IT in the D

This episode, Bob and Randy welcome Bob Skinner, longtime Detroit IT veteran and the Managing Director of North America for EcoG. They discuss various aspects of the electric vehicle (EV) industry, including challenges with charging infrastructure, technological advancements, and the future of EVs. The conversation covers issues such as the role of the government in infrastructure, sustainability concerns, and innovations like highways that charge cars as they drive. They also touch upon personal anecdotes and the excitement surrounding new EV models.

In this episode Bob and Randy invite Dan Salinas and Sarv Shah from Nobl9 to dive deep into the complexities of Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and Service Level Objectives (SLOs). Discover the origins of SRE, the significance of SLOs in improving customer experience, and the impact of digital reliability on businesses today. From the challenges of maintaining microservices to the advent of cloud dependency, this episode is packed with insights on ensuring operational excellence in our digital world.

Brian Scheble is back to talk to Bob and Randy about about what's going on with VMWare. Topics include transformative changes in VMware's business strategy under Broadcom's ownership, implications for small businesses and MSPs, alternatives like Nutanix and cloud solutions, and the broader data commodification impact.

The NFL Draft 2024 is coming soon to Detroit, and with it, The Hispanic C-Suite Corporate Council (HC3) is hosting a NFL Draft Hispanic Celebration.

Andre Arbelaez joins Bob and Randy to talk about this upcoming event as well as a give a refresher on the HC3.

Ming Chen (X/Twitter, Instagram, A Shared Universe PodcaStudio) is back to catch up with Bob and Randy. There are lots of stories and reminiscing, as well as discussion of Ming's latest adventures and escapades.

Ming is a long-time friend of the show and he's always a blast!

Astronomicon is back with their seventh installment! Astronomicon is a pop culture convention with something for fans of all ages.

Bob and Randy talk to Astronomicon organizer Mikey about what makes the event unique, why it's fun, and what guests will be in attendance this year.

Plus, episodes like this alway devolve into fun stories of past encounters—always a good time!

Astronomicon 7 is coming up April 12 – 14 at Burton Manor in Livonia.

This week, Bob and Randy are joined by John Bingham, COO of Speak by Design. They discus John's journey from high-stress CISO roles at major companies to consulting, shedding light on the skills necessary to succeed in the ever-evolving cyber security landscape. The conversation takes an intriguing turn towards sales principles, relationship building, and effective communication, revealing unconventional perspectives on what it truly means to be a CISO. Additionally, John shares personal anecdotes of working alongside his wife and juggling family life.

In this episode, Bob and Randy hang out with special guest Brian “Schneebs” of Great Security Debate.

First, Bob provides a review of Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom. Then, the topic shifts to data security with an emphasis on some of the security scams floating around like the pig butchering scam. Later, Brian gives advice on the types of scams and how to recognize them. Finally, cryptocurrency scams are discussed, such as the Centra Tech fraud and the movie Bitconned.

Matt Van Italie of Sema is back (last visit).

The conversation delves into the challenges and advantages of remote work, the need for strategic and operational innovation, the role of human input in AI, and the significance of clear and concise communication.

We also talk about the balance between structured communication and the empowerment of workers to waste less time, ultimately highlighting the value of lifelong learning in honing effective communication skills.

Bob recommends the movie BlackBerry.

Bob and Randy this week speak to Matt Rutter, Sr. Partner Sales Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS) about various aspects related to sales and entrepreneurial ventures. Matt shares his experiences and approaches to sales, social selling, his book From Clicks to Clients, as well as his mini property venture known as the Rockabilly Retreat in Memphis. The conversation also covers themes like artificial intelligence in sales communications, branding, use of LinkedIn, and customer centricity in sales strategies.