There’s an old saying that all of us have probably heard more times than we care to remember. The gist of it is that there are ‘doers’ and there are ‘teachers,’ and that teachers are teachers because they cannot ‘do.’ Personally, I’ve found this to be untrue. Just look at educator-engineers like Jeremy Fielding, a perfect example among countless others in our own community.

Another user disproving this concept on a daily basis is Adán Isais.

Adán is a member of user community from Monterrey, Mexico. He also happens to be a triple threat: a part of the SOLIDWORKS User Group Network, a consulting engineer, and a YouTube educator.

“I’ve been working with SOLIDWORKS for 14 years now,” Adán informed me. We’re fortunate to have so many seasoned users in our community, but few have the passion for education and empowerment that Adán so clearly exerts when you speak with him.

His YouTube channel – primarily focused on providing industry and time-tested tips on how to best use SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD (as well as some SOLIDWORKS Simulation content) – has been rising up the ranks. In just about a year’s time, he’s gone from around 1K subscribers to almost 3K at time of writing.

Adán exclaimed: “When I happened to come across some of the YouTube videos for beginners, one thing I noticed is that these people were beginners as well!”

“For example, I’d see people putting two dimensions on equal circles instead of one dimension and an ‘Equal’ relation! I immediately thought: ‘I need to do something about this.’”

And besides the increasingly successful YouTube channel and the breadth of experience he holds, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention two additional huge accomplishments of Adán’s: the fact he’s a recipient of the Elite Applications Engineer Award (held by <1% of former/current SOLIDWORKS VAR AEs) and the reigning Model Mania champion (on the user track)!

“I thought, before starting, that I had to win. I already had that mindset! It was a dedication to my subscribers and followers. The win was for them.”

When you consider all of these factors, it makes sense that Adán would be a natural among the YouTube educator ranks. His most popular videos boasts over 19K views currently, with several other videos that have served thousands upon thousands of SOLIDWORKS users across the globe.

But all of his lessons are based in practicality. “One day, your boss will tell you it’s time to send a part out for manufacturing and that you need to make a quick change. If you didn’t model the part the right way, this will be difficult. Sometimes it’s your manager, sometimes it’s the client, sometimes it’s the salesman, sometimes it’s the person on the manufacturing floor.”

With this in mind, he not only aims to educate digitally, but in-person as well. He helps fellow users with his online lessons, and he’s helped by giving fellow community members the power to certify themselves as well.

Through his SWUGN involvement, he’s also helped provide over 2.5K certification vouchers to help individuals empower themselves through continuing education.

So, perhaps it’s time to flip the dreaded old saying about ‘teachers’ and ‘doers’ on its head. Let’s acknowledge what Adán’s story tells us: that some of the best teachers become great teachers through a long, reflected-upon track record of successful ‘doing.’

Sean O'Neill

As an Industry Process Consultant, Sean's role is to help amplify the 'best of' both our products and our community, via the stories we showcase on our livestreaming programs (like SOLIDWORKS LIVE) and other digital outlets. Sean is also the creator of both the SOLIDWORKS Champions Program and the SOLIDWORKS Influencer Program.