I don't often find myself on the other side of the microphone. But, I recently joined Steve Prentice for an episode of the Thales Security Sessions Podcast to talk about my own journey from working in IT to becoming a technology journalist and podcast host.
The episode, titled “From IT Guy to Podcast Media Star,” is part of Series 6 of the Thales Security Sessions Podcast. The series brings together Thales experts and voices from across the cybersecurity industry to discuss subjects including data security, artificial intelligence, identity, digital sovereignty, applications and digital transformation.
My conversation with Steve was slightly different. Rather than discussing one particular technology or industry trend, we spoke about careers, opportunity, and how seemingly small decisions can have a much bigger impact than we expect.
From working in IT to interviewing technology leaders
My career began in IT, long before I imagined I'd spend my days interviewing technology executives, founders, and industry leaders.
Working in technology gave me an appreciation for the gap that often exists between the people building technology and the people expected to use it.
Technical teams naturally talk about features, architectures, and capabilities. Business leaders and users usually care about something much simpler. What problem does this solve, how will it help me, and what value will it create?
That became the approach I carried into writing and podcasting.
When I launched Tech Talks Daily, I wanted to create conversations that made technology easier to understand without losing substance. Over time, those conversations have taken me around the world and given me the opportunity to speak with thousands of people working across cybersecurity, AI, cloud computing, enterprise software, and many other areas of technology. None of that was part of a carefully written career plan.
Why careers rarely follow the plan
One of the main subjects Steve and I discussed was serendipity. People often feel pressure to present a career as a sequence of carefully calculated decisions. LinkedIn profiles can make almost any professional journey look perfectly organized in hindsight. The reality is usually much messier.
Several important moments in my own career came from unexpected conversations, introductions, and opportunities that I could easily have missed. I have learned that goals matter, but so does staying open to opportunities that were never part of the original plan.
Sometimes that means talking to someone you did not expect to meet. Sometimes it means accepting an invitation without knowing exactly where it will lead. Sometimes it simply means paying more attention to what is happening around you rather than spending every spare moment looking at a phone.
In the Thales conversation, we spoke about how some of those small decisions can eventually change the direction of a career. The reality behind podcasting and technology media. We also talked about some of the less glamorous parts of building a career in podcasting.
Live interviews do not always go according to plan. Technology fails, recordings disappear, and Wi-Fi connections collapse at exactly the wrong moment. Guests occasionally cancel, schedules change, and conversations sometimes go in completely unexpected directions.
After thousands of interviews, I have learned that preparation matters, but adaptability matters just as much.
The strongest conversations often happen when both people move beyond prepared talking points and start discussing what they are genuinely seeing in their industry. That is especially true in technology, where the conversation can change quickly. Artificial intelligence is a good example. Organizations are investing heavily in AI while also trying to understand questions around security, governance, identity, data protection, and trust. Cybersecurity teams are simultaneously dealing with new capabilities available to defenders and new tools available to attackers.
These are subjects that appear regularly on my own podcasts, and they are also central to the work Thales covers through its Security Sessions series. AI, cybersecurity and staying optimistic about technology. Steve and I also discussed maintaining optimism when technology conversations can easily become dominated by fear.
AI is raising legitimate concerns about security, employment, misinformation, privacy, and the changing nature of work. Cybersecurity threats are becoming more sophisticated, and organizations are being asked to protect increasingly complicated digital environments.
Those problems deserve serious attention. At the same time, I think it is important to remember why so many people entered technology in the first place. Technology can solve problems, remove barriers, and create opportunities that didn't exist before.
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate enough to meet people using technology to improve healthcare, strengthen security, reduce waste, help businesses operate more effectively, and give people access to services they previously could not reach.
Those stories are one reason I continue doing what I do.
Being interviewed by Thales
Appearing on the Thales Security Sessions Podcast was particularly enjoyable because it let me reflect on a career I rarely stop to examine. Thales is a major global technology company working across areas including cybersecurity, digital identity, aerospace, defense and transportation. Its Security Sessions Podcast provides a forum for discussing many of the security and technology issues affecting organizations today.
Being invited to share my own story on the series was a privilege, but it also reminded me of something that has become increasingly clear throughout my career. You can plan your next move, build a strategy, and set ambitious goals, but some of the most interesting opportunities will arrive from directions you never expected. The challenge is recognizing them when they appear.
You can listen to my full conversation with Steve Prentice on the Thales Security Sessions Podcast, Series 6 Episode 10, “From IT Guy to Podcast Media Star,” embedded above.
For more conversations with technology leaders discussing AI, cybersecurity, enterprise technology, and the business problems technology is helping to solve, you can also find my latest interviews on Tech Talks Daily and right here across the Tech Talks Network.