Hacker Valley Studio

Michael Piacente, Managing Partner & Cofounder at Hitch Partners, answers the essential question on many cybersecurity professionals’ minds: Where do CISOs find CISO jobs? As it turns out, Michael helps many cybersecurity teams find their perfect CISO match with the assistance of his own team at Hitch Partners. In this episode, Michael clarifies what the role of a CISO really is, explains the compensation and benefits, and reveals the many responsibilities a CISO may take on during their team in the role.   Timecoded Guide: [00:00] Defining the role of CISO & finding the right homes for each CISO [05:21] VCISO & fractional CISO as an alternative to a full-time CISO [11:49] CISO annual income, benefits, & non-monetary incentives [16:37] Explaining additional responsibilities & tasks taken on by the CISO [25:11] Giving advice to future CISOs looking for the next cyber executive opportunity   Sponsor Links: Thank you to our sponsor Axonius and NetSPIfor bringing this episode to life! The Axonius solution correlates asset data from existing solutions to provide an always up-to-date inventory, uncover gaps, and automate action — giving IT and security teams the confidence to control complexity. Learn more at axonius.com/hackervalley For more than 2 decades, NetSPI has helped companies discover and remediate critical security issues through its platform-driven, human delivered security test. NetSPI is much more than a pentesting company, bringing you the most comprehensive suite of offensive security solutions. Visit netspi.com/HVM to learn more.   In your own definition and experience, what is a CISO? Although there’s many definitions of the role, Michael clarifies that defining CISO should always include being an executive. To have a CISO who makes a positive impact and fulfills an organization’s needs, that CISO has to be properly placed, properly sponsored, and be in an environment where they have the proper reporting processes. Michael also believes the CISO should always be looking over their shoulder to be diligent of the next threat. “In my version of it, a CISO is the executive— and that's the key term here— that has been properly placed, properly sponsored to handle all of the business information and data risk policy execution and operations in the company.”   What is the difference between a fractional CISO and a VCISO? In Michael’s opinion, a VCISO (virtual CISO) and fractional CISO can be used interchangeably in a situation where a company does not need a full-time CISO executive. Unless they’re looking to support a strong security program, Michael understands that many companies don’t need a full-time CISO in order to be successful. A VCISO makes an impact on an organization’s security without being an overwhelming role in a smaller organization. “Bringing in your starter package to implement the baseline or foundational building blocks of what will become a security program, in the form of a consultant or consulting firm, is often a wiser choice than going in building a security program around a full-time CISO role.”   Are there different types of CISOs, and have those types changed over time? Previously, Michael defined 3 different types of CISOs in his search for CISOs with Hitch Partners. However, a fourth type has emerged in recent years: the BISO, or Field CISO. This fourth type joins the ranks alongside other impactful CISO types, including the client (or governance) facing CISO, highly technical CISO, the IT-focused CISO, and now, our fourth type, the BISO, who focuses on the business side of the risk. “It's amazing that all of our CISO searches contain all these different types of CISOs. The fun part of that we get to figure out is: What's the priority [for the role]? What's the order? What does everyone in the organization think the priority should be?”    How would you direct someone to take that first step after realizing they want to be a CISO? Discovering the CISO role exists and being the right person for the role is an important distinction, and Michael encourages potential CISOs to take some time to research the job before getting involved in a job search. However, once someone knows they want to be a CISO, Michael advises finding a CISO mentor and diving into a passion. Each type of CISO needs an expertise and passion to propel them into the superpower status needed to be a CISO.  “I think it’s about finding a passion. I'm a big believer that you just have to know where your superpower is, or what your superpower wants to be. In other words, that thing that's passionate to you, that you probably know better than 99% of the population out there.” --------------- Links: Keep up with our guest Michael Piacente on LinkedIn Learn more about Hitch Partners on their website Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter Purchase a HVS t-shirt at our shop Continue the conversation by joining our Discord Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

