Conversations with Tech Experts

This week's episode of Conversations with Tech Experts features Chris Stanyon, Web Developer and Experts Exchange Most Valuable Expert. Chris joins Experts Exchange CEO Randy Redberg and Director of Bus. Dev. Thomas Bernal to discuss the different ways he believes the tech community will change the way they share their knowledge. The episode starts with Chris introducing himself and his career journey. He tells Randy and Thomas about his life outside of technology, which includes being a mountain bike instructor. Chris moves on to talk about why he believes sharing knowledge is fundamental to the human race. He gives his prediction for the evolution of work and knowledge sharing, but admits that even though the future is bright there is no way to know what's coming. 

This week's episode of Conversations with Tech Experts features Andrew Hancock, VMware vExpert and Experts Exchange Author of the Year.  Andrew joins Experts Exchange CEO Randy Redberg and Director of Bus. Dev. Thomas Bernal to discuss the benefits of becoming an IT author and update the world on the status of his bees. They start by catching up with Andrew about life in England in 2021 and Andrew talks Randy & Thomas through the process of winter beekeeping. Next, Randy and Thomas pick Andrew's brain about why it's so beneficial for IT professionals to learn to write well. Andrew finishes with his thoughts on how the perception of data privacy affects the way we create and distribute content. 

Check out this week's episode of Conversations with Tech Experts, which features Randy Redberg, CEO of Experts Exchange. Randy joins Experts Exchange Director of Bus. Dev. Thomas Bernal to discuss the history and driving forces behind the Expert Awards. Randy and Thomas take a more relaxed and conversational approach to this episode, reflecting on their reasons for starting the podcast, as well as looking to the future.  Randy talks about the evolution of Expert Awards over the years and how he believes each year is better than the last. Later, they get into the mental makeup of award winners and Randy shares what he believes sets them apart from others in their field. They finish by discussing ways that young professionals can replicate the success of these award winners. 

Check out this week's episode of Conversations with Tech Experts, which features Julian Hansen, Owner of Marcorp IT Professionals and 2020 Experts Exchange Fellow Award winner. Julian joins Experts Exchange CEO Randy Redberg and Director of Bus. Dev. Thomas Bernal to discuss his journey to IT expertise and how he grew on Experts Exchange.  Julian begins by telling the story of his IT journey and how he has always treated difficult times as learning experiences. They then discuss Julian's commitment to Experts Exchange - and how it came to serve as the "office water cooler" for his work from home situation over the years.  Julian talks about how he has enjoyed watching Experts Exchange members grow into highly skilled professionals over the years. The group finishes the conversation talking about trust, which Julian believes is the most valuable commodity in the ever-evolving online world we live in. 

Check out this week's episode of Conversations with Tech Experts, which features Sam Jacobs, Director of Technology Development at IPM & Citrix Technology Professional. Sam joins Experts Exchange CEO Randy Redberg and Director of Bus. Dev. Thomas Bernal to discuss how IT professionals can prove their worth and showcase their skills. The group begins with Sam's journey through the IT industry, and how he began immersing himself in the world of Experts Exchange. They go on to discuss how there is no better way to showcase your knowledge than with a badge. Sam, a graduate of NYU, continues on to say that he believes certifications and experience are important than a college degree once someone has been out of school for a few years. He finishes by talking about why Experts Exchange is a great tool for continuing education and gaining experience. 

Check out this week's episode of Conversations with Tech Experts, which features Pete Janzow, VP of Business Development at Credly. Pete joins Experts Exchange CEO Randy Redberg and Director of Bus. Dev. Thomas Bernal to discuss how the modern professional can tell the story of their career with digital credentials. They begin with Pete's own career story and his mission to help professionals prove their worth. The group dives into how difficult it can be to talk about yourself as an IT professional and why digital credentials can help bridge that gap in a data-driven world. Later, they discuss the future of work and how we're becoming a nation of freelancers. Pete talks about how hiring managers analyze the behavioral pattern of someone with a lot of badges. He says that it shows that an individual is continuing to learn and grow on their own. 

Today's podcast features DJ Eshelman, President of Thrive IT.  DJ is the author of "Just Do THIS: A Simpler Way to Succeed in IT" and "Be A Citrix Hero." DJ joins Experts Exchange CEO Randy Redberg and Director of Bus. Dev. Thomas Bernal to discuss his 20-year journey in IT and how it led him to create his simple methodology to help IT teams succeed. 

The group starts by discussing how DJ graduated with a degree in psychology and didn’t find his way back to tech until he joined a company in Iowa to help with their Y2K switch. DJ talks about his journey as a recording artist in college and how he channels his creativity. 

They go on to talk about DJ’s pledge to take risks in 2020, which resulted in him self-publishing two books and his own methodology. DJ breaks down how to implement a complex methodology - and even what IT professionals can learn from the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

They dive into how someone can choose a mentor or be a mentor -- and the difference between having a friend and a mentor. He finishes with his Big Idea by telling us that it’s essential to work with a purpose and that if your job is “just a job,” you should explore why you feel that way. 

Today’s podcast features Matt Huxtable, Lead Site Reliability Engineer at Ziglu. Matt has been a Certified Expert on Experts Exchange for over a decade, and first became a moderator at the age of 15. Matt joins Experts Exchange CEO Randy Redberg and Director of Bus. Dev. Thomas Bernal to discuss how EE became the foundation for his technology expertise. 

They begin by talking about Matt’s lifelong journey as a technologist, beginning with how he signed up for EE more than half of his life ago. Matt talks about how the psychology of the intersection between humans and technology system is what fuels his interest in his work. The group moves on to discuss how Matt built his technology knowledge by solving his own problems and helping other people solve their problems on EE.

They round out the discussion with a conversation about how learning will evolve post-pandemic. Matt, Cambridge graduate, shares why he thinks real-world experience can be just as vital as knowledge gained in a classroom. 

Today’s podcast features Cara Snow, the Technology Association of Oregon’s (TAO) Chief Community Engagement Officer and Chief of Staff. Cara joins Experts Exchange CEO Randy Redberg and Director of Bus Dev. Thomas Bernal to discuss her mission to use technology to uplift local organizations." The conversation begins with a discussion about Cara’s time at the Technology Association of Georgia and how she worked to highlight the tech community’s diversity in Georgia. They continue to discuss her work at TAO, and how she’s connecting tech professionals to jobs where they can thrive. Cara tells the story of how database technologies are revolutionizing the way dairy farmers work. According to her, technology is shifting from an industry to a baseline requirement for all businesses. Cara wraps up the conversation with her big idea: Tech can save the world, but it can’t do it alone. 

In this episode, Randy and Thomas are joined by Sean Stuber and Steve Light. Sean is Database Developer & Administrator, specializing in Oracle Database. Steve is an Information Technology Specialist, and his area of expertise is Query Syntax and Oracle Database. Sean and Steve both describe their career journeys and tell us why they believe Databases are so interesting. The group digs into Sean and Steve's lives outside of technology, including Sean's experience in the world of martial arts. They also discuss their experiences at the Experts Exchange Core Conference, and what it was like meeting each other in person after communicating online for years. Sean and Steve also go into depth about how Experts Exchange is such a great tool for continuing education, and how answering questions is one of the best ways to learn new things.