This week, we were super lucky to talk to serial entrepreneur, branding expert, and all around great guy Hajj Flemings, CEO of Rebrand Cities and founder of Modern Athlete.

Hajj was one of the first people I remember talking about your "personal brand", so we dove into that, as well as what it means for smaller neighborhoods and businesses to have a digital voice.

We also got into how he mentors for Tech Stars Detroit.

This week, we got to chat with change and strategy consultant Stefanie Krievins.

We immediately got into change management, and not in a software/project way, but in a human way and how it is difficult for most people.

We discussed DISC methodology and how it applies on how we work with others. This led to how to lead kick ass meetings (something I think we can all improve on!)

This week, we chatted about all things cloud with AWS Ambassador and all around great guy Troy Dieter. 

Troy has an impressive list of certifications and just received the title of Cloudius Maximus for obtaining his 7th AWS cert. We got into the path on those looking to start and build their career in cloud. 

We also talked in length about AWS re:Invent and what it looks like having 50,000 people converge in Vegas. 

If you are in or around the cloud, this episode is a must listen!

This week, we talked with management consultant Zach Boguslawski about his journey from being in the military and transitioning it to working in technology in the private sector.

We also got into what it means to be a "management consultant", overused terms like 'business outcomes' and 'digital transformation', and how he translates that into meaningful conversations that have actual impact.

We ended with his journey in public speaking and mentoring Bob in his latest opportunity to tell his story to a group of peers.

When you think of industries embracing technology, construction just isn't one of them. Well, a long time construction worker and software developer (right?) thought that there has to be a better way.

This week we talked with Justin Turk, CEO of Livegistics.

We dove into the issues facing the construction industry, how Livegistics is helping automate it, and how legacy workers are embracing it.

This week, we got to speak to the legend himself, Mike Zapcic. With the recent release of Clerks III, his appearance on AMC's Comic Book Men, or his countless other podcasts, plus working at Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, Mike is literally a comics encyclopedia.

We got into discussions about the days of past (see: going to Blockbuster on a Friday night) and then talked about all of the new content being streamed as of late including Andor, House of the Dragon, She-Hulk, and The Rings of Power.

Yan Ness, CEO of Verge.io joins us to talk about managing the complexity of cloud infrastructure. Verge.io consolidates several tools into one platform that doesn't require a team of people to manage.

Before Verge.io, Yan built OnlineTech, so he has plenty of entrepreneurship experience. He talks about starting and running companies, and what led him to start Verge.io.

The conversation also covers the tech scene in Michigan and where it's going.

This week, we were joined by Rashone Bryant aka Afrikan Caesar from the Sneaker Box Podcast.

Most recently, Rashone was featured on the History Channel's "Fast History Of, Swoosh Dreams" that you can watch here. 

We've never gotten into sneaker culture on IT in the D and it was genuinely fascinating the way Nike and others have built a mega sub-culture around the trade of rare shoes.

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Paul Blatt was back to talk about the combining of two local non-profit organizations JVS Human Services and Kadima. The organization also has a new name: Gesher Human Services.

Gesher Human Services ("gesher" means "bridge" in Hebrew) offers career counseling and job placement for job seekers with obstacles to employment, supportive housing for individuals with severe mental illness, financial education, day programs for adults living with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness, counseling for families in crisis, assistance and support coordination for adults living with mental health challenges, enrichment activities and more.

Gesher provides valuable services to the Metro Detroit area, last year helping over 12,000 people.

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This week, we had a fun chat with Brian "Schneebs" Schneble of Abnormal Security and The Great Security Debate podcast fame.

Immediately, we jumped into a couple of personal stories about email phishing that made us laugh, but then things got serious as we talked about companies that have been hit with spoofed emails which cost them well into 6-figures.

Brian is a wealth of knowledge in the email security space and this episode is well worth the listen—hope you enjoy it!