After a stretch of inconsistency, Ryan kicks off 2026 with a simple promise: the show is back, and the conversations are the fuel. In this in-person episode, he sits down with Thomas Eastlack, a familiar face at Yavapai College who recently moved from the IT service desk into a newly created role supporting HR technology.

Thomas unpacks the shift from reactive “break/fix” work to proactive systems thinking—ticketing workflows, website iteration cycles, chatbot training, and the early push toward cloud-first habits. But the heart of the conversation is service: empathy, trust, and the mindset that keeps support work human even when the calls are repetitive. It’s also a candid look at imposter feelings, decision-making pressure, and what it means to grow into being “the expert” while staying grounded in who you are.

Topics Discussed

• Moving from service desk technician to HR IT lead analyst
• Reactive support vs proactive process and systems improvement
• Launching an HR ticketing system for routing, automation, and accountability
• Website refresh realities: iterations, stakeholders, and “meeting in the middle”
• Training and maintaining a website chatbot and early AI exposure
• Shifting departments while staying collaborative with central IT
• Empathy as a practical support skill (tone, language, and de-escalation)
• Avoiding burnout and jadedness when the same problems repeat
• Hiring for attitude and service mindset over day-one operational knowledge
• Growth, purpose, and why Yavapai College is a place people stay

Connect with Thomas
Email – [email protected]
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-eastlack/

Connect with Ryan
@Ryan_A_Gray
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
[email protected]

Voiceover by Chris Dechter

Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

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