11 Nov 202228min

Hacker Valley: On the Road is a curated collection of conversations that Chris and Ron have had during conferences and events around the globe. In this episode, NTT’s Dirk Hodgson, Director of Cybersecurity, and Adam Green, Senior Cybersecurity Executive, speak with the Hacker Valley team at CyberCon in Melbourne, Australia. Dirk and Adam cover the intersection of their roles at NTT, their experiences at conferences like RSA, their country’s cybersecurity industry, and their team’s cultivated trust with clients.    Timecoded Guide: [00:00] Reuniting at CyberCon after years of COVID limiting security conferences [06:30] Differentiating Australia’s cybersecurity industry from the rest of the world [10:48] Watching current cyber trends with CMMC & the Essential 8 frameworks [25:41] Creating interpersonal communication in a technology-driven industry [34:58] Building trust by knowing your clients & your adversaries equally   Sponsor Links: Thank you to our sponsor Axonius for bringing this episode to life! Life is complex. But it’s not about avoiding challenges or fearing failure. Just ask Simone Biles — the greatest gymnast of all time. Want to learn more about how Simone controls complexity? Watch her video at axonius.com/simone How are Australian cybersecurity practitioners different from the rest of the world? According to Adam, the past 3 years have led to a massive shift in maturity for Australia’s cybersecurity industry. Previously, Australia relied on its physical isolation as a country as a means of security, but breaches have become more high profile and more impactful for Australian businesses in recent years. Now, Adam is pleased to see there be a greater understanding beyond the 101 of cybersecurity and more collaboration with security teams. “Three years ago, we used to say Australia was 5 years behind the rest of the world [in cybersecurity]. We used to think, because of proximity to the rest of the world, we were pretty safe, but it's definitely become more of a professional approach to security now.” — Adam   How do your roles as Director and Executive work together at NTT?  For Dirk, cybersecurity is the ultimate team sport— and Adam is an impactful element to his cybersecurity team. While Adam often focuses on strategic planning through his background as a practitioner, Dirk enjoys how his business-driven perspective contrasts with Adam and with other members of the team. With a variety of experiences and perspectives in the room, NTT can cover issues from all sides, instead of falling victim to tunnel vision. “Adam is the person on the team, who's great at that scenario planning piece. ‘Here are the things that are gonna go wrong.’ Whereas myself and a couple of the other people on the team, look at that go, ‘What's that going to cost the organization?’” —Dirk   Where are the strengths and weaknesses in communication in cybersecurity? Just like Dirk’s thoughts about cybersecurity being a team sport, Adam believes that you have to cultivate a team member-like trust with your clients. The client in an initial conversation might seem defensive of your advice or critical of your actions. However, Adam explains that establishing credibility, especially in the business-focused cyber industry in Australia, goes a long way to creating the opportunity for more casual conversations down the line.  “What we find is, in Australia in particular, it's about not just the company, but you as an individual. Do you have my back? Can I trust you? If I don't like you, will you at least mitigate my risk for me? You have to establish credibility real fast.” —Adam   What advice would you give to someone interested in cultivating more trust between clients and their team? Dirk loves a good James Bond villain, but the average hacker attacking the average business is nothing like the movies. Establishing trust with clients starts with not only understanding what they need, Dirk explains, but also knowing the most likely threats beyond the showstopping Blackhats of media fame. Being able to explain to and protect clients from the most common threats keeps their data safest and strengthens their trust in your team. “I think it's about making sure that you know what the worst case scenario is, what the most dangerous course of action that the attacker or a potential attacker could follow, but also, being able to talk credibly about what's the most likely threat.” —Dirk --------------- Links: Keep up with our guest Dirk Hodgson on LinkedIn Keep up with our guest Adam Green on LinkedIn Learn more about NTT on LinkedIn and the NTT website Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter Purchase a HVS t-shirt at our shop Continue the conversation by joining our Discord Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

