Hacker Valley Studio

Leadership expert, Dr. Stacey Ashley, joins us at the Hacker Valley Studio to talk about her journey from the corporate world of leadership to her current roles in consulting and coaching. As a speaker, author, and educator for leaders, especially executive and C-level leaders, Dr. Ashley shares foundational skills needed to go from expert to leader, mindset shifts that need to occur regarding our...

We invite our friend, Ginny Clarke, to Hacker Valley this week to talk about conscious leadership and self-awareness as a way to take our organizations to the next level. Using her prior experience at tech giants like Google and her five dimensions of leadership, Ginny explains how we can better hold the leaders in our lives accountable, what will benefit our civilization the most for future gener...

We invite Bob Kruse, Co-Founder and CEO of Revelstoke Security, down to Hacker Valley Studios this week to talk about his journey from investment banking to cybersecurity sales to owning and operating his company with Josh McCarthy. With a focus on communication and peoples skills, Bob discusses how to be a leader in the cybersecurity community, including building strong relationships with staff m...

In the turbulent world of cybersecurity, it can be difficult to not get caught up in the emotions of it all. Fear uncertainty, doubt...not to mention, burnout. It's not surprising cybersecurity is often seen as being a highly stressful field. But is it possible we may be addressing and interpreting our emotions, as practitioners, in the wrong way? Ron and Chris are joined by author and coach, Sher...

Making an impact in the cybersecurity community as a content creator is no easy task! Just ask Derek Scheller, aka The Cyber Warrior. Derek joins hosts Ron and Chris to talk about how he brings his unique personality and positive messages to inspire folks within, and breaking into, cyber. In this this episode, Derek shares: His passion to inspire and motivate others How to make your content stand...

Life is full of complexity -- just ask adaptive athlete Amy Bream, this episode's special guest. She was born with one leg, but that didn’t stop her from growing up to become a kickboxer. In 2021, she competed in the CrossFit Games, placing in the top five. And in 2022, she came in first at Wodapalooza — one of the biggest fitness competitions in the world. The key to her success? Controlling what...

The metaverse seems to be the hottest thing in technology today. From virtual environments to avatars, our lives are being digitized more and more. Is there even a reason to go outside anymore? Robin Thurston, CEO of Outside Inc., built his entire company around this very question. What's even more interesting is that he is using web3 technology to help get people reacquainted with the great outdo...

“If you believe in yourself and you're willing to put in that work, it WILL happen.” - Jon DiMaggio In this episode, Ron and Chris are joined by author and Chief Security Strategist, Jon DiMaggio, to talk about the power of believing in yourself and following through on your dreams. Jon shares the story behind writing his book, The Art of Cyber Warfare, and how he learned to overcome rejection.  ...

Cybersecurity podcast hosts, Chris and Ron, had the pleasure of sitting down with US Olympic gold medalist, Simone Biles, for a very special interview! You might be wondering, “what does cybersecurity and elite-level gymnastics have in common?” - both have a strong focus on controlling complexity. Complexity comes in many forms — whether that be staying calm in the face of a malicious cyber attack...

Anxiety and nervous energy is palpable in cybersecurity. If practitioners allow this energy to take control, it can be stifling and paralyzing. But what if we were to use this power to do what it was intended to do? In this episode, Ron and Chris chat with Dr. Chloe Carmichael, author of the Deepak Chopra endorsed book, Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxiety. They discuss: -The purpose...

In this episode, Ron and Chris highlight a human problem that affects every company and organization in the world – Insider Threat. Shawnee Delaney, an Insider Threat expert, cybersecurity consultant and CEO of Vaillance Group, joins the guys to provide her expertise on the topic and shares real life examples of treason and espionage. In this episode Shawnee explores: The intersection of empathy a...

What is grit? How much or little do YOU have? Can we grow it?  Hosts Ron and Chris are joined by the Executive Coach and Founder of Fivecoat Consulting Group, David Fivecoat, to talk about how grit shows up in our lives and ways that we can cultivate more. Guest Bio: After 24 years as a US Army paratrooper, as well as 4 combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Colonel David Fivecoat, US Army, Retired...

