by Shenea Graham
I want to share something personal — a journey I’m still on. It’s about data privacy. Not the technical, legal kind you might scroll past, but the kind that sneaks up on you and suddenly matters more than you realised.
If you’ve ever felt unsure about what data privacy really means, I hope you’ll walk with me as I learn more.
Where it started
I began as a campaign manager for data privacy — researching topics, generating content, fact-checking, posting to LinkedIn. Like, share, comment, and repeat. It was interesting, and I knew it was important. But I treated it as a topic for awareness — something for the compliance team to own. Then I was asked to shadow our Compliance Practice’s Lead. That’s when everything changed.
A wake-up call
I joined his training sessions and listened in on client conversations. I realised: I didn’t actually understand data privacy. It wasn’t just about consent forms or cookie pop-ups. It was about risk, trust, and how personal data touches almost every part of a business. And I had underestimated the consequences of not paying attention to data privacy.
So, I picked up our internal Data Privacy book again, written by our Compliance Lead, Vincent — but this time, I didn’t skim. And then I convinced our leadership to make the information available online, which we did: so you may learn too. I slowed down. I focused on understanding, not just reading. And something clicked.
Data privacy isn’t just regulation. It’s a mindset. And it’s always evolving.
What I’ve learned (so far)
I’m not a lawyer, and I’m not an expert. But I’ve learned enough to know this:
You don’t need to be a privacy professional to care about data privacy.
You do need to understand what it means and how to manage it responsibly.
Compliance isn’t a once-off — it’s a continuous process of adaptation.
And if you handle personal data in any way — you’re part of the privacy story.
Why it matters
Privacy regulations like GDPR, POPIA, CCPA, and HIPAA are complex and always shifting. That can feel overwhelming. But the biggest risk isn’t missing a detail — it’s thinking privacy isn’t your problem.
Because when privacy is mismanaged, the consequences are real:
Financial penalties
Reputational damage
Legal exposure
Loss of trust
The flip side? Done well, privacy builds confidence — in your brand, your people, your processes.
Walk with me
I’m still learning — from our compliance lead, from clients, and from all the questions I didn’t know I needed to ask. So, this isn’t me giving advice from the top of the mountain. It’s me saying: I’m still climbing, and the view already looks different. If you’re also figuring it out, I’d love for you to walk with me and I’ll share what I learn along the way.
Check out our Data Privacy book here: https://www.petanquenxt.com/bookstore
Shenea Graham is the author of engaging data privacy blogs and a skilled process thinker who helps clients integrate data protection into everyday business practices. With her approachable style and practical insight, she’s a great person to speak to if you have questions about managing data privacy and reducing risk. As a valued member of the Pétanque NXT Compliance team, she supports clients with tailored, real-world solutions that align privacy requirements with business operations.