9 Nov 202240min

Hacker Valley: On the Road is a curated collection of conversations that Chris and Ron have had during conferences and events around the globe. In this episode, Cloud Security Podcast’s Ashish Rajan and Shilpi Bhattacharjee speak with the Hacker Valley team at AISA CyberCon in Melbourne, Australia. Ashish and Shilpi discuss their respective talks on supply chain security and zero trust technology, SBOMs, and keynote speakers at this year’s Cybercon worth noting for the audience at home.   Timecoded Guide: [00:00] Connecting & conversing at a cyber conference post-COVID [06:50] Breaking down Shilpi’s presentation on supply chain threats & attacks [11:45] Understanding the paradoxes & limitations of zero trust with Ashish’s talk [26:13] Defining & explaining SBOM, or Software Bill of Materials  [33:16] Noticing key conversations & trends for those who didn’t attend AISA Cybercon   Sponsor Links: Thank you to our sponsor Axonius for bringing this episode to life! The Axonius solution correlates asset data from existing solutions to provide an always up-to-date inventory, uncover gaps, and automate action — giving IT and security teams the confidence to control complexity. Learn more at axonius.com/hackervalley Shilpi, can you talk about the idea behind the talk you had at CyberCon?  The inspiration behind Shilpi’s conference talk was supply chain issues. Titling her talk, “Who’s Protecting Your Software in Supply Chain,” Shilpi hoped to further educate and advocate for security in the supply chain process. An estimated one in two companies will experience a supply chain attack in the coming years. Instead of fearing such a statistic, Shilpi hopes her talk inspired further security action to protect our supply chains.  “One staggering fact that I read is that one in every two companies is going to have some sort of a supply chain attack in the next three years. So, who's going to look after the supply chain? Is it going to be the organization? Is it going to be your third-party vendors?” —Shilpi   Ashish, what about your talk at Cybercon? In contrast, Ashish’s talk was about the triple paradox of zero trust. When talking about and implementing zero trust, Ashish realized many companies don’t implement the cultural changes needed for zero trust and/or only talk about zero trust as a technology process. Zero trust has numerous layers beyond technology, and requires time and major changes in culture and technology to implement in most companies.  “I feel bad for bashing on finance, marketing, and HR teams. They're all smart people, but if you're going to add four or five layers of security for them, they almost always say, ‘I just want to do my job. I don't really care about this. It's your job to do security.’” —Ashish   Where would you recommend starting when it comes to trying to implement the ideas in your respective talks? When push comes to shove about where cyber companies can start first with supply chain and zero trust, Ashish and Shilpi agree that companies have to discuss business priorities. When company leaders can take the opportunity to look at and understand their cyber hygiene, the next steps might look very different from another company’s tactics. Knowing what a business has is the foundational piece that impacts any new process in cyber.  “If I were to go back to the first principle of what we do with cybersecurity professionals, one of the biggest assets that we're all trying to protect is data. You can't protect what you can't see, that's the foundational piece.” —Ashish   For anyone that wasn't able to make the conference, what is one thing that you would want to share with the audience at home?  There were a lot of conversations taking place at Cybercon this year. Ashish wants the audience at home to know that cloud native, zero trust, supply chain, and leadership positions like CISOs were the main themes in many talks, panels, and conversations. Shilpi wants those who couldn’t attend to watch out for more talks and conversations about cyber from those outside of the industry to understand that the issues impacting cyber influence the world.  “I think there's that interest about cybersecurity being more than just a cybersecurity problem. Cybersecurity is not just a technical problem, it's a societal problem, a cultural problem. I very much agree, because a lot of the things that we're dealing with impacts everyone.” —Shilpi --------------- Links: Keep up with our guest Ashish Rajan on LinkedIn Keep up with our guest Shilpi Bhattacharjee on LinkedIn Listen to Ashish and Shilpi’s Cloud Security Podcast Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter Purchase a HVS t-shirt at our shop Continue the conversation by joining our Discord Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