DeJuan Strickland (DJ) is a huge superhero fan, but when he realized there weren’t many superheroes and comic book characters that looked like him, he decided to do something about it! Enter: Tech Boy! DJ joins hosts Ron and Chris to share his unique experiences as an 13 year old author, entrepreneur, and tech enthusiast.    Guest Bio: DeJuan Strickland is a 13-old scholar born and raised in St. L...

Evan Mayfield, an award-winning 3D animator and founder of the Kingdom of Dwarves NFT project, joins Ron and Chris to talk about how his love of art allows him to experience life in new and creative ways. In this episode, Evan shares his story behind winning an Academy Award and starting a career in the film industry, what led him into creating NFT art and founding Kingdom of Dwarves NFT project,...

In this new age of remote work, people are able to live and work in ways that we never thought possible. In this episode Ron and Chris are joined by Isabel Leong, a full-time travel blogger and SEO marketing coach. Isabel shares how she turned her hobby into a career that allows her to fulfill her passion for travel and her tips for those attempting to do the same.   Guest Bio: Full-time travel bl...

In this episode Ron and Chris are joined by the co-founder and CEO of SeclarityIO, David Pearson, to talk about his experience in building a company from the ground up. David shares the challenge of “building something from nothing,” seeking help, and the importance of having a solid support system. David explores the intricacies and inner workings of his mind and his tips on tapping into creativi...

Anyone can start a podcast, but what about a successful podcast? What about a podcast that reaches, connects and impacts people for the better? In this episode, Ron and Chris are joined by Adam Adams to talk about what it takes to create a successful podcast. Adam touches on the importance of having quality equipment, a compelling and entertaining message, and great marketing. He explores the reas...

Have you ever heard of the term, “Black Swans” or “Gray Rhinos”? Black Swan are events that we never saw coming, while Gray Rhinos are the things we see from a mile away. In this episode, author and strategist Michele Wucker explores the gray rhino and risk fingerprint metaphors and translates big picture trends in ways everyday folks can apply to their lives.  Sponsor Links: A big thank you to ou...

We believe you are what you listen to -- including the personal podcast that is playing in your head every day. What is it saying to you? Our guest Terre Short excels at distilling leadership skills into actionable steps and choosing the right words to inspire others and giving ourselves the words we need to move forward.   Guest Bio: Terre Short is a human potential developer who has more than 30...

When Rob White was a child, someone called him a loser -- it wasn't until he confronted his negative talk that he rose to greatness. From humble beginnings to his current status as a real estate developer, restaurateur, world traveler, international best-selling author, Rob has distilled his life experiences into sound, practical advice. Listen carefully to this episode because it's time to bring...

In this episode, Ron and Chris take a stroll down podcast memory lane in celebration of Hacker Valley’s 200th episode. The guys reflect on their rise from humble podcast beginnings, their ever-growing fascination with human-centric stories, making a difference, and what lies ahead for Hacker Valley Media.   Key Takeaways: 01:29  Celebrating episode 200! 02:47  From humble, homegrown beginnings 03:...

In this episode, Ron and Chris are joined by Camille Stewart, the Global Head of Product Security Strategy at Google and Co-Founder of Share The Mic. The trio have an honest conversation about advocacy and representation in cybersecurity, the story behind Camille’s Share The Mic social movement, how we can begin to move in the right direction, and how culture shapes the way we interact with techno...

Ron and Chris sit down with anthropologist, author, entrepreneur and coach, Veronica Kirin, to learn how she distilled her seventy hour work week down to ten. Veronica shares her knowledge on helping small businesses scale, why and which automation tools are a scaling must-have, hiring best practices, and the power of goal mapping. Lastly, Veronica shares her seventy year business plan method whic...

In this week’s episode, Ron and Chris are joined by speaker, entrepreneur, mother of six and the best-selling author of The Extraordinary UnOrdinary You, Simone Knego. The trio explore the highs and lows of parenting, while attempting to manage it all – and then some! Simone shares how believing in herself was the secret sauce behind writing a book and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, why patience trul...

In this episode, Ron and Chris are joined by Julie Haney – a computer scientist and Usable Security Researcher at NIST, to talk about the human within the technologist. The trio sit down and have a powerful discussion on ways in which cybersecurity practitioners can bring their best work to the table, the importance of empathy within the workplace, and how to empower ourselves and the security com...