Lysette Bull, Joanna Buchmeyer and Mitchell Gordon work incredibly hard to provide a space for Jamf Nation members to thrive.
Our intent with the session was to thank Jamf Nation members for creating, and continuing to fuel, an incredibly powerful community, while providing an environment for more meaningful connection.
Thank you to Chris for showing up as your full self to lead us through an hour of purpose. And thank you to everyone in the Jamf Nation community for continuously learning, and growing, together for the betterment of the industry. You’re an inspiration.
If you attended this event, thank you. If you couldn’t make it, don’t worry. We’ve got more in store! Just keep an eye on the “From Jamf” channel in Jamf Nation so you don’t miss out!
Now keep the conversation going. Head over to Jamf Nation at community.jamf.com and let us know:
- Which member of the Jamf Nation community has helped you?
- How did you find the session? (We love hearing your insights!)
- What would you like us to bring to the next event?
Thank you, Jamf Nation. We’re always better together.