8 Nov 202237min

Alton Johnson, Founder and Principal Security Consultant at Vonahi Security, automates his way out of his pen testing job in this week’s episode. An AOl hacking gone wild got Alton into defensive cybersecurity years ago, and now, as the Founder of Vonahi, Alton advocates for automation and efficiency in the pen testing process. Alton talks about his connection to defensive over offensive, customizing a pen test report to your audience, and finding that sweet spot between practitioner and entrepreneur.    Timecoded Guide: [00:00] Learning the importance of automation in defensive cyber [07:48] Connecting with automation & defensive cybersecurity over offensive [12:01] Showing the results that matter to the right people in a pen test report [15:27] Prioritizing exploitations in the world of vulnerability assessments [21:59] Maintaining the cyber practitioner & the entrepreneurial side of Vonahi   Sponsor Links: Thank you to our sponsors Axonius and NetSPI for bringing this episode to life! The Axonius solution correlates asset data from existing solutions to provide an always up-to-date inventory, uncover gaps, and automate action — giving IT and security teams the confidence to control complexity. Learn more at axonius.com/hackervalley For more than 2 decades, NetSPI has helped companies discover and remediate critical security issues through its platform-driven, human delivered security test. NetSPI is much more than a pentesting company, bringing you the most comprehensive suite of offensive security solutions. Visit netspi.com/HVM to learn more.   How have you seen automation change yourself and your role?  As a penetration tester, Alton explains that time is often not on his side. There’s a limited amount of time to do an assessment, and the measure of a good pen tester is often determined by fast, high quality reporting. Automating the repetitive tasks of pen testing not only saves time, but Alton believes it genuinely changes the role into something much more efficient, high value, and successful.  “Automation obviously plays a huge part in growing in the career too, because the more you can do, the more value you can provide, and the faster you can provide that value makes you a better pentester.”    How do you convey the story of a red team engagement in different ways so that message is received by everyone in the company?  At Vonahi Security, Alton’s team separates pen testing reports into an executive summary and a technical report. The executive summary is high level, demonstrating the impact and severity of what was discovered from a business point of view. Many business executives don’t need the technical play by play, which is why that is saved for the technical report. The technical report acts as a scene by scene story of what was done and how to technically fix it. “We separate the two conversations. Here's what we did at a high level to anyone that doesn't really care about the technical stuff, but only cares about how it impacts the business, and then, for the person that has to fix the issues, here's everything that they would need.”   What would you tell the newer generation of cybersecurity practitioners about the offensive side?  When Alton first started his cybersecurity journey, he was very into hacking and coding. That passion for code has served him well, allowing him to become successful enough to start his own business with Vonahi. For the younger generation of cyber practitioners, Alton recommends not skipping that coding education. As technically advanced and automated as cybersecurity tools are, practitioners should be prepared to code when something breaks or doesn’t work as intended. “I think coding is extremely valuable, because there's going to be many times that tools that you use don't work and you have to have the experience and knowledge to basically fix those problems with coding.”   What have you learned over the past few years that has helped you to maintain both the technical and business side of Vonahi? 21 Efficiency is the name of the game for Vonahi— and it’s the one thing that has allowed Alton to remain in a hands-on pen testing role while still being a business owner. Keeping it efficient is more than just technology and automation. Alton believes his success is a direct result of the efficient technology around him and the hardworking, intelligent, efficient team members working with him at Vonahi. “It is really just about efficiency. We look to all these other leaders, but for me, I like to learn from other people's failures. I don't want to take the same growth processes as the person who failed and didn't do well.” --------------- Links: Keep up with our guest Alton Johnson on LinkedIn and his personal website Learn more about Vonahi Security on LinkedIn and the Vonahi Security website Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter Purchase a HVS t-shirt at our shop Continue the conversation by joining our Discord Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

