Dez Rock - Authenticity, Tech Entrepreneurship and Finding Your Footing as an Immigrant

Today we talk to Dez Rock, lifelong entrepreneur and CEO and Founder of the cybersecurity company SIEMonster. Dez's entrepreneurial spirit and cybersecurity expertise have led her to become a respected leader in the industry. Her ability to see the big picture and never lose sight of the overall goal has enabled her to take SIEMonster from a start-up to a successful cybersecurity company.

Dez shares her nonlinear career path of self-discovery towards authentic leadership, her experiences as a first-generation immigrant and a woman in Tech, what it means to hold more than one country in your heart as your home, and her commitment to creating a safe space for those she leads in the cybersecurity industry.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:55] - Dino introduces the podcast and guest, Dez Rock, CEO and founder of cybersecurity company SIEMonster.

[02:27] - Dez introduces herself and discusses her entrepreneurial background and nonlinear career path.

[04:27] - Dez discusses how her early leadership skills developed through group projects and dog training.

[06:28] - Dez reflects on her journey working through her baggage to become an effective leader.

[09:19] - Dez shares how she found her true inner self and now leads from the heart.

[09:22] - Dez's decision to share her behind-the-scenes life and her choice to be authentic and work through her struggles publicly.

[10:56] - Dez shares that to her being authentic means not hiding from anyone, including work, and how she weighed the decision to be public about her struggles.

[13:18] - Standing by her journey and authenticity.

[14:50] - Being authentic can filter out superficial leads and attract more connected people.

[15:57] - Dez emphasizes the importance of looking after and creating a safe space for those she leads, undoing toxic corporate culture.

17:31] - Doing the hard work to find the oneness within yourself to be a good leader.

[18:01] -Unpacking what stands in the way of great leadership.

[18:34] - How Dez's view of leadership crystallized early on.

[19:13] - Good leadership feeds into every aspect of one's life. Why practicing leadership within your own family is crucial.

[20:28] - Dez acknowledges the challenges of being a woman in Tech.

[22:05] - Dez emphasizes the importance of asking the people who work with you for honest feedback on your leadership skills.

[22:34] - Dez shares her story of being a first-generation immigrant from a small town on the coast of the Black Sea in Turkey and how she ended up in the US.

[24:12] - Dino and Dez discuss their experiences of feeling like they belong in multiple places and the struggles that come with it.

[25:38] -Dez recounts her journey of coming to terms with her multiple identities and the emotional toll of being labeled with a derogatory term during her upbringing in Australia.

[29:05] -Dez explains the role of SIEMonster and how they alert organizations about potential cybersecurity threats.

[30:19] - Dez discusses the need for more regulation in the cybersecurity industry to counteract human behavior.

[31:45] - If you want to learn more about Dez, you can find her on LinkedIn or check out SIEMonster's website to learn more about the services they offer.

[32:58] - Dez shares the motivation behind everything she does and the hobby she calls 'yoga for the mind.'

[33:35] - The one hobby Dez would never give up.

[33:50] - The business jargon Dez doesn’t want to hear—it tries her patience.

[35:23] - Dez shares the magic of "breaking bread" that allows for that connectivity and bonding even though you think you have nothing in common.

[36:11] - The one thing Dez craves from her hometown of Rizza, which represents her ancestral background and provides a sense of comfort and home.

[36:28] - Dez reveals her secret weapon soundtrack for hyping herself up in competitive situations: a powerful song called "Playing to Win" by Australian singer-songwriter John Farnham.

Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com

Websites:

al4ep.com or authenticleadershipforeverydaypeople.com

SIEMonster.com

Other links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dez-rock

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp

Podcast Twitter – @al4edp

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Broken Things | Susan Cattaneo

All Is Quiet | Susan Cattaneo

Playing to Win by John Farnham