Bytes, Bits & Brilliance: Career Insights and Inspiration
Courageous Daring Wonderful You, LLC
60 episodes
1 week ago
Send us a text In this episode, I unpack the 2025 SANS Report, “Attract, Hire, and Retain Cybersecurity Roles,” and challenge what it really means for the global cyber workforce. We’ll talk about certification barriers, the myth of “no entry-level roles,” and the widening gap between HR, cyber managers, and real-world professionals. Join me as I dissect what’s working—and what’s not—in how organizations attract, hire, and retain cybersecurity talent. It’s a conversation about equity, strategy...
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Send us a text In this episode, I unpack the 2025 SANS Report, “Attract, Hire, and Retain Cybersecurity Roles,” and challenge what it really means for the global cyber workforce. We’ll talk about certification barriers, the myth of “no entry-level roles,” and the widening gap between HR, cyber managers, and real-world professionals. Join me as I dissect what’s working—and what’s not—in how organizations attract, hire, and retain cybersecurity talent. It’s a conversation about equity, strategy...
Send us a text In this episode, I unpack the 2025 SANS Report, “Attract, Hire, and Retain Cybersecurity Roles,” and challenge what it really means for the global cyber workforce. We’ll talk about certification barriers, the myth of “no entry-level roles,” and the widening gap between HR, cyber managers, and real-world professionals. Join me as I dissect what’s working—and what’s not—in how organizations attract, hire, and retain cybersecurity talent. It’s a conversation about equity, strategy...
Send us a text In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Bytes, Bits & Brilliance, host Dawn Butler invites listeners into a heart-to-heart about what it truly means to use our voices — especially as Black women in Cybersecurity and Tech leadership. Dawn shares her journey from silence to self-advocacy, from fighting invisible internal battles to boldly standing up for fairness, equity, and representation. With emotional depth and practical wisdom, she unpacks how fear, culture, and...
Send us a text The Customer Success Manager (CSM) role has emerged as a critical strategic business function in the technology industry, particularly within SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) companies. But what does a CSM actually do, and how can your existing professional experience launch you into this growing field? When I was laid off and started exploring options for my next role, a few people suggested customer success and I realized I'd heard about the role but didn't know much about it, wh...
Send us a text What does it really look like to lead with empathy in industries that reward output over openness? In this refreshingly honest episode, I share my personal journey from environments lacking compassion to intentionally creating micro-cultures of belonging, trust, and meaningful feedback. Drawing on the powerful McKinsey article, “It’s Cool to Be Kind: The Value of Empathy at Work,” I’ll break down actionable takeaways using the starburst method. Whether you’re ...
Send us a text Is leadership just for those in corner offices? Not so fast. Meet a Bahamian computer scientist, Aaleyah Evans, whose early career in cybersecurity and academia challenged every stereotype—proving that relatability, mentorship, and mistakes are the real fuel for future leaders. Listen in for honest stories about building confidence, tackling mistakes head-on, and the power of company-led mentorship to inspire the next wave of tech talent. If cybersecurity sounds a...
Send us a text What happens when your “perfect job” doesn’t fit? In this electrifying episode, meet a former tech pro, Jessica Cumming, who battled layoffs and glass ceilings—then flipped uncertainty into unstoppable growth. Hear how she turned misalignment at Dell into a launchpad for transformation, chose purpose over comfort, and built a coaching career grounded in bold action and realignment. We dive into the importance of: Taking time to truly reflect before transitioning careersBu...
Send us a text What does it take to pivot from a 24-year career in caregiving to a thriving path in cybersecurity? In this inspiring episode, we sit down with a former nanny and caregiver, Diana Sofi Rodriguez, originally from Peru, who shares her remarkable journey of reinvention. She opens up about how skills like patience, organization, and empathy became powerful assets for a cybersecurity career and how faith and perseverance played a central role in her growth. From graduati...
Send us a text What does it really take to thrive for two decades in cybersecurity—and to blaze a trail for others? In this episode of Bytes, Bits and Brilliance, I sit down with the powerhouse behind Cyber Thriver, Geraldine Okon, a 20-year cybersecurity pro who rose from computer operator to trusted mentor, connector, and entrepreneur. We dive deep into her unconventional journey—spanning financial services, a forklift company, and beyond—while unpacking the real roadblocks and hidd...
Send us a text This 20-minute episode dives into the transformative journey of tech leadership in the age of generative AI. Drawing from My personal reflections and insights from the Google Cloud Generative AI Leader training, it explores how leaders can navigate uncertainty, drive innovation, and empower teams through change. Whether you're a CTO, product manager, or engineering lead, this episode offers practical strategies and thought-provoking perspectives to help you lead wit...