7 Nov 202224min

John Hubbard, SOC consultant, SANS Sr. Instructor and host of the Blueprint Podcast, joins the Hacker Valley team this week to discuss SANS, SOCs, and seeking new hobbies. As the curriculum lead for cyber defense, John breaks down what makes a good SANS instructor and how to inspire passion in students when teaching for long hours. Additionally, John gives away his life hacks for pursuing passions outside of the cybersecurity industry, including podcasting, video editing, music creation, and nutrition.    Time Coded Guide: [00:00] Instructing for SANS & what it takes to be a good instructor [07:33] Exploring the potential of a SOC-less cyber industry [13:38] Teaching complicated topics with clear visuals & simple comparisons  [19:37] Podcasting his way to better SOC consulting skills  [26:12] Finding a balance between jack of all trades & single skill master   Sponsor Links: Thank you to our sponsor Axonius for bringing this episode to life! The Axonius solution correlates asset data from existing solutions to provide an always up-to-date inventory, uncover gaps, and automate action — giving IT and security teams the confidence to control complexity. Learn more at axonius.com/hackervalley   What do you think are the makings of a good instructor, especially for SANS?  Transitioning from the world of electrical and computer engineering, John’s journey to becoming a SANS instructor took over 3 years of study. Although he jokes that training to be a SANS instructor was the longest job interview ever, John is thankful for the mentorship and inspiration his training gave him. SANS courses require long hours and hard work, but John believes the best instructors bring a real love for what they do to each class.  “The technical aspect has to be there in a very strong way. Beyond that, you have to deliver this message not only with razor sharp clarity, but also with passion and energy. People are sitting there watching you talk for hours. If you aren't excited, they're not going to be excited.”   Cyber defense is a pretty broad topic. What makes you feel comfortable teaching a course on cyber defense? Cyber defense can be a topic that’s both broad and confusing for students, but John has been dedicated to building a curriculum that cuts through the confusion and inspires innovation. Teaching his students to focus on priorities, John wants to bring clarity to complex topics like SOCs, Kerberos, and related security issues. While the topics can be broad and debatable, John wants to equip his students with real world examples and simple comparable concepts. “If there was one word I was going to summarize both of the classes I teach with, it’s ‘priorities.’ It's getting the right stuff there first, and not getting distracted by all the other details that are potentially trying to pull you in the wrong direction.”   Have there been unintended benefits to being a podcast host, that either helps you as an instructor, or even someone that does consulting in the SOC space? Taking the chance to start the Blueprint podcast was inspired partly by John’s previous interest in podcasts like Security Now, but also by his pursuit of learning content creation. Starting a podcast, for John, was an exercise in testing his comfort zone. Learning the technical aspects as well as the creative aspects of content creation and podcast hosting continues to build John’s confidence in his storytelling and teaching skills.  “For me, a lot of things have come out of podcasting. Probably one of the biggest things is just flexing that muscle of doing things that are slightly uncomfortable and scary. Any time you think, ‘I don't know if I can pull this off. Should I do it?’ The answer should always be yes.”   What is one piece of advice or philosophy that enables you to do more and squeeze as much as you can out of life?  In the same way that he teaches his SANS students about priorities, John focuses on his personal priorities often in order to accomplish his well-rounded, jack of all trades lifestyle. Building new skills and cataloging new experiences feels vital for John. Taking full advantage of the time he’s been given and getting curious about expanding his comfort zone is an essential philosophy that has taught John not only about cyber defense, but about every hobby he enjoys as well. “I try to get up as early as I can manage to get up every day, well before I start getting emails and meeting requests and all sorts of stuff like that, and try to plan out my day and ask myself, ‘How am I going to actually approach doing the things that matter the most to me?’” --------------- Links: Keep up with our guest John Hubbard on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube Listen to John’s podcast on the Blueprint Blog Learn more about John’s work on the SANS Institute website Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter Purchase a HVS t-shirt at our shop Continue the conversation by joining our Discord Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

1 Nov 202230min

Larci Robertson, Sales Engineer at Cyberreason and Board President of Women of Security, brings her expertise and experience in cyber threat analysis, community building, and networking to the pod this week. Larci talks about her time in the Navy, her desire for female friends, and how the combination of those two things led to her joining Women of Security (WoSec). In this episode, Larci walks through the importance of women-led cyber spaces and how mentoring gives back to the community in a ripple effect.    Timecoded Guide:  [00:00] Searching for friendship in Women of Security spaces  [06:56] Diving into the Dallas cyber community with WoSec  [14:00] Finding mission-focused purpose in threat intelligence analysis  [17:57] Transitioning from the military into security and technology  [24:10] Encouraging women to stay motivated in the cyber industry     Sponsor Links:  Thank you to our sponsor Axonius for bringing this episode to life! The Axonius solution correlates asset data from existing solutions to provide an always up-to-date inventory, uncover gaps, and automate action — giving IT and security teams the confidence to control complexity. Learn more at axonius.com/hackervalley How did you get introduced to Women of Security?  After leaving the Navy and moving to Dallas, Larci struggled to find community amongst other women in tech. She worried the women she knew outside of the industry wouldn’t understand her unique struggles, but the women she was meeting in cyber felt few and far between. Reaching out to Women of Security felt like an encounter with destiny, which inspired Larci to start her own WoSec chapter in Plano and find her voice as a community leader.  “I wanted to find those women and get more women into security, but also have somebody to hang out with that was in the same industry, same page, we're all kind of going at the same pulse of what we've got going on in our lives.”    What are the challenges for women transitioning into the technology field, whether they're coming from the military or from another industry?  As a woman in threat defense analysis, Larci understands the hurdles and complications that come with transitioning into the field. Originally gaining her security experience in the Navy, Larci explains that she, along with many women she meets in the industry, undermine their past experiences and doubt their full potential. This often leads to less job applications from women when positions open up, perpetuating the gap for women in tech.  “I want to tell women, and I do tell them all the time, don't look at that job title. Read through the actual like, what they want you to do, and maybe you understand it in a different way. Don't worry about that stuff. Let them tell you you're not qualified, don't do it to yourself.”    What comes to the top of your mind about the power of community when thinking about WoSec?  Community inspired Larci to be a part of WoSec, but it also left a lasting impact on her friends and her family. Not only has Larci witnessed many female friends achieve career heights they never dreamed possible, she’s also seen Women of Security inspire her own daughter. Initially believing her job was “too technical,” Larci’s daughter now better understands her own potential to succeed in cyber and tech, which has given her so much confidence in her future.  “I'm seeing people get their first jobs in cybersecurity, and it's really exciting. And then, they'll turn around and help somebody else. I feel like that's happening a lot more. I see it because my group is doing it, I think we're all emulating each other in that way.”    For any women listening right now, what would be that piece of advice that you have for them to keep them energized while they're in the field?  Money is a motivator for many individuals transitioning into the cyber industry. While Larci understands why she meets many women looking to make more money in cyber, she also encourages those women— and anyone else listening to this week’s show— to find a purpose and passion for their work. Money motivation doesn’t last forever, and Larci wants to build a community of women who understand and enjoy their purpose in tech.   “I feel like no matter what you do, if you have purpose in what you're doing, you're going to stay and you're going to have that drive. On top of that, you gotta have fun with this. If you're not having fun at what you're doing every day, I think you're doing it wrong.”  ---------------  Links:  Keep up with our guest Larci Robertson on LinkedIn and Twitter  Learn more about Cyberreason on LinkedIn and the Cyberreason website  Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter  Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter  Purchase a HVS t-shirt at our shop  Continue the conversation by joining our Discord  Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