Send us a text In this episode, we dive deep into what it really takes to thrive in tech and beyond. My guest, Dana Zellers, a former tech worker turned executive coach, joins me to unpack the lessons of work-life balance, the power of boundaries, and why intentional career planning is non-negotiable. Together, we explore coaching strategies, how to handle career crossroads, and the role mentors and managers play in our growth. We talk about giving yourself (and others) grace, why posit...
Send us a text What does it really mean to thrive in tech? In this episode, I sit down with Sayantika Banik, a founder and data scientist who calls herself a “mixed bag.” From building backend systems to serving on the Django Software Foundation’s Board of Directors, her journey is anything but ordinary. We dive into: The realities of burnout and the power of community supportWhy embracing your whole self—not just technical skills—mattersLessons in self-advocacy, resilience, and finding your ...
Send us a text In this audio overview, we're covering the intersection of: The Impact of Standards (ANSI's Role): Understand how voluntary consensus standards, coordinated by organizations like the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), are literally everywhere, shaping innovation, improving safety and well-being, reducing costs, and enabling global trade.Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE): Explore this community-developed, free-to-use list of common software and hardware weakness types...
Send us a text In the final part of this series, we zoom in on mentorship, representation, and legacy. The panelists share what grounds them, how they support the next generation, and what they hope for the future of tech—especially for underrepresented voices. It’s the call to action we all need. JT Taylor is a senior-level tech professional, entrepreneur, and coach with a sharp focus on DevOps, Scrum, and business development. With a career built on grit and giving back, he’s deeply p...
Send us a text In Part 2 of the panel with Adam Roberts and JT Taylor, we talk about staying future-ready in an evolving tech world. The panel explores certifications vs. degrees, soft skills that matter, and how to stay ten steps ahead. It's strategy, insight, and real-world perspective from those who’ve lived it. Connect with us: Adam: Https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamdroberts/ JT: https://www.linkedin.com/josetaylor06 Dawn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnbutler1/ Support the show Hey, list...
Send us a text Origins: How We Got Here & What We’ve Learned In Part 1 of this 3-part panel series, we go behind the titles and hear the real stories—how two leaders built their tech careers from the ground up, the lessons they learned the hard way, and how they’re now paving the way for the next generation. This episode covers origin stories, identity evolution, imposter syndrome, and making space to thrive. JT Taylor is a senior-level tech professional, entrepreneur, and coach wi...
Send us a text How does someone go from cable installations at Cisco Academy to founding a cybersecurity powerhouse? In this episode, I sit down with Charles Rush III, a Cybersecurity Founder and government contractor—CISSP, PMP, FSCE certified, and a proud Goldman Sachs 10KSB alum—who’s spent more than 20 years in tech redefining what success looks like. We dig deep into the realities behind financial freedom in IT, the critical need to “know the business of your business,” and w...
Send us a text What happens when you walk away from a high-powered tech career to chase your true calling? In this electrifying episode, I sit down with a former Microsoft leader, the powerhouse founder of Limitless Leaders, Uma Subramanian. Following her time at Microsoft, while working with a tech startup, Uma left it all behind after a jaw-dropping meeting with the startup CEO who crossed the line. Within weeks, she transformed that pivotal moment into a mission: helping tech p...
Send us a text In Part 2 of our series with Thalia Brown, the founder of Authentic Discussion, we dive into the realities of recruitment and networking in today's competitive tech landscape. Thalia shares her journey with professional networking, authentic professional branding and the critical need for candidates to differentiate themselves. We explore strategies for standing out in a crowded job market, especially with the rise of AI and automation, emphasizing the importance of...
Send us a text In Part 1 of this two-part series, I sit down with Thalia Brown, the founder of Authentic Discussion—a pioneering learning platform using research-based tools, podcasts, virtual reality, and AI to tackle gender equity and workplace challenges in tech and cybersecurity. Drawing on years of experience as a diversity practitioner and recruiter, Thalia shares how her mission-driven business is helping candidates overcome imposter syndrome, anxiety, and emotional bias in hirin...
Send us a text In Part 2 of our change management series, with my guest, Shanayla Sweat, we explore why performative change efforts often fall short and how genuine leadership commitment is key to lasting transformation. Shanayla highlights the critical role of soft skills in change management, emphasizing the need for leaders to truly listen and respond to employee needs like flexibility, autonomy, and better benefits. We also discuss the broader societal tensions between individ...
Bytes, Bits & Brilliance: Career Insights and Inspiration
Send us a text In this episode, I unpack the 2025 SANS Report, “Attract, Hire, and Retain Cybersecurity Roles,” and challenge what it really means for the global cyber workforce. We’ll talk about certification barriers, the myth of “no entry-level roles,” and the widening gap between HR, cyber managers, and real-world professionals. Join me as I dissect what’s working—and what’s not—in how organizations attract, hire, and retain cybersecurity talent. It’s a conversation about equity, strategy...