25 Okt 202226min

Marrelle Bailey, Community Manager, Content Curator, and DEI Advocate, brings her multifaceted career experiences down to Hacker Valley Studio this week. Tapping into her past lives in yoga, bodybuilding, community managing, and cybersecurity, Marrelle explains the silo her career has taken into helping others find ease and peace of mind in their work. Marrelle also walks Chris and Ron through an exercise designed to help anyone feel more worthy, valuable, and like they belong.   Timecoded Guide: [00:00] Taking on career pivots with excitement & curiosity [06:23] Bodybuilding & yoga’s surprising presence in her cyber career [09:28] Finding black women in predominantly white tech communities [14:07] Being a jack of all trades, but a master of self worth & reflection [20:54] One key practice for feeling worthy, valuable, & like you belong   Sponsor Links: Thank you to our sponsor Axonius for bringing this episode to life! The Axonius solution correlates asset data from existing solutions to provide an always up-to-date inventory, uncover gaps, and automate action — giving IT and security teams the confidence to control complexity. Learn more at axonius.com/hackervalley What from your past in yoga and bodybuilding has stuck with you today? As someone who grew up feeling traumatized and uncertain, Marrelle believes that yoga genuinely saved her life. Yoga helped Marrelle feel confident and empowered, and also taught her the importance of self-reflection. Additionally, Marrelle’s continued health and wellness journey inspired her to take up bodybuilding, which has motivated Marrelle to work hard, to motivate others to engage in their health, and to recognize when she’s holding herself back. “My clients know I'm fixated on pushing them as much as I push myself, because I know we have greatness. I know for myself, I can be the best self-sabotager in the world when it comes to pushing myself professionally. I know what it feels like sometimes to hold yourself back.”   What has it been like doing all these different roles and how do they stack together? Marrelle is a true example of a jack of all trades, with experience in personal training, cybersecurity, content creation, and community management. Despite the differences, each role Marrelle has taken on has ultimately focused on compassion, authenticity, and perseverance. Marrelle never saw black women succeed in the areas she wanted to succeed, but now, she can set an example and show that she belongs in each opportunity she takes. “I feel like each job taught me, even though they were all so different, they all taught me about gaining compassion for people. Am I being authentic to the people around me? Am I giving people the ability to be themselves and for me to be myself, to grow, to persevere, to push?”   How would you describe yourself, being so multifaceted and dimensioned? Marrelle believes she is someone that just wants to help other people and support other people in their healing process and in knowing their importance. Many people, regardless of their profession, struggle with difficult feelings of unworthiness and exclusion, fearing that they won’t be taken seriously for who they are. Marrelle has struggled with these same feelings, and wants to create safe spaces for people to grow and nurture their confidence. “I just want to bring people's lives ease and peace and remind them how valuable they are, because I think all of us at some point struggle to know our worthiness and our value, and that we belong in the spaces that we're in, because sometimes we can really feel left out.”   What would you recommend for anyone who wanted to start feeling worthy, valuable, and like they belong a little bit more today? While anyone can struggle with feeling a lack of worth, value, and belonging, Marrelle wants to reassure listeners that these exist in abundance and can be built up with mindfulness exercises. An easy way to start practicing a better and more positive mindset is through inhaling the good and exhaling the bad. As you inhale deeply, think positively about who you are and who you want to be. As you exhale, get rid of negative and unfair thoughts about what makes you “not good enough” to feel worthy, valuable, and like you belong. “You are worthy, you are valuable, and you belong where you are. No one can question it, you are where you are because you got there. No one knows your backstory, no one knows your journey, no one can walk in your shoes, but you deserve to be where you are.” --------------- Links: Keep up with our guest Marrelle Bailey on LinkedIn, Twitter, and website Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter Purchase a HVS t-shirt at our shop Continue the conversation by joining our Discord Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

18 Okt 202225min

Sheryl Anjanette, Author, Speaker, and CEO & Founder of Anjanette Wellness Academy, comes down to Hacker Valley to discuss and promote her new book. The Imposter Lies Within covers Sheryl’s work with the intersection between business and mindset, and invites professionals to reconsider and reprogram their brains away from imposter syndrome. Using her findings personally and professionally, Sheryl walks through the origins, explanations, and potential remedies for imposter syndrome in this episode.   Timecoded Guide: [00:00] Discovering imposter syndrome’s origin story  [05:04] External triggers vs the inner critic [13:59] Imposter syndrome & Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) [21:11] Reprogramming your brain to heal from the imposter phenomenon [27:34] Fearing firing as an unrealistic response to the inner critic   Sponsor Links: Thank you to our sponsors Axonius and Uptycs for bringing this episode to life! The Axonius solution correlates asset data from existing solutions to provide an always up-to-date inventory, uncover gaps, and automate action — giving IT and security teams the confidence to control complexity. Learn more at axonius.com/hackervalley Uptycs, analytics for the modern attack surface, observability for the modern defender. Check out Uptycs by visiting them at uptycs.com   What is the origin of imposter syndrome?  Defined and named in the early 1970s, imposter syndrome impacts each person in different ways depending on a variety of personal experiences, including gender, upbringing, and income status. Despite the experience varying from person to person, Sheryl explains the set of symptoms still remains strikingly similar, no matter who is suffering from imposter syndrome. This has made the phenomenon relatively easy to identify with, as many struggle with a lack of belonging, self worth, and self confidence. “In the early ‘70s…researchers called it the imposter phenomenon, but they had only studied women. For quite a long time, people thought only women experienced feeling like an imposter, but recent studies have shown that men and women experience this almost equally, just differently.”   Do you see imposter syndrome as a negative construct of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)? Outside of the office, Sheryl incorporates Integrated Hypnotherapy in a large majority of her coaching work and explains that a large majority of that has involved delving into NLP, or Neuro Linguistic Programming. NLP emphasizes the importance of what people tell themselves. What someone actively lets themselves think has the power to become true to their brain. When someone thinks they are an imposter at work, they end up accidentally using aspects of NLP, which causes their brain to believe they are an imposter.  “Our conscious mind is only 10% of our reality, 90% is below the surface. When we can start to make the unconscious conscious, when we can do the deep dive and go back in and look at our programming, we can see where the code went bad and change that.”   What are the steps of reprogramming your mind away from these imposter thoughts? Reprogramming someone to actively deny and work against imposter syndrome thoughts requires a deep dive into emotions and an understanding of an internalized past. Sheryl explains that being present, taking deep breaths, and allowing your perspective to shift out of your head and into your body are all steps that need to be taken in this reprogramming process. This process is powerful and new, but Sheryl promises it doesn’t have to be difficult or uncomfortable.  “Get very, very present in the moment and then, just feel yourself drop into your heart. Feel yourself drop into your heart, it's only an 18-inch journey, but it's something we generally don't do very often. Get out of our head and into your heart.”   For anyone that's dealing with imposter syndrome, is there anything that you would want to tell them to help them understand the power within? Sheryl sees a large majority of professionals struggle specifically around the idea of not being good enough at work and being an imposter at risk of being fired. Imposter syndrome can convince anyone of this idea because it doesn’t rely on experience as evidence, according to Sheryl. Instead, someone suffering from imposter syndrome has to acknowledge that the idea of not being good enough and being fired is just an idea, not reality.  “As you go into your heart and into your observer role, ask yourself: Is this real? Where's this coming from? And then, tell yourself a different story. ‘I'm good. Everything will work out. I think that's just a pattern that I've had for a long time. I'm going to assume the best.’” --------------- Links: Keep up with our guest Sheryl Anjanette on her website, LinkedIn, or via email: hello@sherylanjanette.com Purchase Sheryl Anjanette’s book, The Imposter Lies Within, on Amazon and Barnes & Noble Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter Purchase a HVS t-shirt at our shop Continue the conversation by joining our Discord Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

11 Okt 202232min